Web Work

Since 1998, I have explored the potential of the Internet as a tool for citizens. Despite the extraordinary commercialization of the Internet and the dreadful civic consequences attributed to it by Bob Putnam and others, a small number of us continue to believe in its democratic potential. Put differently, I find it unsurprising that the Internet is commercial—what makes money gets money spent on it—and that it has uncivic effects—much of life is about entropy. But the fact that there’s relatively little redeeming on the Internet is not so much a matter of necessity as it is simply laziness. It is always easier to curse the dark. But it is also reasonably within the mandate of scholars at public universities in democratic societies to “invest” in the development of the Internet as a public resource.

Art Without Borders

Art Without Borders will provide digital exhibits of images by artists from around the world struggling to express the complexity of life under globalization. The gallery will feature artists whose work is entirely or largely unknown to mainstream, Western viewers in order to bring new perspectives into play. Art Without Borders will also encourage artists in different countries and regions to curate exhibitions virtually by allowing them to use the Internet to overcome the geographical isolation that has separated and silenced them. [Project Description]

FACE Human Rights

FACE Human Rights—Forum to Advocate, Communicate and Engage Human Rights—is an international, interactive human rights forum through which students can engage each other as global citizens by sharing ideas about how to improve the quality of life for people around the world. FACE Human Rights is also a powerful, decentralized network. Despite distance, borders, media indifference, overt and covert efforts at repression and isolation, FACE Human Rights permits individuals and organizations from around the world to connect, share information and resources, organize and act in fluid combinations as the situational “market” requires. FACE Human Rights serves as a source of the information and skills necessary for individuals to function as engaged citizens, as a forum in which well-documented positions can be tested against one another, and as a powerful tool for global networking. FACE contributors, editors and advisors form an international community of students, academics, journalists and human rights specialists that spans the Balkans, Central Asia, Middle East, South Africa and United States. [Project Description]

First Responders Directory

www.firstrespondersdirectory.org, searchable, downloadable, online directory of all New Jersey first responder organizations. In the aftermath of 9/11, New Jerseyans learned the hard way that there existed no directory of police departments, let alone an integrated, online database of New Jersey first responders and emergency response resources. www.firstrespondersdirectory.org puts the non-emergency contact information for any and every police, fire, EMS squad and hospital in New Jersey just one click away. Search by Zip, city, county or get the directory for the entire state. Search for any type of First Responder or all of them. Click again and get a map and driving instructions.

Language Bank

Language Bank , online translation service for New Jersey . New Jersey is the second most ethnically diverse state in New Jersey, which is a great thing—and in emergencies poses serious, possibly fatal problems. How does an Emergency Room nurse find a native language Gujarati speaker? How does a Public Defender interview a new client who speaks only Tagalog? To address this problem, the Rutgers Citizenship and Service Education (CASE) Program uses New Jersey’s own diversity the solution. Specifically, we built a directory of multi-lingual New Jerseyans, beginning with Rutgers’ 60,000 students, who can help international visitors and New Jersey residents in need of translation assistance in times of emergency. [Language Bank overview]

njserves.org

www.njserves.org, Internet portal to the New Jersey civic sector. njserves.org, links all the citizens of New Jersey in a single, virtual community. njserves.org connects government, individuals, civic organizations, elected officials, and corporations for the purpose of communicating and collaborating in building a better New Jersey . In creating njserves.org, we created a powerfully searchable database of almost 40,000 New Jersey nonprofits, a statewide community calendar, a newsletter for community service organizations, a centralized don ations and volunteer service and more. Today, njserves.org is the de facto New Jersey state volunteer site and an integral part of the state INR system. [Brochure] [Annual Report] [Fact Sheet]