It may still be cold in much of the US, but next week the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) will be marking Sunshine Week with a series of hot events aiming a spotlight on open government. For the 12th year in a row, journalists, advocates, and citizens will hold workshops, discussions, and nationwide events celebrating access to public information.
POGO is taking part in no fewer than four events next week, along with a 7-day social media surge promoting open government under the hashtag #SunshineWeek. If you’re not in the nation’s capital, you can participate in some of these discussions online. You can also check this calendar to find an event in your area.
- Wednesday, March 15: POGO Policy Counsel Elizabeth Hempowicz hosts and moderates a discussion at The Newseum in Washington, DC, titled “Accessing Information in the Age of Trump” with Lucy Dalglish, the Dean of the University of Maryland School of Journalism, Michael Macleod-Ball from the American Civil Liberties Union, John Donnelly from CQ Roll Call, Nancy Youssef from BuzzFeed News, Mark Tapscott from Daily Caller. Full details here including a link to the livestream.
- Wednesday, March 15: POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian participates in a New York Times “Live Chat” with the former chief White House ethics experts under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Follow @POGOBlog on Twitter for more details as they become available.
- Thursday, March 16: POGO Open Government Manager Sean Moulton will join experts at the Open Gov Hub for a brown bag lunch discussion in Washington, DC, titled “Preserving Open Government Under the New Administration.” Register here.
- Thursday, March 16: Danielle Brian joins two of the nation’s top experts on government transparency at the Sunlight Foundation for a frank discussion about “The Past, Present, and Future of Open Government in the USA,” followed by a Sunshine Week Happy Hour. Register here.
The importance of transparency and government accountability remain front and center in America today, as secrecy, overclassification, and public officials who evade responsibility continue to be a problem. Sunshine Week is an opportunity to give these issues the attention they deserve.