GODI Global Open Data Initiative

Self-portrait

The Global Open Data Initiative (GODI) is an initiative led by civil society organizations to share principles and resources for governments and societies on how to best harness the opportunities created by opening government data. It is intended to provide a roadmap of policies and institutions that countries can use to build meaningful new open data reforms and initiatives, informed by the successes of others.

Through GODI and associated work, we intend to:

- Provide a leading vision for how governments approach open data.

- Increase awareness of open data and related issues.

- Support the development of the global open data community.

- Gather, expand, and amplify the evidence base for open data.

(http://globalopendatainitiative.org/)

Description

GODI is an initiative led by civil society organizations (based on the principle of a government and information by the people, for the people) to support open and accessible government data so its population can use, download and redistribute data at no cost. The organization aims to share principles and resources contributing to openness, creating a network of institutions and policies so countries can legislate reforms and launch initiatives with advice from experienced and successful parties.

Inspired by the Open Data movements in Africa, GODI was started in 2013, aiming to become a platform encouraging and supporting these activities worldwide. Several organizations have worked with GODI, such as: Fundar, the Open Institute, Open Knowledge Foundation, Sunlight Foundation and World Wide Web Foundation.

Groups dedicated to open data are generally considered to be isolated, which is why GODI offers sharing resources, guidance and critique, expanding the knowledge on topics related to open data, supporting discussions within and outside of social media. In this regard, developing a community and integrating existing groups and initiatives with common goals is crucial.

The organization also published a declaration of its unifying values, concepts and requirements. Among these is the need to demand governments for open information backed by law; prioritizing people, involving the in the process ofdesigning strategies to their benefit, ensuring the proper development of these systems. It’s also important access is provided free of cost at every department and institution. Governments should also invest in knowledge and infrastructure to increase the production capacity for quality data and efficient modes of access. Finally, applying necessary political reforms for more inclusive, transparent and open governance guaranteeing freedom of speech, association and information, implementing security strategies to protect privacy.

Links

URL: http://globalopendatainitiative.org

Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://globalopendatainitiative.org/