Episode 259: Giulio Carvalho on Civic Tech and Querido Diário

8 snips

Dec 6, 2024

Giulio Carvalho, a civic tech practitioner and program manager at Open Knowledge Brasil, dives into the transformative power of open data and government transparency in Brazil. He shares insights on the Querido Diário project, designed to centralize municipal data for public access. The challenges facing civic tech in developing nations are explored, including competition from big tech companies. Giulio emphasizes community involvement and local solutions as vital for the success of initiatives like the Civic Innovation Ambassador Network.

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INSIGHT

Network Boosts Civic Tech Influence

Civic Innovation Ambassador Network connects scattered local civic tech communities across Brazil.
It coordinates national efforts to promote political transparency and open data through pledges by politicians.

INSIGHT

Brazil's Advanced Access Law

Brazil's Access to Information Law mandates government response to information requests.
The law encourages transparent, proactive publication of government data, not just reactive access.

ANECDOTE

Anonymous Info Requests Protect Citizens

Queremos Saber is an open source project enabling anonymous information requests in Brazil.
This protects citizens in small towns who fear identification when accessing government data.

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Guest

Giulio Carvalho

Panelist

Richard Littauer

Show Notes

In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Giulio Carvalho, a civic tech practitioner and program manager at Open Knowledge Brasil, about the importance of open data and civic engagement in Brazil. They discuss the role of civic tech projects in promoting transparency, such as Querido Diário (Dear Diary), an open-source project aimed at centralizing municipal data for better access by citizens, journalists, and activists. Giulio shares insights on the challenges and successes of maintaining open-source projects within a developing country, particularly in the face of competition from large tech corporations. Press download now to hear more!

[00:01:36] Giulio explains the Civic Innovation Ambassador Network, and the network’s impact on political transparency pledges made by politicians for open data and transparency is highlighted.

[00:04:16] There’s a discussion about how the pledge focuses on open data and government transparency, relating it to broader movements of open knowledge, and Giulio mentions the Law of Information Access established in Brazil, emphasizing the legal obligations for government transparency.

[00:06:49] Richard compares the efforts to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), prompting a discussion on open data and transparency initiatives in Brazil. Giulio discusses specific projects in Brazil that allow citizens to request information anonymously.

[00:10:10] Giulio introduces the Querido Diário project, designed to make official acts published in municipal gazettes accessible to the public.

[00:15:22] The funding, development, and challenges of sustaining the Querido Diário projects are discussed, noting the support from various grants and partnerships.

[00:21:17] The conversation shifts to the broader impact and goals of Open Knowledge Brazil in promoting open data and supporting civic tech initiatives.

[00:23:34] Challenges in building a sustainable project with widespread municipal interest are discussed, along with strategies for managing community contributions and maintaining active development.

[00:30:01] Richard and Giulio reflect on building grassroots tech movements in the global south and the challenges posed by proprietary technologies from more developed regions.

[00:35:12] Find out where you can find Giulio’s work and where you can get involved with Open Knowledge Brasil.

Quotes

[00:30:46] “If we build something by us for us, we can actually build great stuff.”

Spotlight

[00:38:10] Richard’s spotlight is Alexander von Humboldt.
[00:38:58] Giulio’s spotlight is pretalx.

Credits

Produced by Richard Littauer
Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound
Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound

Special Guest: Giulio Carvalho.

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