Today, Monday, I’m off on a little adventure, beginning my journey to Romania to be one of the 30 international guest speakers at the first World Blogging Forum, to be held in Bucharest.



It is going to be a really interesting event that will bring together bloggers and new media journalists from around the world to discuss blogging and related topics.

Here’s a list of the topics on the agenda:

• Blogs & citizen journalism – global trends
• The influence of blogs on the civil society
• The importance of blogs for the governmental organizations
• E-Government – Democracy through participation
• Enviromental blogging and activism
• New media & renewable energy – using blogging to build a self-sustainable world
• Freedom do differ – ideas worth fighting for
• Ethics & responsability – growing a healthy global community
• Blogging and global politics – building a better world
• The future for blogging – what’s next?
• Blogs and Education – new skills for the new world (Using New Media to Help Teachers and Students Achieve Excellence)
• Researching Blogs and Blogging Research
• How to Monetize Your Online Media
• Behind the Scenes – blogging and new media
• Mobile democracy – the truth is live and in full streaming
• Standing up for the community
• Science blogging and sharing ideas
• Sharing ideas – the global playground
• Opening the world – promoting transparency on a global scale

Some of the other guests on the roster also appear quite interesting, and really speak to the difference that blogging and new media is making in other parts of the world. While its more hobby and sideline here, in places with a less-developed traditional media its making a real impact.

For example, Zhou Shuguang has been active fighting media censorship in China. And Giorgi Jakhaia’s work chronicling the plight of civilians in Georgia made him the target of denial of service attacks.

Some really interesting people with interesting stories and perspectives. I look forward to learning and sharing my perspective.

I will try to post twitter, blogs and video coverage of the conference throughout the week, as there will be Internet access, both at the Palace of Parliament and at the hotel.I’m also looking forward to seeing something of Bucharest and Romania. I’ve travelled extensively throughout Western Europe in de past, but this will be my first time visiting the East. It’s an interesting time to go, coming 10 years 20 years after the fall of communism. Under the Ceauşescu regime they had it particularly difficult. It will be interesting to see how they’ve progressed in the decade since his ouster.

To be continued...