Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World : An Emancipatory Manifesto

Why do so many attempts to use digital tech to help the world’s poor ultimately end in failure?Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World provides a detailed critique of previous theory and practice, while also proposing practical and realistic suggestions for good practice. This book combines longer thematic chapters by Tim Unwin, one of the world’s leading thinkers on ICT for development, with shorter vignettes from other experts across a range of different practical, intellectual, and geographical backgrounds.The book argues that the global geo-politico-economic agendas associated with the use of digital tech in development in late-capitalism raise pressing issues around instrumentalism, individualism, and empowerment.This context drives short-termism and an innovation fetish around current hot topics, such as EdTech, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence.The world’s poorest and most marginalised people are failing to benefit from the use of digital technology, whilst the world’s Digit