Third Annual Sunshine Week
"Government Secrecy: Censoring Your Right to Know"

Join Patrice McDermott, Director of OpenTheGovernment.org and two panels of experts in a national dialogue addressing issues of access to government information, including executive branch power and secrecy, congressional rights and responsibilities, and the role of the public and non-profit sector. The event will begin with a lively discussion of the issues and end with ideas for action and new and exciting ways to find and use government information. Two opportunities for questions and answers will be provided.

This dialogue with government openness experts – followed by local programs at sites across the country – is part of Sunshine Week 2008.

Speakers:
Patrice McDermott (moderator), Director of OpenTheGovernment.org
Anne Beeson, Director of U.S. Programs at the Open Society Institute and previously Associate Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union
Mickey Edwards, Director of the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership and former Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma for 16 years (1977-92)
John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress, Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001, and formerly in senior staff positions in Congress
Greg Elin (moderator), Sunlight Labs and research software developer specializing in databases and interactive technologies
Bill Allison, Sunlight Foundation Sheila Krumholz, Center for Responsive Politics/OpenSecrets.org David Moore, OpenCongress.org Sean Moulton, FedSpending.org Daniel X. O’Neil, EveryBlock
Gary Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch

WHEN/WHERE: March 19, 2008 1:00pm- 2:30pm EDT, webcast from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to sites around the country. Satellite downlink available for a fee.

Visit OpenTheGovernment.org for a list of venues, registration information, and more.

The event is being hosted by the American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, League of Women Voters, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Freedom of Information Coalition, National Press Club, OpenTheGovernment.org, Project on Government Oversight, Special Libraries Association, Sunlight Foundation and Sunshine Week.