ACTE: Civic Tech unites to defend the sector in Europe
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Since December 2019, the civic tech have joined forces and convictions to create the Civic Tech Europe Association (ACTE). A unique initiative, which aims to structure and represent the sector on a European scale and of which Julie de Pimodan, CEO of Fluicity, is proud to take the presidency.
On May 19, 2020, a webinar in English marked the official launch of the association in the presence of key actors of participatory democracy in Europe and the founding members of ACTE: Make.org, Civocracy, Fluicity, Novoville, Quorum, and Cap Collectif.
An opportunity to review the main commitments of these Civic Techs.
Proposing solutions to the democratic crisis
It is time for collaboration and collective thinking. It was already the case before the Covid-19 crisis, which only reinforced the need for it. It is therefore logical that the Civic Tech sector has applied the principle of co-construction to itself.
We all have different business models, but a common mission: to offer an answer to the democratic crisis and to reinforce citizen participation. We founded ACTE to unite our voices in Europe.
Julie de Pimodan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/judepim/), CEO of Fluicity and President of ACTE
Uniting voices... to make them better heard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHqZzl25FAc&feature=emb_title
All the more so as the European democracies seem less and less perceived as being in phase with the reality of the citizens, underlines Axel Dauchez, founder of Make.org and vice-president of ACTE.
For several years now, Civic Tech has been designing digital tools to re-establish communication between institutions and citizens, and to allow the implementation of more open debates and co-constructed projects. A necessity that is all the more important today.
We are entering a time of crisis. We need democratic tools to keep democracy alive!
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield**, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs
Facilitating access to Civic Tech** tools
Technology at the service of democracy is a source of opportunities (transparency, inclusion...) as well as of caution (data protection, Big Data, accessibility...). The speakers of the webinar did not fail to mention these different issues, emphasizing the fundamental role of Civic Tech to facilitate secure access to all citizens.
Digital tools allow to guarantee transparency with citizens, and consequently to reinforce trust.
Mattia de Grassi**, Member of the cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica in charge of Democracy and Demography
We need to help all local governments, regardless of their size, to equip themselves with SAAS solutions, and to set up flexible purchasing centers.
Rait Pihelgas**, Member of the European Committee of the Regions, Mayor of Järva municipality
The continued importance of civic engagement
Continuing its reflection, ACTE publishes a forum on civic engagement in times of crisis in the wake of the webinar and warns us.
"While the need for strong measures to stem the tide is clear, we as Civic Tech experts and citizens must nevertheless be mindful of the impact these measures may have on our fundamental rights and freedoms."
The association invites us to think about the solutions available to us to give this crisis a positive, constructive and above all democratic outcome. "In these difficult times... and for the future!"
