The purpose of this Request for Participation is to identify organizations, individuals and videoconference facilities that would like to take part in this loosely structured discussion.

CwoB grew out of the Alberta SuperNet Research Alliance and the face-to-face Communities without Boundaries conference in Olds in 2007. This was followed by a Round Table on Rural Connectivity in March 2008 and the Communities without Boundaries virtual conference the following Halloween, which attracted over 200 participants to 21 videoconference facilities. Since then much has been done to increase digital capacity in both rural and metropolitan Alberta, such as the Olds Institute’s Fibre to the Premises initiative, Parkland County’s wireless broadband development, the advent of smart phones and the building of applications such as the 24-7 Alberta web 2.0 Platform. However the sense remains that Canada and Alberta are lagging behind the rest of the world and that rural Alberta still suffers from the Digital Divide.

Many organizations in the commercial, government, municipal and not-for-profit sectors are addressing aspects of Albertan needs, but with no overall plan or vision. Federal and Provincial departments and agencies often suffer from fragmented mandates. CwoB itself is coming out of a period of introspection following its incorporation. James Van Leeuwen has suggested the fascinating analogy of the role Automobile Clubs played in the development of motor vehicle usage, addressing training, best practices, services, research and advocacy. Perhaps we need a similar vehicle (!) for digital technologies.

We anticipate three consecutive discussions:
-              Our vision for a Connected Alberta; 
-              What’s changed and what is changing; and,
-              Organizing for a Connected Future.

CwoB will organize two metropolitan videoconference venues (most likely at the University of Calgary and the University Of Alberta Faculty of Extension at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton) and one or more bridges. CwoB Board members will host videoconference facilities in Cold Lake, Hanna, and Hinton and we welcome community champions throughout Alberta to join us using their local videoconference facilities. We also look forward to webcasting and recording the event.

The www.communitieswithoutboundaries.ca website will be the focal point for organization of this event. It will provide discussion forums on each of the three topics and to sign up videoconference facilities. From the postings on each topic we will develop a structure for the day’s discussion and recommendations for next steps following the event.