Live from Jakarta
Selamat pagi from Java... where the International Space Apps Challenge has been underway for more than 24 hours now, and still going strong!
It has been inspiring to see the real power of the Open Government Partnership at work here at Space Apps Jakarta. The Partnership is a global effort to make governments better; we all want more transparent, effective and accountable governments -- with institutions that empower citizens and are responsive to their aspirations. The Apps Challenge has been a real example of nations cooperating around open data to improve their governance, develop better policy and practice, and empower their citizens to be a part of making a better future.
It's so exciting to be here for this event that really is at the intersection of the best of science, government, and technology development. The local event in Indonesia is a collaborative partnership between the US Embassy in Jakarta, Daily Social, an Indonesian tech start up media company, and @america, an amazing American cultural center in the heart of Jakarta. The center uses technology and culture events to connect Americans and Indonesians and provide collaboration opportunities on both sides, and Space Apps is one more chance to do that, offering data transparency for the good of all citizens, commitments to global collaboration, and direct contributions to exploration.
At NASA we call this Participatory Exploration- offering real citizens from all different walks of life a way to get involved and make a difference in what we are doing in space. Indonesia may not be a traditionally space-faring country, but their citizens have experience and skills that are needed to shape humanity's future in space - and improve life on Earth for everyone.
That's what Space Apps is all about. And we are really proud to be a part of it.
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