The 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections demonstrated the power of new media in the 21st century to impact politics and society. New technologies have empowered ordinary citizens to organize and cooperate in new ways and on an unprecedented scale. The way we look at democracy has changed. And it has empowered youth as citizens in completely new ways. This program will explore the many ways that new media have changed the way we think about our societies and allowed us to redefine the word "democracy."

Forum components:
• Panel discussions with Polish experts and U.S. guests, including Obama for America New Media Director Joe Rospars and new media expert and activist prof. David Silver.
• Screenings of the Polish submissions to the YouTube/U.S. Department of State Democracy Video Challenge and announcement of the three Polish semi-finalists
• Exhibit of top photos from the U.S. Embassy's "Demokracja To" photo challenge
• "Citizens on the Campaign Trail" exhibit of photographs by Konrad Wedekind
• Performance of the play "Democracy"
• Voice of America/Radio Free Europe audio exhibit
• And more...

Program Agenda

March 19 Thursday
16:00 to 21:00

16:00 WELCOME
Andrew Schilling, Counselor for Press and Culture, U.S. Embassy
Wojciech Trzciński, President, Fabryka Trzciny

17:00 THE MEDIA IN POLAND'S TRANSFORMATION
What does Poland's experience tell us about the role of media in democracy?
• Mirosław Chojecki, documentary filmmaker and former underground publisher
• Andrzej Borzym, former Radio Free Europe correspondent

18:00 OLD AND NEW MEDIA IN REPRESSIVE SOCIETIES
What role do media -- both traditional and "new" -- have in supporting democratization now?
• Jacek Michałowski, Polish-American Freedom Foundation
• Representative, European Radio for Belarus
• Alaksei Dzikavitski, BelSat TV

19:00 "DEMOCRACY": a play by Edward Gordon Craig
Directed by Dr. Inka Dowlasz
Performed by students of the Giedroyc College of Media and Communication

Multimedia components and exhibitions available until 21:00

March 20 Friday
11:00 to 21:00

11:00 DIGITAL DEMOCRACY: THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN AND BEYOND
How are Americans using new media technologies for social activism today?
* with simultaneous translation
• Joe Rospars, New Media Director, Obama for America; co-founder, Blue State Digital
• Prof. David Silver, Director, Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies, University of San Francisco, co-Director of the September Project citizen participation initiative

12:30 Break

14:00 NEW MEDIA IN POLAND
How is the media scene in Poland changing?
• Dr Krzysztof Krejtz and Dr Jarosław Milewski, Institute for Social Psychology of Internet and Communication, Higher School of Social Psychology
• Grzegorz Piechota, „News as Conversation" Project, Gazeta Wyborcza
• Dr Tomasz Płudowski, Author and professor, Collegium Civitas

16:00 NEW GENERATION, NEW DEMOCRACY?
How is the new generation of Poles using new media technology for social activism?

17:30 Announcement of the Democracy Video Challenge semi-finalists

Multimedia components and exhibitions available until 21:00