{"id":41,"date":"2018-10-08T03:30:04","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T03:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/annual-reports.itforchange.net\/Annual-Report\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2018-10-10T12:07:39","modified_gmt":"2018-10-10T12:07:39","slug":"digital-rights-development-and-democracy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/annual-reports.itforchange.net\/Annual-Report\/digital-rights-development-and-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Rights, Development & Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overview<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Directors’ Note<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Our Team<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>

Thematic Areas<\/span><\/a><\/p>

1.\u00a0Governance of the Digital Economy<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

2.\u00a0Digital Rights, Development & Democracy<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

3. Prakriye<\/em> Field Center<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>

4.\u00a0ICTs and Education<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

5.\u00a0Gender Justice in the Digital Society<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Publications<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>

Financial Statements<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Digital Rights, Development & Democracy<\/span><\/h1>

Exploring the intersections of digital rights debates with older debates in development and democracy is a critical area for our research, advocacy and field-building efforts. We are interested in expanding the scope of digital rights debates to include economic, social and cultural rights and right to development issues, in addition to civic-political liberties. A democratic governance framework for digital society, we believe, must further a rights approach that upholds the indivisibility and inter-dependence of rights. Recognizing the ways in which the digital is remaking democracy as we know it, our work this year focussed on understanding how processes such as datafication and algorithmic decision making impact electoral processes, citizen engagement, grievance redress and citizen rights.<\/em><\/span><\/p>

Research<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Voice or chatter<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

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Making ICTs work for transformative citizen engagement<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The<\/span> \u2018Voice or <\/a>c<\/a><\/span>hatter?’<\/span> project<\/span><\/a>, which was launched in March 2016 was successfully completed as part of our collaboration with the<\/span> Making All Voices <\/span><\/a>Count<\/a> Consortium<\/span> \u2013 a four year global research and advocacy grants program examining the role of technology in enhancing civic engagement. The study adopted interpretive approaches to explain the shifting terrain of governance in these times of flux, drawing attention to policy<\/span> issues and governance practices that matter for meaningful citizen engagement. The<\/span> final synthesis report<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> which came out of the eight study multi-country research project, titled \u2018Voice or chatter? Making ICTs work for transformative citizen engagement\u2019 was released in July 2018. The<\/span> report was very well received in academic and practitioner networks, and to date, continues to be one of the most read reports on the MAVC website, reaching over 3,800 downloads as of date. As part of the dissemination of this report, the IT for Change team also participated in a<\/span> global webinar <\/span><\/a>organized by MAVC and the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) knowledge platform where we presented the findings from the research to 60 development scholars, practitioners and policy actors.<\/span><\/p>

Spoorti<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

In March 2018, we launched a new action research project with urban youth – ‘A spatial data system for the inclusive cities agenda\u2019, supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). IT for Change is excited to be partnering with two Bengaluru based organizations \u2013 Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and the Association for Voluntary Action and Service (AVAS) \u2013 to create a proof-of-concept community data model for grievance management in the areas of Water, Sanitation and Health. The project is a demonstration of a community owned and community driven data process, which we believe is an important step to demonstrate the power of \u2018small data\u2019. The two year project will be implemented in G. Baiyappanahalli and train young men and women not only to use the platform, but also to mobilise the community and take forward AVAS\u2019 work in the area through a digitally rebooted strategy. Making digital literacy meaningful and contextual is a key vision of the project.<\/span><\/p>

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Open house with community<\/figcaption><\/figure>

We have recruited 24 youth \u2013 young men and women \u2013 as data and information stewards for the project. In the year ahead, we will be undertaking a series of socio-technical trainings and engage with the community and the stewards to explore how a community-led grievance system can interface with the architectures of e-governance. With this project, we are expanding our community based intervention into the space of urban governance and civic engagement.<\/span><\/p>

Privacy and data protection in India<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

We have been closely studying the privacy and data protection debate in India, following the Aadhaar<\/em> \/ unique citizen ID project and the public consultations organized by the Justice Srikrishna Committee around the personal data protection bill. We have advocated for framing privacy as a \u2018positive right\u2019, casting the spotlight on the connections between surveillance capitalism and the threat of unwarranted intrusions on one\u2019s privacy. We are also attentive to the importance of broadening the definitions of personal harm.<\/span><\/p>

We elaborated these ideas in a <\/span>series of<\/span> articles<\/span><\/a> that we authored for the<\/span> First Post<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> T<\/span><\/a>he Hindu<\/a><\/span>. We also<\/span> responded<\/a><\/span> to the call for inputs by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights challenges relating to the right to privacy in the digital age.<\/span><\/p>

We have also been working closely with social movements – Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan<\/em>, MAKAAM, and other coalitions who are keenly following the Aadhaar<\/em> debate \u2013 to explore shared concerns and positions on development and democracy in the context of pervasive datafication.<\/span><\/p>

We have taken our perspectives to many forums at national and global levels, and have been invited to comment on policy and regulatory aspects and make theoretical and academic contributions.<\/span><\/p>

Events and advocacy<\/span><\/p>

National<\/strong><\/span><\/p>