Oct 28: "Openness Or Secrecy In Government: What Now?" Briefing Presented By Philanthropy NY Members

The 2008 elections brought a surge of enthusiasm and interest in government. The new Administration has made a public commitment to openness and transparency, and has taken important steps in that direction, particularly in the disclosure of data and in engagement of the public in discussing policy formation. At the same time as there are new opportunities, there is much to be undone. This undoing is happening rapidly in some areas and much more slowly (if at all) in others.

Please join Philanthropy NY Members for this briefing sponsored by the Bauman Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust.

This conversation will:

* develop a shared understanding of the continuing importance of work in the area of openness and transparency;
* identify what needs to be in place to sustain efforts to both ensure that greater openness does occur and is maintained, and to fight the reassertion (or continuation) of secrecy and control; and
* discuss how an openness agenda applies to the work of your grantees and of your institution.

When: October 28, 2009 Noon – 2:00 PM EST (program)
Location: Ford Foundation, 320 East 43rd Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues).
Registration: There is no fee but advance registration is required by October 21, 2009.
To register, mailto: afuller [at] openthegovernment [dot] org [dot] us
Lunch:  will be served from Noon.

Four speakers will address current aspects of government openness and secrecy. A full hour will be available for your questions and your perspectives.

PRESENTERS

Katherine McFate, Ford Foundation -- Introduction & Moderation

Invited Speakers

Sarah Cohen, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and expert on computer-assisted investigative journalism, and Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University. Why government information is so important, yet so difficult to get.

Danielle Brian, Executive Director of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), a nonprofit nonpartisan watchdog organization. How government information is necessary to expose corruption, fraud, and abuse of power.

Maya Wiley, founder and Director of the Center for Social Inclusion, a national policy advocacy intermediary organization. Why government transparency is essential to achieving equity.

Gary Bass, founder and Executive Director of OMB Watch, co-chair of the OpenTheGovernment.org coalition, and nationally recognized expert on public right to know issues. The Obama administration's openness agenda and challenges facing the nonprofit community.