Session
Sustainability & Environment
Digital Technologies to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Sulá Batsú
Kemly Camacho, Sulá Batsú, Civil Society, GRULAC
Florencia Roveri, Nodo TAU, Civil Society, GRULAC
Jaime Villareal, May First Movement Technology, Civil Society, GRULAC
Yilmaz Akkoyun, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Becky Kazansky, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Amsterdam
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
12. Responsible Production and Consumption
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life on Land
Targets: Extractive business models in the technology sector pose a serious threat to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Alternative models exist, and must be supported, in line with SDG9 target b: "Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities"
This pre-event to the global IGF aims to support a facilitated discussion with speakers and participants. Speakers in the pre-event will share their experiences in working through cooperative and collective models, and reflect on questions that will guide a facilitated discussion with participants. Participants will be invited to pose questions and share reflections on the discussion throughout the event.
In 2022, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in a report on the practical application of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to the technology sector, stated that when a company cannot prevent or mitigate human rights violations within the framework of existing business models, those models may need to be adapted or even transformed. This statement reflects the need to collectively interrogate extractive business models in the technology sector, and support alternative models and frameworks that shape the technology sector. Alternatives models in the technology sector exist in many forms - including cooperative and collective models that support participatory decision-making by workers and members. Technology cooperatives and collectives face significant challenges in operating in a sector dominated by large technology companies that seek to extract and monetize our experiences and engagement with technology. Efficiency and scalability are often cited as requirement for digital technologies to meaningfully contribute to sustainable development. As a result, technology cooperatives and collectives are often ignored, and their potential to contribute to accelerate the realization of development goals is restricted. At present, large technology companies dominate the sector and set the agenda for development, using massive resources to avoid accountability for violations of human rights and the rights of nature. This pre-event at the global IGF aims to facilitate discussion of transforming models of technology and business, the role of governance and standards, and what changes are needed to ensure that technology companies are held accountable for their violations and to promote models for human rights, earth justice, and sustainable development. Speakers in the pre-event will share their experiences in working through cooperative and collective models, and reflect on questions that will guide a facilitated discussion with participants.
This pre-event to the global IGF aims to support a facilitated discussion with speakers and participants. Speakers in the pre-event will share their experiences in working through cooperative and collective models, and reflect on questions that will guide a facilitated discussion with participants. Participants will be invited to pose questions and share reflections on the discussion throughout the event.
Report
On 7 October, 2023, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Sula Batsu, Nodo TAU and May First Movement Technology convened a pre-event discussion to the global IGF, focusing on cooperative models and approaches to transforming technology frameworks for the planet.
During the discussion, speakers from Sula Batsu, Nodo TAU and May First Movement Technology shared experiences from their work, emphasizing the critical importance of participation and accountability in cooperative models and approaches to technology.
Kemly Camacho reflected on the experiences of Sula Batsu in learning how to put care at the center of their business models using approaches that are rooted in feminism, solidarity, and collective care.
Speaking from the experiences of May First Movement Technology, Jaime Villareal shared his perspective on the importance of members of May First being able to
From Nodo TAU, Florencia Roveri described the processes and challenges of transforming their e-waste management and recycling plant into a cooperative, and the value of working with existing cooperatives. Florencia reflected on the need to extend responsibility for electronic waste, and shift perspectives on the dangers of discarded technology.
Yilmaz Akkoyun, Senior Policy Officer of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), reflected on the discussion from the perspective of the BMZ priorities for digitalisation, emphasizing that
Becky Kazansky, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam, framed the discussion of cooperative approaches to technology by reflecting on recent policy developments, and the importance for all stakeholders not to get
On-site participants in the event shared questions and reflections on how transforming technology frameworks can be supported in practice, including through amplifying the work of cooperatives like Sula Batsu, Nodo TAU and May First Movement Technology.
Speakers emphasized the need for robust and community-led accountability mechanisms, support for environmental defenders, and shifting perspectives and narratives towards more technology frameworks that prioritize collective care.