NOTES FROM THE GRASS-ROOTS - ONLINE LOBBYING IN CANADA

The Public Advisory Council on Information Highway Policy (PACIHP) pro ject is discussed in terms of activities, difficulties, successes, imp act, motivations, and background. This paper is presented in two parts . The first part details how project organizers have attempted to invo lve the online community in the policy-making process, the techniques used, and the community's and policymakers' response to the initiative . Some preliminary observations about the project's impact are also di scussed. The second part presents an overview of the Canadian regulato ry and political environment. The specific trends identified have cont ributed to the authors' concerns, providing some of the motivation for the project. In conclusion, thoughts on the future of computer-mediat ed communication and its potential for democratizing politics are pres ented.