What is the data empowerment blog about and why did we start it?
By Andreas Pawelke & Michael Cañares
We’ve spent the last six years figuring out how to empower people using data.
As part of that process, we helped set up a data innovation lab and worked across Southeast Asia to find effective ways for people to access data and use it to advance their interests and promote their welfare. We researched different types of data and how to best harness it for international development. We experimented with different data sources, worked with local activists, international organizations and governments across the globe, and tested different methods and tools to better understand how people can use data to effect change in their communities.
We want this blog to be a conversation starter — to share our journey with you in the hope of creating a collective voice that makes data empowerment the norm rather than an exception.
What the blog is about
This data empowerment blog will center on the question of how we can go beyond the notion of people as passive data producers to the idea of using data to actively address power asymmetries. Our posts will look at conceptual frameworks, guiding principles and ways of thinking. We will share resources, practical applications and easy-to-use tools. Our experience is mainly in international development, but many of the concepts we write about are applicable to a wide range of contexts.
Why we’re we writing it
With this blog, we want to contribute to a small but growing community of thinkers and doers who are trying to better understand and change the way data is perceived and used in a development context. We want to explore and promote the use of data to empower people by actively involving them in the collection, analysis and use of data.
Our audience
Our posts are written for people who design, implement, evaluate or fund data for development initiatives. They may work in international or local organizations that run data initiatives, be donors selecting projects for funding, or in governments, private companies and other actors working with data in different sectors and geographies.
What you can expect
While some of our posts outline theoretical thinking behind our understanding of data empowerment, most of our writing will focus on the practical application of principles, frameworks and tools to shift from data extraction to data empowerment. Our blog posts will build on theories, concepts and toolkits, including data justice, data privacy and the responsible use of data. We’ll also recommend useful resources, talk about projects we’ve learned from, and invite guest posts to enrich the discussion.
How to engage with us
Our goal is to share our learnings with a wider audience, and engage with like-minded people. We consider this blog to be part of an ongoing conversation — a space for us to reflect on and evolve our thinking, and a way for us to connect with and learn from others. Please join the conversation by commenting below, or connecting with us on Twitter @mikorulez and @pa_wela.
