Video of Rita J. King's award-winning O'Reilly Gov2.0 Summit presentation

O’Reilly Media has uploaded the video of Rita J. King’s recent award-winning presentation at the O’Reilly Gov2.0 Summit and Expo. The video only shows the powerpoint images. For an idea of how the speech was delivered from the audience’s perspective, see image below.

Rita J. King speaking at the O'Reilly Gov 2.0 Summit

UPDATE: You can also view the awards ceremony, posted below. Rita J. King appears about six minutes and 30 seconds in.

Gov2.0 awards ceremony, featuring Rita J. King (about 6 mins, 30 seconds in)

Rita J. King joins Craig Newmark, among others, as a Gov2.0 Hero

Congratulations to Rita J. King for being recognized by Government social media site as Gov 2.0 Hero. The complete list of Gov 2.0 Heros is here. Also included in the list is EPA Gov 2.0 guru Jeffrey Levy (who, coincidentally, bears the distinction of being the person who introduced me to the Internet in 1991.)

Each Gov 2.0 Hero is asked a series of questions about their thoughts on government and technology. Rita’s entire response is worth a read, but here’s an excerpt:

What was your path to Gov 2.0?

I’ve been studying the cultural effects of digital anonymity since 1996, but when I discovered a Muslim woman in a virtual Jewish synagogue in Second Life in 2006 I realized that global culture had entered a powerful new realm. The idea of “avatars” is polarizing. Some people instantly see the benefit of this new form of identity and community construction while others, believing that avatars dehumanize people, are appalled. I was not a gamer, nor did I ever expect to be mesmerized by the virtual world of Second Life after a friend of mine who works at IBM suggested that I check it out. I was reading Joseph Campbell’s “The Power of Myth,” and I searched on temples, synagogues, churches and mosques during my first few hours and days in Second Life, which was how I found myself at prayer services in a virtual Jewish synagogue speaking to a Muslim woman.

On September 8 at the O’Reilly Gov 2.0 Expo, Rita J. King will be discussing “Digital Diplomacy: Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds” as part of the Government as Peacekeeper section.

DIP will be presenting Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds on September 8

DIP is pleased to be among the featured speakers at the upcoming O’Reilly Media Gov2.0 Expo. Rita J. King and I will be speaking on the changing landscape for Cultural Diplomacy and discussing our case study “Digital Diplomacy: Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds.” Our project explores how project explores how foreign policy can augment existing physical world engagement with Islamic communities worldwide by utilizing complex, nuanced opportunities provided by 3d Immersive spaces.

Follow us @ritajking or @josholalia on Twitter for updates or @ reply us to let us know if you’ll be there.