LINKS WE LIKE #44 Data Activism: Empowering Change through Insight “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any” – Alice Walker In today’s digital age, data is everywhere. From social media posts and online transactions to government records and scientific research, data is generated and collected at an unprecedented rate. But beyond … Read More
Experiencia de Mirza Cumez en el Taller Big Data y análisis de seguridad y violencia para el desarrollo sostenible
DATA LITERACY SERIES (Text in Spanish / English) Experiencia de Mirza Cumez e en el Taller Big Data y análisis de seguridad y violencia para el desarrollo sostenible Entrevistadora: Sara Ortiz Project & Communications Manager DPA Entrevistada: Mirza Cumez Coordinadora del sector político estratégico / violencia contra las mujeres SEPREM – Secretaría Presidencial de la Mujer (Guatemala) En esta nueva “Serie … Read More
Unnatural Disasters: The Türkiye Earthquake and Open Data to Fight Corruption
DISCUSSION PIECE Unnatural Disasters: The Türkiye Earthquake and Open Data to Fight Corruption ShutterStock In the days following the recent earthquake in Türkiye (February 6, 2023), I was glued to my phone, grieving the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of homes and historical cities in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. I watched as the sorrow of my … Read More
Big Data y análisis de Seguridad y Violencia para el Desarrollo Sostenible”
Resumen “Taller Big Data y análisis de seguridad y violencia para el Desarrollo Sostenible” Presentación Data-Pop Alliance (DPA), con el apoyo y patrocinio de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID ) a través del Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en Santa Cruz, Bolivia, (CFSCZ), desarrollo el taller en línea “Introducción Big Data y análisis de … Read More
The Data Feminism Program: Why Intersectionality and Gender Equity Matters
DATA FEMINISM PROGRAM The Data Feminism Program: Why Intersectionality and Gender Equity Matters A Brief History of Feminism It is somewhat difficult to pinpoint the “beginning” of feminism, and when exactly the application of gendered lenses became an instrumental tool for the advancement of women’s rights around the world. The literature commonly refers to the modern feminist movement as occurring … Read More
LWL #43 A Whole New Ballgame: AI and Big Data in Sports
LINKS WE LIKE #43 A Whole New Ballgame: AI and Big Data in Sports Around the world, sports teams are always on the lookout for ways to improve their game and gain a competitive edge. Traditionally, coaches and players have relied on intuition, personal experience, and gut feelings to make decisions. However, with the increasing applications of big data and … Read More
The Data Feminism Series: From Talk to Action
The Data Feminism Series: From Talk to Action The Data Feminism Series, co-organized and developed by the GIZ Data Lab and Data-Pop Alliance under its Data Feminism Program, aimed at exploring, from different angles, what Feminist Development Cooperation is / should be, specifically within the context of the GIZ. In addition, the series sought to inspire GIZ decision makers to … Read More
The Return of East India Companies: AI, Africa and the New (Digital) Colonialism
DISCUSSION PIECE The Return of East India Companies: AI, Africa and the New (Digital) Colonialism Image created Dall-E (Open AI technology) While Silicon Valley’s tech giants are increasing their investments in Africa, terms like “Data Colonialism,” “Digital Colonialism,” and “AI Colonialism” have been increasingly used to describe the situation at play. When it comes to digitalization in the Global South, … Read More
LWL #42 From the Killing of Mahsa Amini to a Social Media Revolution: An Account of the Protests in Iran
LINKS WE LIKE #42 From the Killing of Mahsa Amini to a Social Media Revolution: An Account of the Protests in Iran “Woman, Life, and Freedom” Chant of Ongoing Protests in Iran On September 13, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s morality police for “improperly” wearing her hijab. Three days later, after being held captive in Vozara detention … Read More
Disinformation and Democracy: Reimagining Data Access for Policy-Making
DISCUSSION PIECE Disinformation and Democracy: Reimagining Data Access for Policymaking Photo by visuals on Unsplash In the last ten years, the world has watched the power and influence of tech platforms grow, largely unregulated by law, while also becoming increasingly interdependent with media and politics. Along with the recent and rapid digitalization of news production, distribution, and consumption, these structural … Read More
Experiencia de Gaby Beatriz Quispe en el Taller Big Data y análisis de salud para el desarrollo sostenible
DATA LITERACY SERIES (Text in Spanish / English) Experiencia de Gaby Beatriz Quispe en el Taller Big Data y análisis de salud para el desarrollo sostenible Entrevistadora: Sara Ortiz Project & Communications Manager DPA Entrevistada: Gaby Beatriz Quispe Consultora y docente La Fundación de Waal En esta nueva “Serie de Alfabetismo de Datos” entrevistamos a participantes que han tomado nuestros … Read More
Migration and Gender in the Global South through a Decolonial Lens
DISCUSSION PIECE Migration, Gender and the Global South through a Decolonial Lens Núbia Rodrigues at the “2nd Psychology and Migration Seminar: Connecting Knowledges” Author’s Note: For Portuguese speakers, here is the link to watch the original presentation, as well two additional roundtables from the event. On October 8, 2022, the “2nd Psychology and Migration Seminar: Connecting Knowledges” took place in … Read More
Resumen “Taller Big Data y análisis de Salud para el Desarrollo Sostenible”
Resumen “Taller Big Data y análisis de salud para el Desarrollo Sostenible” Presentación Data-Pop Alliance (DPA), con el apoyo y patrocinio de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID ) a través del Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en Santa Cruz, Bolivia, (CFSCZ), desarrollo el taller en línea “Introducción Big Data y análisis de pobreza para … Read More
Women and ICT Access: Bridging the Digitial Divide for Disaster Resilience
DISCUSSION PIECE Women and ICT Access: Bridging the Digitial Divide for Disaster Resilience ShutterStock Women are often on the front lines of disasters, both in experiencing their impacts and in being powerful agents of change. According to the UNDP, women and children are 14 times more likely to die during natural disasters compared to men. Women are too commonly portrayed … Read More
Why “Technology and Democracy” Matters in Today’s World
TECHNOLOGY AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAM Why “Technology and Democracy” Matters in Today’s World We are pleased to welcome Julie Ricard back to the team as Director of the “Technology and Democracy” Program! Below, Julie shares her vision for the Program and why it is needed in today’s world. Why Technology and Democracy? Over the past 2 decades, “tech” has become one … Read More
LWL #41 Populism vs. Progress: The Fight for the Future of Brazil
LINKS WE LIKE #41 Populism vs. Progress: The Fight for the Future of Brazil “You’ll never change anything in this country through voting. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” – Jair Bolsonaro On October 2nd, 2022, Brazilians headed to the polls to vote for a host of candidates running for multiple roles at both the national and regional levels. The most closely watched … Read More
Why Gender-Responsive Due Diligence in Agribusiness Value Chains Matters
DISCUSSION PIECE Why Gender-Responsive Due Diligence in Agribusiness Value Chains Matters ShutterStock Although relatively new, the discourse around Business and Human Rights (BHR) has become increasingly relevant in recent years. This is especially true due to the increasing amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into African countries, as well as the continued march of globalization. According to the United Nations … Read More
Resumen “Taller Big Data y análisis de pobreza para el Desarrollo Sostenible”
Resumen “Taller Big Data y análisis de pobreza para el Desarrollo Sostenible 2022” Presentación Data-Pop Alliance (DPA), con el apoyo y patrocinio de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID ) a través del Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en Santa Cruz, Bolivia, (CFSCZ), desarrollo el taller en línea “Introducción Big Data y análisis de pobreza … Read More
Experiencia de Edgar Pacheco en el Taller Big Data y análisis de pobreza para el desarrollo sostenible
DATA LITERACY SERIES (Text in Spanish / English) Experiencia de Edgar Pacheco en el Taller Big Data y análisis de pobreza para el desarrollo sostenible Entrevistador: Mario Cajiao Project Officer DPA Entrevistado: Edgar Pacheco Manager de Networking y Recaudación de Fondos Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Bolivia) En esta nueva “Serie de Alfabetismo de Datos” entrevistamos a participantes que han … Read More
LWL #40 Engineering the Future? AI Laboratories Around the World
LINKS WE LIKE #40 Engineering the Future ? AI Laboratories Around the World It seems that we are witnessing significant progress in the development of AI systems and technologies almost daily. Behind the scenes, there are many dedicated organizations, laboratories, and research centers that are working arduously towards finding solutions to pressing issues. There are the well-known big tech giants, … Read More
Data-Driven Hope: The August 4th Tragedy in Beirut
DISCUSSION PIECE Data-Driven Hope: The August 4th Tragedy in Beirut Pexels It was a calm Tuesday afternoon, my fiance and I had just come back from work and put on our favorite TV show. We were sitting at our dining table, and I noticed it shook. “Please stop shaking your leg!” I said to my fiance, and he replied, “It’s … Read More
Habeas Data and Personal Data Protection in Latin America
DISCUSSION PIECE Habeas Data and Personal Data Protection in Latin America ShutterStock “According to recent estimates, in 2022, 2.5 quintillion data are generated daily, and at least 1200 petabytes are saved and exchanged through digital media.” Wilse, 2022 Our daily lives are increasingly influenced by digital data. Its value and potential are widely acknowledged in a variety of industries, due … Read More
LWL #39 The Data Police: How AI and Big Data are Reshaping Crime Prevention
LINKS WE LIKE #39 The Data Police: How AI and Big Data are Reshaping Crime Prevention Imagine being able to detect crime hotspots in your city, use facial recognition software to match camera footage from a robbery with a database of images, or even predict the likelihood of a crime (including time and location) before it occurs. While this might … Read More
LWL #38 Algorithmic Justice: The Next Civil Rights Frontier?
LINKS WE LIKE #38 Algorithmic Justice: The Next Civil Rights Frontier? “The first duty of society is justice” – Wendell Phillips When you think of “civil rights”, many things probably come to mind. Generations-long struggles for racial or gender equality and equal protection for other disenfranchised communities are most commonly associated with the phrase. What you do not think of, … Read More
Experiencia de Diego Suarez en el Taller Big Data y Desarrollo Sostenible
DATA LITERACY SERIES (Text in Spanish / English) Experiencia de Diego Suarez en el Taller Big Data y Desarrollo Sostenible Entrevistador: Mario Cajiao Project Officer DPA Entrevistado: Diego Suarez Jefe de experimentación UNDP Accelerator Labs Bolivia En esta nueva “Serie de Alfabetismo de Datos” entrevistamos a participantes que han tomado nuestros cursos en línea. La serie empezará con el participantes … Read More
Resumen taller “Introducción al Big Data y Desarrollo Sostenible”
Resumen “Taller Introducción a Big Data para el Desarrollo Sostenible 2022” Presentación Data-Pop Alliance (DPA), con el apoyo y patrocinio de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID ) a través del Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en Santa Cruz, Bolivia, (CFSCZ), desarrollo el taller en línea “Introducción a Big Data para el Desarrollo Sostenible … Read More
Job Automation: Deliverance or Dystopia?
This discussion piece explores the possibilities that await humankind as AI and automation advance.
LWL #37 The Future of Health? How Big Data and AI are Reshaping Modern Medicine
LINKS WE LIKE #37 The Future of Health? How Big Data and AI are Reshaping Modern Medicine Health care is one sector for which the massive amount of data produced daily holds great promise. Data from electronic health records, medical devices and health-related apps (and other sources) has grown so large that they exceed human capabilities for analysis. This is … Read More
DPA Alumni Series Interview: Bertille Kerouault
DPA Alumni Series Interview: Bertille Kerouault In the “Alumni Series”, we catch up with former Data-Pop Alliance interns to hear about their experiences working with DPA, what they learned, and how it helped them on their career paths. The second edition features Communications Officer Anthony Deen (AD) interviewing former Intern Bertille Kerouault (BK), who worked with DPA in 2021 for … Read More
LWL #36 Crisis Data: New Technology and Humanitarian Emergencies
LINKS WE LIKE #36 Crisis Data: New Technology in Humanitarian Emergencies Accurate data is pivotal to identifying and responding to the needs of those impacted by a variety of shocks, including violent conflicts, environmental disasters, epidemics, and other life-threatening emergencies. By gathering and processing personal, public, and geographic data, aid organizations, humanitarian workers and other relevant actors are able to … Read More
The High Cost of Internet Shutdowns
DISCUSSION PIECE The High Cost of Internet Shutdowns ShutterStock At the beginning of 2022, the Kazakh government removed the price cap on fuel, leading to protest movements in the Central Asian republic. The population has long been dissatisfied with the regime, but the increase in natural gas prices, which the Kazakhs rely heavily upon, was the straw that broke the … Read More
DPA Alumni Series Interview: Shivika Singh
DPA Alumni Series Interview: Shivika Singh In the “Alumni Series”, we catch up with former Data-Pop Alliance interns to hear about their experiences working with DPA, what they learned, and how it helped them on their career paths. The first edition features Managing Director Natalie Grover (NG) interviewing former Intern Shivika Singh (SS), who worked with DPA in 2018. NG: Can … Read More
Gender Data Series: Mobility, Accessibility and the Gender Data Gap in Urban Transportation Planning
GENDER DATA SERIES Mobility, Accessibility and the Gender Data Gap in Urban Transportation Planning This is the fourth edition of Data-Pop Alliance’s “Gender Data Series”, which comprises interviews, videos, and opinion articles with gender data experts from around the globe to bring light to issues at the intersection of gender and data, such as health, migration, livelihoods and, of course, … Read More
LWL#35 The Future of Financial Inclusion: How New Technologies are Reshaping FinTech
LINKS WE LIKE #35 The Future of Financial Inclusion: How New Technologies are Reshaping FinTech Financial inclusion, or access to formal financial services, (such as bank accounts, credit, and loans) is one of the most valuable tools for breaking cycles of poverty. Unfortunately, an estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide remain “unbanked”, or lacking access to these services; half of which … Read More
Opinion Polls and Democracy: A Case Study of France
The rise of advanced public opinion technology was supposed to take the uncertainty out of elections, but what is its effect on democracies?
LWL #34 The Creative Arts and AI: The Ultimate Collaboration (or Competition?)
LINKS WE LIKE #34 The Creative Arts and AI: The Ultimate Collaboration (or Competition?) Repetitive, structured, and monotonous are adjectives often associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Normally these tools are not linked with being creative, let alone with the creation of art. However, in recent years this perception has changed and, increasingly, artists are breaking barriers … Read More
Embracing the Principles for Digital Development: Leveraging Big Data Sources for Policy Evaluation in Crisis Settings
“Leveraging Big Data Sources for Policy Evaluation and Analysis in Crisis Settings”, is a web platform for policymakers to draw insights to assist with crisis responses (including COVID-19).
The Women Leading the Fight Against Land Expropriation in Latin America
An exploration of how Indigenous women are leading efforts to curtail land expropriation in Latin America. An exploration of how Indigenous women are leading efforts to curtail land expropriation in Latin America, including how Earth Observation technology can aid these efforts.
The High Cost of “Free” Data: Zero-Rating and its Impacts on Disinformation in Brazil
This discussion piece explores the ways in which “zero-rating” programs facilitate the spread of misinformation and also help to maintain unequal power dynamics between the Global South and the Global North.
Digital Transformation in the Global South: Enhancing Citizens’ Trust
If governments in the Global South integrate digital transformation into their public services’ agenda, will they be able to enhance citizens’ trust?
LWL #33 Agriculture and AI: From the Root of Civilization to its Promising Future
We now find ourselves on the verge of the next “agricultural revolution”, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agriculture coming together. In this edition of Links We Like, we explore the effects that this linkage will create.
The Gender Data 201 Course: Paving the Way for Gender Data Literacy
Gender Data 201 is a free online course we developed with support from Facebook and TechChange (the hosting platform.) The objective of the course is to develop a hands-on online learning experience to equip participants with the basic data skills needed to lead gender-responsive advocacy work, decision-making processes, and/or policy design and implementation.
Gender Data Series: How Can Data be Leveraged to Combat Sexual Harassment and Abuse in the Workplace?
GENDER DATA SERIES How Can Data be Leveraged to Combat Sexual Harassment in the Workplace? The “Gender Data Series” includes interviews, videos, and opinion articles with experts from around the globe. The goal of this project is to shed light on issues at the intersection of gender and data; such as health, migration, livelihoods, and gender-based violence (GBV). In the … Read More
LWL #32 Facebook, the Promise and the Peril
LINKS WE LIKE #32 Facebook, the Promise and the Peril When speaking about the purpose of his company, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been quoted as saying, “By giving people the power to share, we’re making the world more transparent.” This leads to a very important question, is Facebook itself living up to this standard? According to a recent whistleblower, … Read More
Africa’s Poverty Tsunami: Do Cash Transfers Work Best?
DISCUSSION PIECE Africa’s Poverty Tsunami: Do Cash Transfers Work Best? Africa’s GDP is poised to grow exponentially in the next decade. According to the African Development Bank, GDP growth is expected to rise by 3.4% in 2021, an increase from 2.1% in 2020. Despite this anticipated gain, the continent still faces numerous challenges. Although hunger, malnutrition, extreme weather events, water … Read More
LWL #31 Online Harassment and AI Content Moderation: Countering Threats to Freedom of Expression
LINKS WE LIKE #31 Online Harassment and AI Content Moderation: Countering Threats to Freedom of Expression The emergence and popularity of new social networks has opened space for a multitude of virtual interactions between people from diverse backgrounds. Consequently, the internet allows anyone to become a “communicator”, with access to a wide audience to share their views. With the virtual … Read More
Gender Data Series: How Technology is Being Used to Tackle the ‘Shadow Pandemic’
GENDER DATA SERIES How Technology is Being Used to Tackle the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ This is the second edition of Data-Pop Alliance’s “Gender Data Series”, which comprises interviews, videos, and opinion articles with gender data experts from around the globe to bring light to issues at the intersection of gender and data, such as health, migration, livelihoods and, of course, gender-based … Read More
LWL #30 AI and ML for People with Disabilities: Innovations and Challenges
LINKS WE LIKE #30 AI and ML for People with Disabilities: Innovations and Challenges One of the biggest opportunities that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies have opened up is the chance to design solutions that can positively impact the lives of people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization, about 15% of the global population (1.2 Billion people) … Read More
The CODE for Building Participatory and Ethical Data Projects
DISCUSSION PIECE The CODE for Building Participatory and Ethical Data Projects This piece was published with the support and as part of the Data Values Project (#DataValues) launched by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, of which Data-Pop Alliance is a founding member. Photo: Rawpixel (Shutterstock) What’s the best strategy for ensuring development projects adhere to ethical guidelines? It’s … Read More
LWL #29 Blockchain and its Application to Collective Challenges
LINKS WE LIKE #29 Blockchain and its Application to Collective Challenges Although it has most commonly been associated with cryptocurrency, since its release in 2008 with the white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”, the blockchain system has been always praised for its potential to transform various sectors. Namely, blockchain can be used to address environmental challenges, enable e-voting, … Read More