The Great E-mancipator » Abraham Lincoln

Anniversary

greatemancipator — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 06:48:19 +0000

This blog actually started in December 2007 when the first post was published all about NI14 (has everybody forgotten about ‘avoidable contact’ now?), my first questionnaire was actually (and importantly) posted on the 14th April 2008. The date was chosen since it was the anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, perhaps not something to rejoice over but it was a memorable date and he was known as the Great Emancipator! Get it? He issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 which freed the slaves in those States not in Union control – I recently had to explain to non-English speakers what emancipation is , it’s not a common term these days, but emancipation is all about freeing the object from whatever form of bondage it is subject to.

The term Great Emancipator was abused not long after that when it was used to promote the newly developed sewing machine as the liberator of womankind! No one obviously thought about the sweatshops that were to follow.

Listening one day to Gillian Welch and her song April the 14th Part 1, it occurred to me that e-government was envisaged as a similar emancipator to the sewing machine but not as the Great Emancipator, hence I called the blog The Great E-mancipator.

It’s three years on since that first questionnaire. I submitted my PhD dissertation in July 2010. I successfully defended the thesis at viva in September 2010. However a few changes were requested, which delayed the signing off, however these were recently accepted…so happy anniversary to my research, the PhD may be finished but the blog will continue.

Filed under: About me Tagged: Abraham Lincoln, April 14, gillian welch

Happy birthday

greatemancipator — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:46:08 +0000

The 12 February 1809 saw the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, it was also the birth date for Charles Darwin, who may be described as the great emancipator of the mind with his theory of evolution. Human beings were no longer constrained to the belief that they were created a few thousand years before but were the product of millions of years of natural selection. They also both share the honour of having their portraits on currency notes in general circulation in their respective countries! What is the connection to e-government? Well, I believe that we need freeing from the slavery of managerialism and NPM to be able to transform government, along with needing to make the citizen the focus of the eco-system of government for them to survive as citizens. Happy birthday to the great emancipators!

Posted in citizen, e-government, transformational change Tagged: Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, NPM

14th April 1865 Death of the Great Emancipator

greatemancipator — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:27:33 +0000

One hundred and forty three years ago President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated – He is known as the Great Emancipator. I have chosen the date to promote this blog (The Great E-mancipator), although you will realise I have been adding content for a few months as I collected my thoughts as my dissertation started taking shape.

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Mick