Sure, we don’t get the day off from work to celebrate, but that doesn’t make today any less important – it’s “OneWebDay,” and across the country and the globe people are hosting events to recognize the role the Internet plays in our society.

Fittingly, the theme of this year’s OneWebDay is online participation in democracy. The organizers of OneWebDay understand that we’re in a new age of civic involvement. “The Internet has also become the means by which citizens around the world build movements to hold their elected leaders accountable and support those who represent their interests; it is also increasingly the medium through which citizens interact with their governments,” says a OneWebDay press release.

More than 50 organizations have posted entries to an E-Democracy Time Capsule capturing hopes for the Internet’s future, profiling E-Democracy heroes, and discussing Internet policy issues.

OneWebDay is more than just taking a moment to appreciate the Internet. It highlights both how far the Internet has taken us, and how much further we still have to go.

On the third anniversary of OneWebDay, we still have a gaping digital divide with millions of Americans stuck with slow or no Internet access. The need for affordable and ubiquitous access to broadband has never been more pressing.

And at the same time that we celebrate the marvels of the Internet, we also know that it’s under threat. Big telephone and cable companies are doing all they can to destroy Net Neutrality – the principle that keeps them from discriminating against online content.

Initiatives like InternetForEveryone.org are pushing our lawmakers to create a national broadband plan that gives all Americans accessible, affordable and open Internet. And here at SavetheInternet.com, we’re continuing our work to get Washington to enshrine Net Neutrality into law.

Likening OneWebDay to Earth Day, Nathaniel James of Media and Democracy Coalition put it best in a blog post: “We are learning to protect our precious planet by consuming more carefully, treading more lightly, and asking our elected representatives to support the cause. It’s time to organize the leadership and will we need to collectively shape an Internet future that benefits all.”

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 11:05 am and is filed under Uncategorized.-->