TOMS Shoes has come under much criticism for its “Day without shoes” event to promote its shoe marketing approach. While I don’t support shoe donations, I do like the idea of a day without something to show it’s a daily need.
So what about “A Day Without ICT4D”?
I think we should organize a “Day Without ICT4D” where every development program, in every discipline from healthcare to education to economic development to disaster relief has to turn off all the electronics they use, shut down all their web sites and go completely offline for the day. I know a number of people (our spouses and children) would celebrate this occasion with real human-to-human conversation and discourse.
It would serve a great purpose – education
It would only take one day without email, one day without web services or phone calls to put a real shock to international development. The naysayers who doubt the need for ICT, the old-school development folks who think we need capacity building, not gadgets, and those that seek randomized control trials of everything before they’ll invest in anything will all scream in unison for their telecommunications support structure.
They would then realize that ICT4D is a real need. It is a real crosscutting facilitator of all the interventions and approaches in every development activity. It’s not a fad. Its not an app. ICT4D is required fro modern international development – at every level.
And after a Day Without ICT4D, we would get the funding and respect we deserve.
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