1. PRESENTATION ON THE SUMMITS VIRTUAL COMMUNITY (SVC)
SUMMIT IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW GROUP (SIRG) OEA/Ser.E First Regular Meeting of GRIC/O.1/doc.8/10 April 13, April 2010 Liberator Simon Bolivar Room – OAS Headquarters Original: Spanish Washington, D.C
PRESENTATION ON THE SUMMITS VIRTUAL COMMUNITY (SVC)
(By the Summits of the Americas Secretariat)

2. Inter American Democratic Charter – Art. 6
“It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to participate in decisions relating to their own development. This is also a necessary condition for the full and effective exercise of democracy. Promoting and fostering diverse forms of participation strengthens democracy.”
Inter American Democratic Charter – Art. 6
The results of the pilot phase, complemented by feedback from the online survey and several interviews conducted throughout the region, will inform the development of a new phase where e-participation tools become part of a comprehensive participation strategy.
The purpose of this meeting is to present our findings and request your inputs. We have received expressed interest from several departments to use these tools (DIA, indigenous), and as such want this to be a collaborative initiative that can serve the needs of different areas of the GS/OAS.
September 8, 2009

3. Why was the Virtual Community created?
MAIN GOAL : (long-term)
Strengthen the culture of democratic engagement in the Americas
Facilitate the development of a Inter-American agenda that represents the common challenges and interests of the peoples of the Americas.
INTERMEDIATE GOALS:
Broaden the consultation, participation and interaction of social actors and other Summits stakeholders in the Summits of the Americas process and the Inter-American system
Strengthen the dialogue between Member States and other Summit stakeholders
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4. Why the Virtual Community was created?
OTHER OBJECTIVES: (short term)
Increase awareness of the Summit process
Facilitate access to Summit related information
Take advantage of cost and time effectiveness of ICT tools
Complement the face-to-face activities with different actors
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Face-to-Face Consultations
Participants financed by the OAS
Total Participants
Countries
Total Cost
OAS U$*
Anglo-speaking Caribbean 42
184 16
$ 64,510
South America 25
150 18
$ 25,960
Central America, Mexico and Dominican Republic 24 79 10
$ 22,570
Hemispheric Round Table with Civil Society 49
135 31
$ 154,138
Pilot Phase of the SVC
Active Users = 135
Passive Users = 650 43
$ 60,000
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Source: SAS. Fifth Summit preparations, 2008 – 2009. 4

5. Main Recommendations
Skills – Provide continuous training to users through introductory sessions, provide training and support with online video.
Access – Optimizing the community for low bandwidth connectivity and provide access to special interest groups (such as indigenous peoples).
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Participation- Combine participation in line with the face-to-face to promote inclusive processes and continuing debates on the American agenda.
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Partnerships- Take advantage of internal and external partnerships for coordination among stakeholders in order to facilitate the follow-up and preparation of the Summit process.
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Emphasizes the call made to the Secretariat to accompany this tool with a political will for dialogue and a clear strategy for participation. 5

6. New Phase: Summits Virtual Community
Platform Community: New name illustrates the evolution towards a more dynamic and user-centered initiative.
New functionalities increase the interactivity, facilitate collaboration and strengthens the creation of networks:
Forums moderated and opened for limited period
Groups open and private to debate themes of common interest
Allows upload and download of content:
Documents / Photos / Videos
Calendar of Events and News Highlight
Socialization among the various stakeholders 6

7. Próximo Lanzamiento CVC
Developed with attention to the lessons learnt from the Pilot tool and its design was made according to the recommendations received 7

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¡THANK YOU!
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