Civil society and online citizen participation: A case study of the nossas cidades network

Abstract

The article presents a study of civil society's use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to promote e-participation. The focus is on the Nossas Cidades [Our Cities] network (www.nossas.org) formed to facilitate civil society groups' advocacy on local public authorities. Based on the paradigm of networked society, organizations act by meeting the institutional norms through ICTs to promote different types of activism. The Nossas network uses interactive and collaborative technological tools to broaden political participation in cities' civic affairs. To evaluate Rede Nossas Cidades, the methodology of the "Index of Political Participation and Influence" (IPPI) of civil society was used to identify the effectiveness and efficacy of the organization in the policy-making process. The results demonstrate that Nossas Cidades represents an important experience of e-participation toward the development and practices of digital activism.