EVENT
Join our Connect, Collaborate, Create: The g0v Approach to Civic Tech workshop with g0v jothon and Tainan City Council Watchbot: Empowering Informed Citizen Panel at TICTec 2025 on June 11!
We will co-host Connect, Collaborate, Create: The g0v Approach to Civic Tech Workshop at TICTec 2025 with g0v jothon on June 11, 2025, 1:30-2:45pm, GMT+2, at Dijlezaal, the Lamot Congress and Heritage Centre, Mechelen, Belgium. Come join us if you have registered to TICTeC 2025!
Anyone who have registered for TICTeC can join this workshop; however, we will appreciate it very much if participants can fill in our registration form to help us to prepare for our workshop.
The workshop is designed based on the Civic Tech Project & Community Handbook—From Taiwan’s g0v Community to the World The Collaborative Wisdom of Digital Citizens , developed by g0v jothon and supported by FNF Global Innovation Hub. For citizens who want to actively use technologies to facilitate their public participation and foster democracy, the Handbook with examples from around the world and hands-on exercise sheets is what they need. Through this work shop, participants will also learn how to form a civic tech community where they and other citizens can continuously learn and contribute collective wisdom and knowledge, thereby inspiring unlimited digital initiatives for democracy.
What Can You Learn and Try through This Workshop?
- Real-world case studies of projects initiated in the g0v community, in particular on
– Countering disinformation: explore how these projects have effectively countered misinformation and promoted digital literacy and critical thinking skills among citizens. We will analyze specific strategies, tools and tactics that we can learn from these projects.
– Empowering the next generation: learn about initiatives that focus on engaging and empowering young people to become active participants in the community. Based on these initiatives, we will discuss strategies for inspiring and mentoring the next generation of civic tech leaders and explore ways to create inclusive and accessible opportunities for young people.
- Explore the models of these cases:
We will examine how the model of these cases has inspired successful civic tech initiatives across Asia.
- Hands-on action planning:
Using the handbook and its exercise sheet, you will be invited to engage in interactive sessions and collaborative exercises to brainstorm for transforming your experience and knowledge on civic tech into resources to inspire more initiatives and support more members of civic tech communities. With a focus on collaboration, open source tools and user-centred design, participants will receive guidance and feedback from the founders of successful projects and build valuable connections with each other.
- Shaping the future of civic tech:
We will explore the evolving technological landscape, the changing needs of citizens, and the potential of civic tech to address pressing social and political issues. You are invited to participate in a dynamic and forward-looking discussion on the emerging trends, challenges and opportunities.
Agenda
1:30-1:35 | Three Keywords about Yourself
1:35-1:40 | Introduction of FNF and Why We Consider This Handbook a Strength for Democracy.
- Ya-wei Chou, Programme Manager, Global Innovation Hub, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
1:40-1:55 | What’s g0v and what is Civic Tech Project & Community Handbook?
- Isabel Hou, Former Chair of g0v jothon & Co-Founder of g0v sch001
1:55-2:10 | Participatory Method to Fight Against Disinformation: Cofacts’ Story
- Billion Lee, Co-Founder, Cofacts
2:10-2:45 | Hands-on Exercise with Participants: How to Transform Our Knowledge and Experience of Civic Tech into Resources to Cultivate More Projects and Inspire More Participants?
About Our Moderator and Panelists
Isabel Hou is a seasoned attorney focusing on technological innovation and intellectual property law and has served as a legal counsel for various government programs, prestigious companies, and NGOs in Taiwan since 2000. Isabel became a solo practitioner after leaving Lee and Li, attorneys-at-law, however, collaborates with fellow lawyers and professionals from various backgrounds on a project basis regularly ever since.
She is currently the Taiwan AI Academy Secretary General and is leading the AI Assembly project. Isabel served as a committee member of Taiwan’s Open Parliament Multi-stakeholder Forum from 2019-2022.
Billion is the co-founder of Cofacts, a project she initiated in 2016. She is a staunch advocate for marriage equality and open freedom, dedicating herself to bridging diverse communities and providing empowerment courses to combat disinformation. She is expertise in civic technology and digital democracy. Billion has participated in the Fellowship of Professional Fellows Program and the decentralized Dweb Camp fellowship. She has visited PolitiFact and Poynter in the United States for exchanges, fostering collaboration with contributors from various countries to clarify information. Besides, she manages a community focused on developing OSINT fact-checking skills and enhancing media literacy. Billion is experienced in public speaking. She has delivered talks in Thailand, Singapore, Australia, the UＳ, UK , Canada, Tunisia, Albania, the European Union, Costa Rica, and the United Nations in Geneva. Billion's efforts are aimed at creating a more informed and connected society, combating disinformation through education and community engagement.
Ya-wei serves as the Program Manager of FNF Global Innovation Hub, and her work in the Hub focuses on innovation for democracy. She enjoys exploring how people can use technology and innovation to foster democracy, freedom, and human rights. For example, she initiates the Innovation for Democracy Café and manages the Hub’s collaboration with its partner organizations on projects about open source, digital democracy, civic tech, and youth participation. Before joining FNF, she has worked for democracy and digital rights NGOs and political party. She holds a master degree in International Relations from National Taiwan University.
How to Register?
- Participants must have registered for TICTeC 2025.
- Walk-in participants on the event day are absolutely welcome! However, if possible, we will appreciate it if you can fill in our registration form before June 5, 2025, which will help us to prepare the materials for our workshop. Thank you!
- Registration Form: https://forms.gle/HjK81xLmGCS4C1yu8
Bonus Feature | Tainan City Council Watchbot: Empowering Informed Citizen Panel
At 11:55-12:15 on the same day, Mr. Billy Lin, Director of Tainan Sprout, will also present the story of Tainan City Council Watchbot online. The bot, jointly developed by Tainan Sprout and us, applies AI and open data to help citizens quickly obtain information and records of the Tainan City Council, thereby enhancing the transparency of the City Council. Anyone who has registered for TICTeC, welcome!
About the Speaker
Billy Zhe-Wei Lin is an open-source advocate, citizen journalist, and long-time participant in g0v. He has contributed as a facilitator in Public Digital Innovation Space (PDIS), focusing on digital innovation and public service. Currently, he serves as the director of Tainan Sprout.
