As we bridge gaps between open data ecosystems, we continually ask ourselves what impact our work has on grassroot communities and how open data can be used to improve their lives.
But who are these people that we are talking about? Who are the grassroots?
In our attempt to unravel the term, we often come across definitions that are used ambiguously to mean all sorts of things: we’ve seen ‘grassroots’ coined to refer to political movements, disenfranchised communities, ‘boots on the ground’, activism, and everything in between.
We’ve been racking our brains on a few questions that we think may help us better understand grassroots, particularly:
- What do grassroots look like? What structure defines them? How do they behave collectively?
- How do they identify with a common purpose?
- What is their level of commitment towards a common purpose?
- How does the definition and/or our understanding of the term influence the work we do?
In a bid to define grassroots, we’ll be hosting a Google Hangout on Thursday, 7 November at 4pm (EAT) with a few panelists to explore the subject based on their knowledge and experience.
Join us! You can RSVP for the Google Hangout here: http://goo.gl/1eepDT
In the days leading to the hangout, we would like to know your thoughts on grassroots. How do you define the term? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or on Twitter and Google+ using the #DefiningGrassroots hashtag.
