World poverty: Is technology the great leveller?

[Michael_Bird]

Since 1990, the global rates of extreme poverty have gone from around 40% to around 10%, and ending World Poverty entirely by 2030 is one of the UN’s Key Sustainable Development Goals, announced in 2015. However, progress is slowing, and 710 million people around the world still live in extreme poverty - currently earning below $1.90 per day. So how can technology help? In this episode, we’ll be meeting some of the people and organisations aiming to eradicate poverty through the use of technology.

The power of connectivity

One of the most important ways in which rural economies can grow and become more efficient and productive is to get access to communications technology. Isabelle Mauro is the Head of Information, Communications & Technology (ICT) Industries at the World Economic Forum. The WEF is the world body bringing together the public and private sectors, and has been pushing for greater co-operation between the public sector and telecoms providers to work on lifting developing communities out of hunger and poverty. The results speak for themselves: Research suggests a 10% improvement in mobile connectivity can add 1.5% to a country’s GDP. The challenge is to provide a financial incentive for companies and Governments to reach out to poorer areas where the business case for connection might not be so obvious.

Harnessing complex skills and technology for unconnected communities

One of the firms leading the charge to bring rural communities into the digital age is Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Brian Tippens is their Head of sustainability, and has been working closely with WEF and partners around the world to enable remote and disconnected communities to take advantage of HPE’s experience in data and connectivity - particularly in encouraging skills sharing and industrial expertise among NGOs and other bodies. At the core of their philanthropic ambitions, however, is to allow and enable local communities to help provide their own solutions to their own problems, encouraging long-term, sustainable and useful programs of change to emerge.

Getting educated

One of the ways in which communities can be enabled to develop their own long-term solutions is through education and upskilling the population to take advantage of the opportunities offered by technology. Leading that charge is the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, which provides expandable, programmable micro-computers to schools around the world, alongside locally-led educational programs and learning resources. Gareth Stockdale is the organisations CEO and tells us that the democratisation of technology through enabling local participation is key to lifting people out of poverty, providing pathways to future skilled careers, and to enabling self-sufficiency among remote or impoverished communities.

Whether it’s educating children or upskilling adults to make the most of opportunities in their community and work in collaboration with international organisations, there’s plenty being done to help end world poverty by 2030. Will it be enough? Well, that depends on the appetite of those in power to make a change.

Key takeaways:

• Even small improvements to digital connectivity can have a lasting impact on local and national economic growth and resilience. Most people have the potential to get connected, and doing so can drastically improve lives in remote communities.
• The best way to lift the world out of poverty is through public-private partnerships which enable and upskill communities to create their own solutions and take long-term advantage of new technologies.
• Western organisations have a responsibility not to parachute in solutions, but to work on the ground with communities to enable them to make best use of the technology on offer, through collaboration and education.

Links and resources:

The UN Sustainable Development Goals

The World Economic Forum’s Edison Alliance

Tech Impact 2030 - How HPE is driving positive change through technology

The micro:bit Educational Foundation

The impact of digital technology usage on economic growth in Africa - from the Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection

Brian Tippens on LinkedIn

Isabelle Mauro on LinkedIn

Gareth Stockdale on LinkedIn

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Michael Bird
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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