~~~~ “With recession biting hard across eastern Europe, citizens in Estonia are turning to a virtual “happiness bank” and forums on governance to find new ways through the gloom.
In an interview with French news agency AFP, one of the project’s main organizers – Estonian web entrepreneur Rainer Nolvak – said it aims to tap into “grass-roots” thinking about how the Baltic state can turn the economy around.
The “happiness bank” lets users earn virtual cash by working on behalf of those in need.
Meanwhile, the online governance forums give ordinary Estonians a change to discuss new approaches to a range of local and national economic issues.
The team behind the project is currently organizing between 400 and 1,000 nationwide “brain storming” sessions, which they hope will attract up to 100,000 Estonians. The events will all be streamed live via the web on May 1st.
Mr Nolvak said he hopes to harness modern technology in this way to create a “democracy machine” that helps people to become “actively involved in improving their lives instead of passively hoping someone else will do it”.
Estonia, which has a population of around 1.3 million, became independent of the Soviet Union in August 1991. ” ~~~~
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