2016 ICT4D Conference

We all agree that ICT can contribute to development of people, communities and countries. But let's also look at how we can develop better ICT, together.
Let's take the internet, the content that is being shared and interactions that take place. The enormous potential it (still) has: it can be a playground for people from all over the world. To play, learn, experiment, develop and earn an income.
But in the current status, it's not inclusive. Several reasons can be found, like the stereotypical image that is created of people and cultures. And because most content is created by and for a minority, western countries.
How can we make sure the internet becomes more inclusive to all people in the world, especially the younger generations?
If we want all youth to become active players in the online space, the space should be safe, inclusive and fun. And we need to build skills to make sure they become confident players.

The presentation highlights 3 important strategies for the creation of an inclusive playground with competent players:
- Creating more inclusive content.
- Advocating a multidimensional image of countries and cultures.
- Building the skills of youth to use digital tools, think creatively, to communicate and for lifelong learning.

Merel van der Woude, Creative Director at Butterfly Works, will expand on these strategies by giving examples from our projects and experience in over 20 countries for the past 15 years.
The presentation will illustrate how we combine co-creation with a human centered design approach, to design interactive communication solutions for social impact. Developing better ICT.

We will follow the presentation with an interactive work session to also put these methods into practice for the development of ICT4D projects.