Tech for Good: Reflections from the Technology for Social Justice ConferenceThe DECA team recently headed to Naarm - Australia, to attend the Technology for Social Justice Conference. It was an inspiring and challenging hui, bringing together leaders across community, government, philanthropy. Sessions on AI, data sovereignty, digital inclusion and cybersecurity all pointed to the same truth, tech isn’t neutral. It can widen the digital divide or help close it and that depends entirely on how we build and guide it. Marnie Webb, TechSoup CEO (USA), opened the conference with a call to strengthen civil society through digital resilience. Her 5 point strategy: Prioritise security - Community orgs are among the most attacked sectors, making security essential to protect staff, beneficiaries and supporters. Organise data - Often underfunded but absolutely required to gain any funding footing in the current economic landscape. Share accurate information - Organisations need to verify information accuracy and remove tracking links to protect privacy. Use storytelling - Sharing truthful information through compelling narratives helps engage communities. Collaborate with diverse groups - Rather than adopting a "bunker mentality," orgs should work across different domains and with various partners to achieve meaningful change. AI was a hot topic, with strong warnings from Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, about the harmful legacy of systems like RoboDebt. But there was also hope. Real-world examples showed how AI can support housing services (WomBot), assist in the hours of manual reporting Clean Up Day Australia does when sorting litter and support teachers to create curriculum tools with cool.org. It was a privilege to learn from people with lived experience of digital exclusion at the conference. Alana, part of the Digital Champions Programme, spoke about how inclusive design opened up the online world for her. With visual aids and step-by-step support, she now navigates tech with confidence and teaches others with intellectual disabilities to do the same. Alana's story highlighted the fact that inclusion is possible when we make it a priority. Huge high five to the folk at Good Things Foundation for building the Digital Champions Framework. There were strong calls for better funding, which isn’t surprising, this is a sentiment shared the world over. Philanthropic leaders urged funders to stop expecting communities to deliver digital transformation without resourcing it properly. Paying the true cost of tech infrastructure, staffing and data capability isn't a luxury. It's essential. At DECA, we know access is only the starting point. This conference reaffirmed that. True digital equity is rooted in values, in relationships and in the right of communities to lead. As the insightful Manisha Amin, CEO, Inclusive Design Collective said “Make space for bold ideas and build with people at the centre.” We’re carrying that energy into the next chapter of our mahi.
Ngā mihi Infoxchange for the awesome conference. We’ll be diving deeper into the learnings from the conference over the next we while, stay tuned for more.
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