Newsletter - Issue 02
July 2018
Dear friends, colleagues and NewVote supporters,
Some of you have asked, "What is NewVote, exactly?". It's a fair question and one that will evolve over time as we develop from being a startup.
For now though, the following is our simplest explanation:
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NewVote is a secure voting app that lets your voice be heard in real-time.
The app contains information and tools to help you engage with the issues in your community that matter to you.
The app is also a community engagement platform, for any type of organisation, business or group.
We are currently in a prototype testing phase. If you would like to know more, please visit About Us on our website.
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Now, as usual, I'd like to share with you what we have been up to:
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The crowdfunding film workshop team: (L to R) Tom Wensley of NewVote, Monique Proud of Positive Social Solutions (PSS), Dion McCurdy of NewVote, Kristian Goodacre of PSS and David Kaldor of the Australian Red Cross
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We are creating a Crowdfunding campaign to launch later this year. A concept and script have already been created.
NewVote Director, Tom Wensley, has taken on the project management, "We're delighted to engage our friends at Red Empire Productions, Amie Casey and Ellie Popov to produce the film. We're also extremely excited that Damien Beebe, from the Hollywood film,
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Edge of Tomorrow, will be our Director of Photography, ensuring a quality film to showcase NewVote."
If you would like to help with the Crowdfunding campaign, we need Champions. This role is to organise your friends, family and colleagues in advance of the launch to commit to giving to the campaign on 'Day 1'. If you are interested in becoming a Champion, please send an email to tom@newvote.org.au.
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Intellectual Property
We have successfully trademarked the use of "NewVote" in Australia for our exclusive use in relation to:
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- Class 25 - Clothing, headwear, footwear etc.
- Class 35 - Vote counting services
- Class 41 - Academy education services, Education information, Education services and Provision of educational information
- Class 45 - Provision of information regarding political issues
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Online Presence
When you type "newvote" in Google, we are now the top result!! This is obviously great in terms of people finding us. We were accepted as a nonprofit with Google which gives us US$329 worth of AdWords everyday across all of Google's products.
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Learn
We have created a new section on our website, Learn. This is only the beginning of our journey to provide everyday Australians with information about democracy. Check out what we have done so far here.
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Governance and advice
We have commenced a governance working group consisting of a former President of the Queensland LNP Party, a former Labor Party Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and the founder of a multinational technology company.
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Just briefly, the purpose of the governance group is:
- to create a best practice constitutional structure to ensure the long-term viability of NewVote;
- to add credibility to NewVote through the presence of a spectrum of high-level established political figures at a high level; and
- for the board members to push their respective political parties to engage with NewVote, rather than see it as any kind of threat.
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This was mentioned in our last newsletter. In May, I hosted a panel at RenewFest, "Democracy on Trial". Joined by the Byron Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson, newDemocracy Head of Research Prof Lyn Carson and two jurors from the shire's recent Citizen Jury, we explored the what, how and whys.
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I also spoke on a panel, "Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Touch: Breaking the grip of the oligopoly paradigm" where I suggested that in order to fix the economy (make it work for all people), we first had to fix our democracy (using NewVote, of course!).
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In June, I hosted a workshop at Happy Daze Festival. The audience was very engaged and had many questions about how technology, including blockchain, can play a role in enhancing democracy.
I also had the pleasure of meeting an Indigenous Elder of the River People, Ken Peters-Dodd, who showed great interest in working with NewVote.
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New Podcast
Another interview of me, another hour long podcast, this time on Coffee Chats with Matt Collins. It was recorded six months ago so I am a little bit more green than I am today. You can listen to it through your usual podcast app or here.
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(I understand that not everyone knows how to use a podcasting app. If anyone had trouble listening to the last podcast interview of me by Uncommon, you can listen to it here)
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Ways you can help us
If you would like to help us out, please share this email with your contacts.
And follow us on our socials:
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If you would like to help us even more, check out the list on our website of ways you can help us here.
(If you received this email from a contact, and not from me directly, please register for our newsletter on our website.)
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Thank you and speak again soon
Please feel free to forward this email to anyone that may be interested, and get in touch with me if you have any questions or wish to discuss the road ahead.
Kind regards
Dion McCurdy / Managing Director
dion@newvote.org.au
www.newvote.org.au
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