Washington, D.C. November 1, 2011 – The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan “think tank” on 21st Century Governance, discusses in its latest report how global politics is being reconfigured along a new international order based on the openness of governments and the levels they undertake to engage their citizens.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a next generation strategic consultancy that empowers government and corporate leaders to leverage the new media of the Internet to build influence and shape public opinion.

Historically political leaders have tended to prefer dividing the world in two; asserting an “us” vs. “them” perspective for nations to forge coalitions whether communist vs. capitalist, developed vs. developing, or democratic vs. autocratic. The two-part picture was marked once more when the Open Government Partnership (OGP) launched with a gathering of heads of state and senior officials in New York on September 20th, 2011. The aim of this new multilateral initiative is “to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.”

The Digital Policy Council’s analyses reveal currently 21% of the World’s nations are deemed to have open and transparent governments, 15% meet the eligibility criteria for earning an open designation and a majority of two-thirds (64%) remains classified as being closed with non-transparent governance structures in place. This now raises the visibility and differentiation of governments who are not mere democracies but are explicitly challenged to be both democratic and open.  View the interactive world map of open vs. closed nations at http://www.digitaldaya.com/opengov_map.

The Politics of Identity

The democratic peace theory advocates that democracies rarely, or even never, go to war with one another.  The simple idea is that democratic leaders must answer to the voters for war, and therefore have an incentive to seek alternatives; as such heads of state tend to settle matters by discussion, not by arms.  This political doctrine promoted by the past four U.S. administrations has fostered a foreign policy that democracy is worth encouraging and even fighting for.

However, efforts to promote democracy to date has shown mixed results and proven to be a necessary, but not sufficient element of governance to prevent failed states and secure lasting development for nations.  An open government according to the OGP is based on passing a 16-point rating system to determine the level of commitment to transparency by each nation.  The essential criteria include a transparent budget for fiscal responsibility, a freedom of information act providing constitutional guarantees for public access to government information, the asset disclosures of government officials to thwart corruption, and warranties for over sixteen assorted civil liberties from religious freedom to Internet access.

“Now openness is the new standard for nation states to be credible actors in world affairs,” said Omar Hijazi, Managing Partner at Digital Daya. “The question for governments is not so much as to whether or not they are democratic, but rather if they hold the trust and support of civil society.”

While the democratic peace theory was a policy for inhibition of warring nations, for 21st Century politics it is being replaced by the doctrine of openness as a containment of civil unrest.

New Media is Sidestepped

Government 2.0 or “Gov2.0” commonly refers to technology-based initiatives for building transparency, participation and collaboration into the government process, specifically using new media architectures founded on social media, cloud computing, and open data. It was a group of these tech-savvy enthusiasts that were behind the Open Government declaration issued back in December of 2009 by President Obama which served as the catalyst for a grassroots open government movement. Today, 42% of all governments around the globe have varying breadth and depth of initiatives surrounding Government 2.0 from beginning experimentations to advanced implementations.

Ironically, while the fundamental mission statement of the OGP includes the directive to “…harness the power of new technologies to make government more effective and accountable”, there is a definite lack of measures in the scoring systems that would drive this behavior.

Many political crises over the last year have been attributed to the new media of the Internet; they are best exemplified by the political activists sites on Facebook of the Arab Spring, the anti-secrecy, web editorial site of Wikileaks that released the controversial diplomatic cables, and the Twitter sites that were used to organize mass protests such as the London riots. It is no wonder that Governments have become very wary and concerned over this disruptive technology.

Nevertheless, people behave as they are measured, including government officials – as such leaving out any empirical metrics that would drive forward the adoption of collaborative new media technologies is a serious impediment to progressing truly open governance. In the research report, the DPC outlines a rating system for measuring adoption of new technologies that should be given consideration in defining added success measures for an open government program.

Muddy the Waters?

The issue of transparency and freedom of information is a growing topic of interest across the globe. In tracking over 400,000 conversations on the social web from the first announcement by U.S. President Obama back in December of 2009 to the most recent Open Government Partnership event this September in New York, the DPC identified a steady increase in the average postings on the Net quadrupling from 250 per day to the current level of approximately 1,000 per day.  Conspicuously in recent months, negative sentiment has outnumbered positive by a factor of 3 to 1 due to rising concerns over the future of open government as originally envisioned.

For instance, in the wake of the August riots in London , David Cameron publically called for the right of the government to restrict access to social media to quell future disturbances. “Free flow of information can be used for good,” he told Parliament. “But it can also be used for ill.” Paradoxically, the Prime Minister received swift praise from China on the sound policy choice and condemnation from Iran for conspiring to violate human rights.

Since the Arab Spring began in Tunisia last December, a wave of revolution and new reflections has swept into large parts of the Middle East.  During the 2011 Global Arab Business Meeting held recently in the UAE, the charismatic host of the event, H.H. Sheikh Saud Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, called upon all “governments to have the courage to be transparent whereby they can address challenges and institute good governance.”

Through the OGP, 46 nations are now committed to improve transparency, openness and civic engagement. As these countries create and reach their goals for openness, we may soon behold a political vista in which nations of the world are recognized as either open or closed.

For more information download the report at http://www.digitaldaya.com/opengov_report.

Digital Daya welcomes all interested parties to track the latest developments in Government 2.0 on LinkedIn @ http://linkd.in/nextgen-gov

About The Digital Policy Council™

The Digital Policy Council (DPC) is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.  The research and policy arm of the management consultancy firm Digital Daya™, DPC’s mission is the advancement of open discourse on issues of inclusive governance through the use of the Internet and Web 2.0.

Contact:
The Digital Policy Council
http://www.digitaldaya.com/
U.S. +1-202-379-4787
UAE +971-4-313-2086
Malaysia +60-3-2168-4201

Email: public_relations@digitaldaya.com

Washington, D.C. August 19, 2011 – The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan “think tank” on 21st Century Governance, has released its 2011 ranking report on the use of social media by heads of state.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a next generation strategic consultancy that empowers government and corporate leaders to leverage the new media of the Internet to build influence and shape public opinion.

The Digital Policy Council’s most up-to-date research recorded a strong movement towards social media by world leaders as they began aggressively pursuing new types of direct communication channels with their citizens and the international community.

Analyses as of August 2011 reveal that 42%, or two out of five heads of state, have a presence the social media site Twitter. A total of 69 world leaders out of 164 countries have Twitter accounts set up in their personal name or through an official government office.  The new figures represent a startling 100% increase in the number of heads of state and national governments employing Twitter from the fourth quarter of 2010 when only 33 countries were active.

Joining The Revolutionary Wave

In 2009, President Obama pushed forward an open government directive to harness Internet technology as a means to create a better system of transparency and public participation in policy making.  Over the course of the last year, the governments of the U.K., Australia, and Japan followed suit with similar initiatives.

However, in 2011, internet political activism ignited far more rapidly than the open government movement. No more so than in the Middle East and North Africa having been swept up by the pro-democracy uprisings, now known as the Arab Spring. Demonstrators openly acknowledged the role of digital media as a fundamental infrastructure for their work and the most potent factor in mobilizing support. For the period of the Arab Spring, statistics collected by Digital Daya’s Social Intelligence Command Center in Dubai revealed over 6 million people flocking to dissident social media sites eclipsing any activity on the accounts set up by government authorities.

“As a balance to the intensifying political activism online, governments are escalating investments in digital platforms to better engage with their citizens,” said Omar Hijazi, Managing Partner at Digital Daya. “To survive 21st Century politics, authorities will be far better off to invest in building a powerful Internet following rather than a futile off-switch.”

Encouragingly enough, the report confirms many heads of state are turning more and more to social media to put a personal “face” on government and to further advance their political views and agendas.

Top 10 Rankings ─ The Latin Invasion

President Obama holds on to the top spot with a vast 9 million followers adding a whopping 5 million people in 2011. Having been criticized that his Twitter account was solely being managed by his 2012 presidential campaign staff, the President started tweeting from the @BarackObama account personally with signed tweets.  To pressure an end to the debt-ceiling standoff in July 2011, Obama tweeted “The time for putting party first is over. If you want to see a bipartisan #compromise, let Congress know. Call. Email. Tweet. —BO.”

President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela grew his following by over a million people to grab the #2 spot. Political analysts referred to his Twitter account as having “tremendous propaganda value” and fundamental as part of his “charisma machine.” Chávez currently maintains the highest online influence score of any world leader matched only by President Obama.

Chávez is joined by four other Latin American heads of state in the world’s highest rankings, notably President Felipe Calderón of Mexico, the newly elected president of Brazil, Dilma Rouseff, Argentinean president Cristina Fernández, and Chilean president Sebastián Piñera. All four of these Latin American leaders have achieved a tremendous growth in followers in just one year. In fact, Latin American leaders now make up 50% of the Top 10.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, the “Reluctant King” of social media in Europe, ranks the highest among its leaders with the third spot in the Top 10.  He grudgingly inherited the 10 Downing Street Twitter account from his predecessor and then social media advocate Gordon Brown. Despite brushing aside Twitter last year for being too “instant,” Cameron has newly recruited an Executive Director of Digital, responsible for the overall user experience across all digital channels, and a key component in a strategic plan to boost the Government’s online presence.

New to the Top 10 is the president of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III now the highest ranking Asian leader and claiming the 6th spot. Moving up three notches to the 7th spot is President Abdullah Gül of Turkey, a proponent of freedom of the Internet.

While the Arab Spring has caused a retrenchment of open government across the Middle East, a notable exception is His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has actually increased his social communications.  He tweets more often and recently launched a new iPhone app to allow the people of the UAE to have easy access to his news channel, Facebook page and Twitter account all in one application with a feature to switch between Arabic and English. His Highness is currently ranked 10th overall providing a strong example of leadership for the Middle East in engaging his citizenry with open communication.

A Shift in the Balance of Power?

Civil society now have new means through social media and mobile communication platforms to organize very effective civil dissent whether on the streets of Cairo or London. The uprisings in 2011 have made it clear that the political stability of nations along with the political longevity of its leaders are inextricably tied to engagement of civil society.

The Digital Policy Council reiterates its advisory view that the new media is a disruptive technology and governments will need to adapt to the changed conditions. In fact, these social networks can be influenced to consensus, just as powerfully as they can incite dissent.  Open communication from heads of state through social media channels such as Twitter is only a single dimension of a much broader transformation. The empowerment of public service officials with new policies and technology platforms can assure favorable citizen engagement.

For more information download the report at www.digitaldaya.com/world_leaders_on_twitter_2011

Digital Daya welcomes all interested parties to track the latest developments in Government 2.0 on LinkedIn @ http://linkd.in/nextgen-gov

About The Digital Policy Council™
The Digital Policy Council (DPC) is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.  The research and policy arm of the management consultancy firm Digital Daya™, DPC’s mission is the advancement of open discourse on issues of inclusive governance through the use of the Internet and Web 2.0.

Contact:

The Digital Policy Council
http://www.digitaldaya.com/
U.S. +1-202-379-4787
UAE +971-4-313-2086
Malaysia +60-3-2168-4201

Email: public_relations@digitaldaya.com

Middle East’s first group on Government 2.0 to roll out public discussions that are viewable and shareable online.

Washington D.C.,  February XX, 2011 - Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a strategic consultancy that empowers world leaders to leverage the new media of the Internet, has announced the formation of  a LinkedIn group entitled ‘Gov 2.0 – Technology, Initiatives and Innovations.’

Because of digital communication and the ascent of social networking, the world of politics and policy-making is moving at lightning speed and those who try merely to keep pace may ultimately be left behind.  The newly created group provides a stage for sharing knowledge and ideas on this new and powerful technology; along with a forum where government leaders can engage in conversation with practitioners and innovators across the globe.

Digital Daya has formed the LinkedIn group with the simple mission to promote good governance. A vital and wide‐ranging transformation of government is underway driven by the ascendancy of social networking and Web2.0 technologies ― the phenomenon has been labeled Government 2.0.  The ‘Gov 2.0 – Technology, Initiatives and Innovations’ group is intended as a global resource to develop an informed understanding of this new media of the Internet,  advance its impact on global governance and public policy, and to encourage governments to harness its potential to create new public value.  Contributions are provided by a collection of experts, academics, public officials, opinion leaders, business influentials, and concerned citizens.

The new reality of 21^st Century Governance

The world wide web (W3) is a tabula rasa – a blank slate upon which individuals, groups, cultures and nations engage. And because the web is available to anyone with on-line access, we’ve seen that this essential communications medium can be a very potent platform to engage and influence an increasingly interconnected public audience.

A new widespread shift is underway towards online discourse and an increasing demand for direct communication between leaders and their people; in truth creating a challenge for political leaders and policy-makers that seek to shape public opinion.  These leaders are finding it more difficult to promote their public image abroad with a highly informed global audience and equally at home to deal with the Internet as a growing medium for political activism and dissent.

Some countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Singapore have declared “open government” initiatives to promote transparency and foster more direct political representation with their citizenry by applying social networking and Web 2.0 technologies to the practice of government.  The initiative, labeled as Government 2.0 programs, are geared to let people access government information online and collaborate more openly in the making of public policy.

The point? This new medium, the Internet and specifically the 100′s of millions who are connected online through social networks, is defining 21^st Century governance.

In April 2010, the Digital Policy Council (DPC), the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya, published its report “Facebook: A Platform for 21st Century Politics” describing how this transformation will be felt worldwide; and expressly foretelling how it’s impact will potentiate the political landscape in the Middle East and broader Muslim World.  Case in point is the role social media has played in the organization and escalation of dissent in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled these governments and sent reverberations around the Arab world.

We are witnessing the turnover of Middle Eastern leadership. As the old guard “times out,” new leaders, younger more visionary leaders, have the opportunity to step forward. Digital Daya sees these leaders recognizing the value of employing web assets to engage their peoples and other cultures around the globe. In effect, the tabula rasa that is the W3 is to be filled in with a new breed of leaders in nations across the region. These leaders will learn how to harness the power of the Internet to converse with their citizens, engage them in the development of public policy,  and create support in civil society for their actions.

Millions of people committed to similar goals, ideas, and values are being engaged into social networks. Once enough citizens are mobilized and decide to participate, their networks build commanding social capital leading to the political power to influence not only domestic policy but public sentiment around the world.

“Social media is a disruptive technology that has shifted the balance of power into the hands of ordinary citizens and as such 21^st Century governance will be defined by how successfully they are engaged.” said Omar Hijazi, Managing Partner for Digital Daya, “The good news is that these social networks can be influenced just as powerfully as they can incite. Knowing how to do this empathetically will be the key to political sustainability. We hope the discussions and insights from this Gov 2.0 group will inform government leaders in this region on the latest technology, initiatives and innovations to respond to the changing face of politics. ”

Digital Daya welcomes all interested parties to join the conversation.  This community can be accessed @ http://linkd.in/nextgen-gov.

About Digital Daya™

Digital Daya is an international strategic consultancy helping world leader leverage the power of digital platforms to influence and engage the World in the 21st Century. The Digital Policy Council (DPC), the research and policy arm of the Digital Daya, is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.

Contact:

Digital Daya LLC
http://www.digitaldaya.com/
U.S.:+1-202-379-4787
UAE:+971-4-313-2086
Malaysia:+60-3-2168-4201
Email: public_relations@digitaldaya.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a strategic consultancy that empowers world leaders to leverage the new media of the Internet, has released a new report “Brand Dubai: A Snapshot of Dubai’s Image on the Social Web” that explores the state of Dubai’s online reputation since the financial crisis in November 2009.

Times Square, New York (January 27, 2010): Digital Daya Launches First Social Media Command Center in the Middle East (PRNewsFoto/Digital Daya)

According to Digital Daya’s most up-to-date research, during the peak of the financial crisis almost 95% of all media postings online were negative reflecting prevailing fear and doubt about Dubai’s debt burdens and its ability to recover. This persisted through the beginning of 2010 where the ratio of positive to negative sentiment was running 1:3, however over the last 6 month the ratio has nearly flipped to 5:2 signifying a net positive view of Dubai. This reflects a strong comeback for Dubai’s prevailing reputation in the global community and a refocus on its traditional image as an entertainment and logistics hub.

On an interesting note, the volume of postings and favorable views about Dubai on the “social web” far exceeds that of mainstream news media indicative of a strong supportive following by the general public that could be earnestly leveraged.

“The conversations found in millions of social networking sites offer tremendous insights into what people are thinking and tremendous opportunities to influence that thinking,” said Omar Hijazi, Managing Partner at Digital Daya. ” There is a stark realization growing amongst public sector leaders that a new generational shift is required to successfully reach out to people and ensure a favorable reputation in today’s increasingly digital society.”

The Advent of “Social Intelligence”

This ascendance of social media brings about several questions, especially for government. In an age where news travels, is shared, re-tweeted, posted on Facebook quicker than most public officials can react — keeping a pulse on public sentiment is now more pressing than even.

In the region today, much sovereign investment is being directed towards creating world-class metropolitan destinations to attract the global investment and business community; as competition heats up, governments have to ponder how best to ensure a favorable reputation and set their cities apart.

Governments are equally challenged by the rise of online activism over social networking web sites like Twitter and Facebook used by opposition movements to organize protests and escalate dissent such as that in Tunisia which toppled the government and sent reverberations across the Arab world.

However you look at it, proactively or reactively, public authorities are going to require new competencies to gather data and insights on millions of online conversations happening on the Internet – new capabilities to accumulate social intelligence to understand and ultimately influence public opinion.

Middle East‘s First Social Intelligence Command Center

The Brand Dubai report was produced through Digital Daya’s social media command center sited in the UAE by analyzing nearly 3/4 million postings on the Internet.  The command center was specifically designed as a social media listening grid acting as a fully functional real-time system to monitor Internet-based social media locally and around the globe.  The center collects, analyzes and manages reputation information concerning sovereign and corporate brands for their clients in the public and private sectors around the region.

Digital Daya’s platform brings into play advanced social media technologies that provide governments and corporates the means to effectively track and manage their reputation online. The social media command center will monitor millions of conversations stirring on social networks, blogs, forums, Twitter, wiki, news and video sites — this social intelligence can then used to tune policy making,  influence opinions and better foretell public sentiment.

For more information download the report at http://digitaldaya.com/blog/brand-dubai-is-bouncing-back/.

About Digital Daya™

Digital Daya is an international strategic consultancy helping world leader leverage the power of digital platforms to influence and engage the World in the 21st Century. The Digital Policy Council (DPC), the research and policy arm of the Digital Daya, is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.

Postings by members of the public on blogs and websites show the emirate’s image has turned around

Gulf News Report Published: 00:00 January 25, 2011

Dubai: Brand Dubai is enjoying a resurgence. And it is being heard loud and clear on the web, on the many blogs and social media networks that populate it.

Just as importantly, Dubai is trending positively on mainstream news sites.

Interestingly, the social media platforms, compared the mainstream news sites, have been leading the way in representing Dubai positively.

It sure represents a return from the cold for the brand, which went through a harrowing experience in the aftermath of the recession, the meltdown of its property sector and the subsequent issues that have to do with its accumulated debt.

“Over the last six to nine months the sentiment for Dubai has changed to an overall net positive,” said a report by Digital Daya, a consultancy that tracks the new media.

“For the last six months of 2010, the ratio of positive to negative sentiment was running 5:2,” the report stated.

That’s quite a contrast to the 1:3 split between favourable and negative mentions Dubai received during December 2009, when concerns over the mounting debt were at its peak.

Recovery

Over 30 days between November 19 and December 19, 2009, analysis across all media channels recorded an “overwhelming negative sentiment and reaching its high on 11/27 (November 27) with 95 per cent of all

mentions being negative,” according to the Digital Daya findings.

For its report titled Brand Dubai: A Snapshot of Dubai’s image in 2010, Digital Daya based its findings after trawling through 725,000 mentions where Dubai was featured over a six- to nine-month period. During this period, Dubai merited an average of 386,000 mentions a month.

“Dubai has recovered much of its reputation — shopping, luxury hotels, air travel, championships, and trade logistics now resonate clearly again,” the report added.

On the flip side, “some worrisome negative associations still remain that may hamper recovery to past standings,” the report added.

“Global security challenges and lingering financial health issues remain a significant impact on Brand Dubai.” The favourable impression that Dubai appears to be garnering in social media forums could be something that the authorities could look into, the Digital Daya report contended.

In particular, Digital Daya suggested that the authorities could move to:

• Thwart “Dubai bashing” news sources.
• Clarify misconceptions
• Help to spread important communications and positioning from official sources; and
• Effect desired changes in perception and opinion.

The authorities could even consider creating a Brand Dubai sentiment index to “clearly measure and manage Dubai’s online reputation. And when required, respond to negative sentiments being perpetuated on the web “so as to change unwanted perceptions about Dubai”, Digital Daya suggested.

“The conversations and user-generated content found in millions of social networking sites offer tremendous insights into what people are thinking and tremendous opportunities to influence that thinking,” said Omar Hijazi, managing partner at Digital Daya.

“There is a stark realisation growing amongst corporate and public sector leaders that a new generational shift is required to successfully reach out to people and manage public opinion in today’s increasingly digital society.”

What web users say

The findings that make up the Brand Dubai report was derived from Digital Daya’s social media command centre in the UAE.

The in-depth study analysed nearly 725,000 postings on the internet referencing Dubai from May to December.

The command centre is specifically designed as a social media listening grid to monitor web-based social media locally and otherwise. It collects, analyses and manages reputation information for clients.

http://gulfnews.com/business/retail/brand-dubai-shining-on-social-networks-1.751486 1/25/2011

Source: Gulf News Report – Published October 17, 2010. Digital Policy Council lauds His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for initiative to engage citizens and residents with open, direct communication.

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been ranked sixth on the “Heads of State Using Social Media” list compiled by the Washington-based Digital Policy Council, which monitors the usage of micro-blogging sites such as Twitter.

Shaikh Mohammad is listed in the Top Ten together with other top political personalities like US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Queen Rania of Jordan, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Shaikh Mohammad “continues to engage his citizens and residents with open direct communication,” the council said. “In June this year, he held the first e-session with the public on the Prime Minister’s official website. The frank dialogue covered many issues, most prominent the fiscal health of Dubai.”

As of Saturday, Shaikh Mohammad’s Twitter page showed 352,389 followers of his tweets. Tweeting under the name HHShkMohd, he has updated “followers” on his life in 140-character messages.

The Council said it has recorded a strong movement towards open government as more leaders are aggressively pursuing social media channels as a new type of direct communication with their citizens and the global community.

Analysis

Analysis as of this month reveals that 20 per cent, or one out of five heads of state, are at present on the social media site Twitter. A total of 33 world leaders out of 163 countries have accounts on Twitter set up in their personal name or through an official government office. This represents a 50 per cent increase in the number of countries from the last quarter of 2009.

“It is apparent that more and more world leaders are turning to social media to remodel how governments in the 21st century govern and communicate,” the council noted.

As it stands today, 20 per cent or one out of five heads of state are now on the social media site Twitter.

The research reveals that a culture of open political discourse is spreading across the globe as more world leaders seek direct communication with their citizenry.

The idea of governments to openly engage their citizens and the global community directly was brought to the forefront on December 8, 2009, when the White House issued an open government directive.

President Obama signed into effect a commitment of his administration to create an unprecedented level of openness in government. The memorandum outlined three key principles that government must be transparent, participatory, and collaborative.

It is interesting to note that the council’s analyses shows that 95 per cent of the countries on the list are considered politically stable, reconfirming that leaders who are confident in their leadership role and assured of their political legitimacy are most comfortable with social media regardless of the form of government whether they serve in democracies, autocracies or monarchies.

The political leadership of most fragile nations, those with a high degree of political instability, continue to view social media as a threat and adoption remains low.

The Digital Policy Council latest research investigates the impact of new media technologies to advance good governance and reshape political discourse.

Washington, D.C. October 17, 2010 – The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan “think tank” on 21st Century Governance, has released updated rankings on the use of social media by heads of state.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a new generation strategic consultancy that empowers leaders in the public sectors to leverage the new media of the Internet to communicate their message, build public influence, and execute high-impact programs to reshape governance and public policy.

According to The Digital Policy Council’s most up-to-date research, more and more world leaders are turning to social media to remodel the way in which governments in the 21^st Century govern and communicate. As it stands today 20% or one out of five heads of state are now on the social media site Twitter.  This represents a 50% increase in the number of countries from when the DPC first began tracking these metrics at the beginning of 2010.

“Governments are preparing for a digital society.  Direct communication with citizens is now becoming an expectation of heads of state,” said Omar Hijazi, Managing Partner at Digital Daya. “It is part of an escalating transformation in how we interact with our governments. Social media, cloud computing, web and mobile technologies are providing new capabilities to government officials for public engagement and equally new accountabilities.”

The Movement Towards Open Government

The idea of governments to openly engage their citizens and the global community directly was brought to the forefront on December 8, 2009, when the White House issued an open government directive. President Obama signed into effect a commitment of his administration to create an unprecedented level of openness in government and to harness digital technology to drive a radical reshaping of government.  Over the course of the year, the governments of the U.K., Australia, and Japan followed suit with similar policy actions.

The net effect of these directives was to declare information maintained by federal governments a national asset to be made accessible online to the public, to empower public service officials to involve citizens directly in policymaking, and to stage government-owned technology as platforms, or foundations, for the private sector to build upon and co-create solutions to national challenges.

The simple concept behind all these initiatives is good governance; that the adoption of Internet technologies can drive considerable efficiency and innovation to the practice of government.

A Global Phenomenon

The Digital Policy Council’s research reaffirms that this culture of open political discourse is spreading across the globe as more world leaders seek direct communication with their citizenry. In fact, the top 10 global ranking includes only two nations from the West and has changed dramatically since the beginning of the year with four new entrants including Venezuela, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey.

Most notable on the new list is President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who joined Twitter in April explaining that “This isn’t capitalist or socialist, technology depends on how you use it.” The President quipped that his account be placed in bucket of ice to cool off – aptly so as his followers are now nearing one million to place him at the #4 spot globally. The outspoken Latin leader is not alone in the top 10 as he is joined by the populist President Sebastián Piñera of Chile and President Felipe Calderón of Mexico each with a quarter million followers.

In the East, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan appears committed to a citizen-centric approach amassing over 700,000 followers on his Twitter account.

Towards the Gulf, it is the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who leads with open direct communication with his citizens and residents. Holding the first e-session with the public on the Prime Minister’s official website, he stressed that “Such an attachment between leadership and people is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the UAE.”

Stability Remains The Determining Factor

It is interesting to note that the DPC’s analyses shows that 95% of the countries on the list are considered politically stable reconfirming that leaders who are confident in their leadership role and assured of their political legitimacy are most comfortable with social media regardless of the form of government whether they serve in democracies, autocracies or monarchies.  The political leadership of most fragile nations, those with a high degree of political instability, continue to view social media as a threat and adoption remains low.

The exception is Africa’s new champion of social media in the form of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  The President of Africa’s most populous nation has aggressively embraced social media to the point where he announced on Facebook his controversial decision to stand for upcoming January 2011 presidential elections. “It’s a small platform perhaps, but it offers the possibility of change.” justified President Goodluck.

The DPC analyses does however provide a note of caution to the pioneers of open government in stable democracies.  While President Obama retains the top spot with a vast 5.6 million followers, his Twitter account communication is often criticized as overly sanitized as it is being managed by his political party. Despite calls from his own conservative party for a “big hitter on Twitter”, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron does not personally tweet and the 10 Downing Street Twitter following has remained relatively static since the changeover in administration.  Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s following of 60,000 on Twitter pales in comparison to the nearly one million amassed by her predecessor Kevin Rudd.

Citizen-centric governance is founded on engagement and discourse not around yet another broadcast media channel. The Digital Policy Council urges government leaders in all countries not to lose sight of how greatly the fast-evolving power of the Internet is driving the desire for inclusive governance. As Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt noted at the recent Washington Ideas Forum “Technology is fundamentally disruptive, and people are always shocked at how real disruption occurs.” Schmidt explained, “We’re at a point now in technology where we really can change the entire political discourse if we want to.”

For more information download the report at www.digitaldaya.com/world_leaders_on_twitter

About The Digital Policy Council™

The Digital Policy Council (DPC) is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.  The research and policy arm of the management consultancy firm Digital Daya™, DPC’s mission is the advancement of open discourse on issues of inclusive governance through the use of the Internet and Web 2.0.

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Email: public_relations@digitaldaya.com

The Digital Policy Council latest research investigates the potential of new media technologies to advance good governance in Muslim-majority nations.

WASHINGTON, May 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan “think tank” on 21st Century Governance, has compiled some ground breaking research investigating the use of social media by heads of state and political activist within Muslim-majority nations.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a new generation strategic consultancy that empowers leaders in the public sectors to leverage the new media of the Internet to communicate their message, build public influence, and execute high-impact programs to reshape governance and public policy.

According to The Digital Policy Council’s most recent research, there are 225 million Muslims online today and with a compound annual growth rate of 30%, that Internet population is expected to swell to one billion by 2015. Encouragingly, the research identifies many Islamic leaders who recognize the Internet and its ever growing online community as a tool for better governance, more effective citizen engagement, and highly impactful politicking.

A Role Model of Leadership

One such progressive leader is the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who strives to be connected with the people though his Facebook and Twitter accounts along with his blog www.1malaysia.com.my. Prime Minister Najib’s 1Malaysia program has a goal to preserve and enhance racial unity in among the many ethnic groups that make up the diverse population of the Muslim-majority nation of Malaysia. The DPC research shows that the 1Malaysia Facebook profile has already attracted over 50,000 fans and furthermore ranks the Prime Minister among the top ten heads of state who use Twitter for citizen engagement.

Prime Minister Najib’s 1Malaysia program is an assurance of new leadership for the nation and an inspirational model on next generation governance for the Islamic World.

Malaysia is regarded as a role model in the governance of Islamic banking and finance holding $86 billion in banking assets, 152 fund managers, and 63% of the global sukuk (‘Islamic bond’) market. Similarly, Malaysia commands a pivotal leadership role in the governance of the Islamic Halal certifications for food and consumer products establishing a globally recognized trust mark and the standard to beat for this trillion dollar industry.

Malaysia has also played as a bridge between the Islamic World and the West; moreover with Prime Minister Najib’s productive bi-lateral talks with the U.S. President in Washington D.C. there is a growing recognition of Malaysia as an “increasingly successful nation”.

At a time when governments around the world desperately need new solutions to deal with the immense challenges of social unrest and “citizen engagement”, there is a window of opportunity for Malaysia to similarly take the pole position on 21st Century governance to provide the leadership necessary to deal with the many important aspects of social changes that will affect both Malaysia and the rest of the Islamic world in the near future.

Download the reports at www.digitaldaya.com/the_gathering_storm and www.digitaldaya.com/the_ilham

About The Digital Policy Council™

The Digital Policy Council (DPC) is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making. The research and policy arm of the management consultancy firm Digital Daya™, DPC’s mission is the advancement of open discourse on issues of inclusive governance through the use of the Internet and Web 2.0.

The Digital Policy Council’s latest research examines the mounting public policy challenges of Internet Cafes as governments around the World escalate crackdowns and regulation.

WASHINGTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan “think tank” on 21st Century Governance, investigates the swirling controversy around internet cafes across the globe as these establishments are sprouting into hot spots for illicit gambling, teenage gaming, terror e-mails, and other nefarious activities.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya (‘digital influence’), a new generation strategic consultancy that empowers leaders in the public sectors to leverage the new media of the Internet to communicate their message, build public influence, and execute high-impact programs to reshape governance and public policy.

According to The Digital Policy Council’s most up-to-date research, governments around the world are struggling to regulate the growing number of cybercafes in their communities and whether open or autocratic, all authorities are intensifying surveillance and enforcements tactics to try and gain control over the situation.

Time For New Policy Actions

Governments at first deeply encouraged Internet cafes as a means to offer access to modern technology to its citizens and create opportunities for social and economic development. They are now heavily retreating from this idea.  Internet cafes have failed as a tool for public policy.

The vast majority of Internet cafes are in reality now merely online gaming and gambling arcades. Many have become integral to government counter-terrorism strategies as heavy surveillance of these establishments is creating an unnerving atmosphere wherein people are afraid.  The aspirations for cybercafes as places of innovation, inspiration, and inclusion into the digital economy have faded away.

As an alternative, the report encourages governments to consider investing in specifically designed internet-based innovation centers to promote e-literacy, build human capital, and broaden access to information technology.

Join the discussion at http://www.squidoo.com/internet-cafes-trouble-governements

About The Digital Policy Council™

The Digital Policy Council (DPC) is an international, non-partisan ‘think tank’ that promotes good governance and policy-making.  The research and policy arm of the management consultancy firm Digital Daya™, DPC’s mission is the advancement of open discourse on issues of inclusive governance through the use of the Internet and Web 2.0.

Real Leaders Tweet details a ground-breaking shift that is transforming the way in which governments in the 21st Century govern and communicate. On every continent, leaders are harnessing the power of Twitter, Facebook and other social media to give their governments a human ‘face’ and ‘voice’ through which they can express political views and agendas to a local and global community.

These leaders are slowly beginning to understand and leverage what everyday people already know: that the social media has tremendous political value as a tool of engagement and influence…both within a country’s borders and beyond.

A Democratic Approach to Communication Over the past two hundred years, countries of the world have become increasingly democratic. The Digital Policy Council reports that 63% of the 163 countries represented by the United Nations are considered stable democracies where open communication between governments and the governed is the norm. The democratization of content and opinion on the Internet will further accelerate this openness as is evident in the actions of enlightened leaders worldwide.

From Jordan’s Queen Rania to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd and American President Barack Obama, more and more political and public figures use Twitter to speak in a personal way to their citizens and bring discourse and debate directly to the global public. Yet while these leaders share many characteristics, perhaps the most startling fact revealed in Real Leaders Tweet is that it is the stability of their governments, more so than the form of government that appears to be of critical importance to an embrace of social media.

Stability, Not Democracy Is Key Factor Research shows that leaders that are confident in their leadership role and assured of their political legitimacy are most comfortable with social media. They do not hesitate to use micro-blogging to engage their citizens and the global community directly, regardless of whether they serve in democracies, monarchies, or other autocratic forms of rule.

Surprisingly, less than a quarter (22%) of heads of democratic states use Twitter, while there is a growing trend towards micro-blogging in what many think of as more ‘restrictive’ forms of governments. This fact brings into question just how inclusive democratically elected officials may truly be.

It has also prompted the Digital Policy Council to take a proactive stance by urging government leaders and citizens in all countries to call for an increase in transparency and open communication to advance good governance and collaborative policy making.

15 Million People…and Counting Why Twitter? The answer can be found in Twitter’s user numbers. The Digital Policy Council report observes that the popular micro-blogging site is home to over 15 million profiles. According to Twitter, itself, almost 600 tweets are sent every second making this site the place to be heard and to listen to what others are saying.

Furthermore, unlike traditional media, social media sites are available any time and anywhere an Internet connection can be made. Instead of waiting to be ‘covered’ by mainstream media outlets like CNN, leaders who tweet are able to communicate quickly with their people…and without filters.

This is particularly significant in times of crisis and chaos.

The Immediacy of Social Media At 2:40 A.M., just hours after three churches were bombed in Malaysia, Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Razak quickly turned to social media rather than traditional, mainstream media to denounce the violence. The Digital Policy Council reports that he used Twitter to reach out almost instantaneously to communicate with shocked citizens worldwide who had long looked to Malaysia as a model Muslim-majority country where different religious and ethnic communities co-exist peacefully.

Prime Minister Razak’s Tweet read, “I condemn the church bombings. An investigation has been launched and those responsible will be brought to justice.”

In the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, similarly used social media to call for national unity when his country was under attack by the international mainstream media over debt problems. “Abu Dhabi Dubai and other emirates are strong and united in UAE,” he Tweeted. “We’re one tribe. One family.”

Giving Power to the People The Digital Policy Council reports that through the development of social media, individuals are plugged-in, empowered, and connected to one another in a global community where the exchange of ideas and unbiased news is seen as a right, not a privilege. The dissemination of information is no longer controlled by large publishing houses, dominant corporations, or even powerful governments.

Iran is a prime example. Although the Iranian government controls its traditional media, discontented citizens unhappy with recent elections in that country were able to make their dissatisfaction known to the world through the use of social media. This is why leaders of unstable countries “continue to view Twitter and other social media as a threat to their authority, and justifiably so” reports The Digital Policy Council. DPC notes that restrictive governments are attempting to control social media access as a way to keep control over their populations. Evidence of this trend is seen in countries from China to Venezuela.

The report posits that web-based media will enhance the desire for inclusive governance among people living in restricted societies. And while their leaders may resist the use of social media, the population itself will embrace it and use it despite constraints. In this way, concludes The Digital Policy Council, social media must be viewed as “a significant means of change and NOT a means of control.”

Governments with no platforms or policy to engage their citizenry and the global community on the Net will find themselves vulnerable for 21st Century politics.

For more information about The Digital Policy Council and Digital Daya, you may visit www.digitaldaya.com Click here to view the research report Real Leaders Tweet