Podcast
Thematic podcast series with short 15-minute interviews featuring data and technology experts from non-profit, government, multi-lateral, research, or private sector organizations on the application of digital innovations to global development and humanitarian challenges.
Subscribe to the podcast 
Season 6 – ICT4D Highlights
Our 2024 podcast series spotlights the recent 12th ICT4D Conference in Ghana, where hundreds of practitioners worldwide exchanged insights into digital transformation and innovation. Over 80 sessions explored how digital technologies are being used to tackle wicked problems, primarily focusing on the practical and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, and how to build responsible, sustainable, and locally owned digital foundations.
Now, from the comfort of your home or phone, you can (re)discover the key messages and tech trends, innovations and new initiatives, and vital learning shared at the conference.
Episode 1: Takeaways from the 12th ICT4D Conference
Nora Lindstrom, Senior ICT4D Director at Catholic Relief Services, summarizes the three digital trends that emerged from the 2024 discussions and shares the main learning she took home from the Conference in Ghana.
Episode 2: Information Management in the Social Sector
Alexander Bertram, Executive Director of BeDataDriven and Founder of ActivityInfo, shares how to leverage data and technology for impact and results, discussing the good, the bad, and the potential of information management.
Episode 3: Living and Thriving in the AI Era
Jeff Fortune, Senior Director of Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering at Bixal, explores the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in particular large language models. He emphasizes the need for inclusive access to those tools and introduces the machine learning community, Hugging Face.
Season 5 – Digital Tech & the Food Crisis
Season 4 – Digital Tech for Peace
Hear stories and first-hand practical advice from peace tech and international development experts, shedding light on how digital technologies are applied in a peace context.
Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa, Special Advisor at the ICTPeace Foundation, offers guidance for civil society to better use their strong online presence and social media for peace building and social cohesion.
Alice Nderitu, the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide at the United Nations, explains how civil society organizations can join the collaborative flight against hate speech and contribute to the prevention of atrocity crimes.
For more information visit www.un.org/en/genocideprevention
Jomari Guillermo, Communications Manager at Catholic Relief Services in the Philippines, shares lessons learned from social media training of youth activists for strengthening their peace agendas and increase influence.
Adrienne Brooks, Senior Advisor for the Technology for Development team at Mercy Corps, specializes in addressing the weaponization of social media as it relates to peacebuilding. She introduces Mercy Corps global framework for understanding risks and resilience of social media and conflict and how it is applied in local context.
Dr. Lisa Schirch, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Research Fellow at the Toda Peace Institute, introduces us to peace tech, its history, trends, current examples, and their impact – including Ushahidi, Build Up, Polis, and the Angry Uncle Chatbot.
Season 3 – ICT for Malaria EliminationÂ
Dr. John Reeder, Director of TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease, based at the World Health Organization, gives an overview of digital technologies used globally to help fight malaria, and discusses their potential and barriers.
Ousman Njie, Head of Office, and Alieu Bah, Project Officer Malaria, at Catholic Relief Services Gambia, on Engaging youth in data collection for health programs and building digital capacity in the Gambia:
Season 2 – Digital Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Kilyelyani Kanjo, Digital Financial Services Consultant, and Nandini Harihareswara, Senior Advisor for Inclusive Digital Economies & Women’s Economic Empowerment, at United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) on SPRINT4Women, a unique design sprint engaging private sector in human-centred design for financial inclusion of rural women in Zambia.
Bonnie Chiu (Managing Director of The Social Investment Consultancy, Founder of Lensational) on grassroots and entrepreneurial approaches to digital capacity building of marginalized women.
Revi Sterling (Gender and Technology Specialist, DAI Global; Director, USAID WomenConnect Challenge) shares five proven strategies to close the gender digital divide and increase women’s economic empowerment.
List of resources: Gender Digital Divide Primer; Gender and ICT Survey Toolkit; Gender Digital Divide Desk Review, Gender Analysis Technical
Claire Sibthorpe (Head of Connected Women, Connected Society and Assistive Tech, GSMA) on delivering digital inclusion and connecting the unconnected. Mentioned resources: The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report
Jocelyn Williams (Director of Business Development, Every1Mobile) on the role of digital tech in empowering women and addressing digital diversity and inclusion:
Ronda Zelezny-Green (Global Head of Training and Learning, The Internet Society; Co-Founder & Director, Panoply Digital) on digital literacy and race in ICT4D:
Imogen Wall (Frontline Aid Worker, Therapist, Mental Health First Aid Instructor) on stress management during the pandemic; benefits and challenges of providing mental health support via digital tech. Links to resources: www.imogenwall.co.uk, www.headington-institute.org, www.mind.org.uk
Season 1 – Digital Transformation & IT Priorities
This series of CIO/IT director interviews summarizes top IT priorities and trends for 2021, including resource mobilization, IT security, optimizing remote operations and digital work-spaces, strategic changes.
Michael Johnson (CIO, The Global Fund), on their digital transformation journey, and IT priorities for 2021, including effective remote operations, continuous operational improvements, supporting in country partners, and collaborative tech innovations.
Marco van den Berg (CIO, Information & Knowledge Systems, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on digitization trends and associated cyber risk and interoperability concerns.
Thomas Rubatscher (Intl. Director ICT at SOS Children’s Villages International) on digital transformation, technology trends such as chat-bots, and ICT priorities.
Priscilla Chomba-Kinywa (Head of Digital and Technology, ActionAid) on Covid-19 accelerated digital transformation and strategic changes (as tech staff leading programs).
Sebastian Manhart (Chief Partnerships Officer, Simprints) on adapting digital health innovations and services in response to Covid-19. – Link to mentioned Privacy & Biometrics Webinar
Mala Kumar (Senior Program Manager for Tech for Social Good at GitHub, Inc) on opportunities and barriers of open source adoption in the development and humanitarian sector.  Report: Open Source in the Social Sector https://socialimpact.github.com/#report
Rosa Maria Cortada (CIO, Oxfam Intermón) on their digital transformation progress so far; which tools support staff work remotely and help gain more control during times of general uncertainty.
Karl Lowe (CIO, Catholic Relief Services) on their agency-wide ICT priorities and strategy, or as he refers to as his “High Five Focus Areas”.
Sreeni Narayanan (Group Managing Director, ASSIST Asia) on digital skills and literacy in the Philippines, and partnership trends during the pandemic.
Chris Houston (Director of Humanitarian Innovation, Humanitarian Grand Challenge Canada) on innovations trends, investing in local leadership and solutions, and the upcoming Request for Proposals at https://humanitariangrandchallenge.org