The Future of ICT for Development

Future of ICT for DevelopmentGlobal Voices is currently exploring how internet and communication technologies can assist human development, supported by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Berkman and IDRC logos

Global Voices Posts

Global Voices is following stories in global citizen media and blogs about how ICT is being used for development. These stories are also available directly on our Special Topic page, and many are also available in Spanish, French, Chinese (traditional / simplified), Macedonian, Italian, Russian, Bahasa Indonesian, and more.

Following the first several months of research, we've drawn some conclusions about: Who writes about ICT4D online?

About the Harvard Forum

Kickstarting everything was an event at Harvard University, on September 23-24, 2009: Communication and Human Development: The Freedom Connection? The IDRC/Harvard Forum brought together six world class panelists, Amartya Sen, Michael Spence, Yochai Benkler, Clotilde Fonseca, and Michael L. Best with leading thinkers and practitioners from around the globe.

Since they last met, six years ago, a lot has changed.

Audio from the event

Listen right here, or download from the Internet Archive.

Liveblogging by Ethan Zuckerman:

- Day 1-

1) Update from the Harvard Forum on ICT4D
2) Markets, Mobiles and the ability to make culture
3) The complex world of ICT and gender
4) Are we satisfied with what we've got?
5) ICT4D and, and, and

- Day 2 -

1) What do we need to know?
2) Faith and focus

See Berkman's question tool for a sample of questions asked during the day.

Twitter: #idrc09

Conference essays

The Berkman Center is publishing essays by conference participants on Publius.cc, together with comments and responses (see list of essays below). GV authors will also be following the conversation, and drawing connections between the conference ideas and conversations in the blogosphere.

Position paper – Randy Smith and Matthew Smith
Response – Clotilde Fonseca
Response – William H. Melody
Response – Michael Spence
Response – Rohan Samarajiva
Response – Lawrence Liang
Response – Ronaldo Lemos and Paula Martini
Response – Alison Gillwald
Response – Ineke Buskens
Response – Ophelia Mascarenhas
Response – Onno Purbo
Response – Yochai Benkler
Response – Hernan Galperin
Response – Anita Gurumurthy
Response – Nancy Spence
Response – Ethan Zuckerman
Response –  Sabri Saidam
Response – Matthew Smith and Laurent Elder