It’s not often you can pinpoint the precise moment in time that your life moved in an entirely different, and unexpected direction. For me, 13th July 1985 – probably around midday – was that moment. I remember it well. Live Aid that summer has come under intense scrutiny, particularly over recent years, accused of oversimplifying … Continue reading Live Aid @ 40
Category: Development
Ken Banks on technology and international development: ICT4D, mobile phones, NGOs and what actually works in the field after 20+ years.
Compassion in the face of conflict
A few weeks ago I took part in a weekend retreat at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Meditation, Buddhist teachings and vegan food were the order of day, but for me the greatest insight came from conversations I had with the monks about their journeys, beliefs and … Continue reading Compassion in the face of conflict
Mindful action. Meaningful change.
Whenever we set out to make the world a better place, our instinct is often to jump straight in and get ‘doing’. Driven by a sense of urgency that pushes us to act without delay, we find ourselves desperate to fix, or to build, or to solve. Perhaps it’s because we’re drawn to the visible … Continue reading Mindful action. Meaningful change.
Why we need more anthropologists
Today I’m back at the University of Edinburgh talking to anthropology students about how I’ve used my degree in my global technology/development career. I can’t overstate how refreshing it is to speak to a room not obsessed with technology, or scaling projects, or measuring impact. For me, it’s always started with the people and, for … Continue reading Why we need more anthropologists
An experiment in giving: Part II
“If enough people are willing to give a modest amount without worrying too much about the guarantees most charities think they need and want, how much more good can be done? How many more people might give? What might this mean for the future of personal, charitable giving?” From ‘An experiment in giving‘. September 2017 Three months ago, … Continue reading An experiment in giving: Part II
An experiment in giving
Last week I popped over to Paris to take part in a short UNESCO Working Group meeting. After arriving mid-evening on the Eurostar, I decided to walk the one hour or so to my hotel. There’s no better way of seeing a city. Among the usual sites I gradually became more and more aware of the number of … Continue reading An experiment in giving
Doing good? Or do-gooder?
We all like to think our work makes a difference, even if we’re not really sure if it does. I’m well known for ‘doing good in the world’ yet even I question what that really means, or who precisely where might be better off in some way because of my chosen career path. For many people, … Continue reading Doing good? Or do-gooder?
In celebration of an approach less travelled
I’m in San Francisco this week on a surprise trip to collect an award for a product I designed and built over a decade ago. The fact the early work of FrontlineSMS is still being recognised twelve years on speaks volumes to the approach, and the impact it had – not only in the hands … Continue reading In celebration of an approach less travelled
One last throw of the dice.
I’ve always found the global development system frustrating. It was the 1980’s when it first got my attention, with suffering and extreme poverty dominating my daily news feed. The Ethiopian famine in 1985 was the turning point, forcing me to seriously question why a sector awash with money and resources could have so little visible impact (and … Continue reading One last throw of the dice.
The end of a golden age of discovery?
Exactly six years ago this week I was in Washington DC to collect the Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest, an award given each year to an individual who has created or led an effort to create an open source software product of significant value to the non-profit sector and movements for social … Continue reading The end of a golden age of discovery?
Announcing our Four-Part Manifesto for Change
For almost fifteen years kiwanja.net has been home for our hopes, dreams and frustrations on all things technology, social innovation, and international conservation and development. During that time we’ve widely travelled, spoken, published, built, consulted, mentored and despaired. It’s been an incredible journey that started in early 2003 on the fringes of Kruger National Park, and we’ve had plenty of … Continue reading Announcing our Four-Part Manifesto for Change
Time for a ‘slow innovation’ movement?
Dear fellas. I can’t believe how fast things move on the outside. I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they’re everywhere. The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry Brooks – quoted in the Shawshank Redemption Today everyone seems to be in such a rush. From the … Continue reading Time for a ‘slow innovation’ movement?
Video: Time to pay attention
You shouldn’t need anyone to tell you that there were refugees long before the Syrian crisis brought their horror further into the public consciousness. There was famine before recent announcements of severe food shortages in Yemen, Malawi and Nigeria, too. And, today, with over fifty countries run by dictatorships, oppression isn’t in short supply, either. … Continue reading Video: Time to pay attention
This.
Thanks: HTTPS://WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV/BLOG/2016/09/21/SIX-YEAR-OLDS-LETTER-PRESIDENT-WE-WILL-GIVE-HIM-FAMILY
Due diligence? We need an app for that.
The ubiquity of mobile phones, the reach of the Internet, the shear number of problems facing the planet, competitions and challenges galore, pots of money and strong media interest in tech-for-good projects has today created the perfect storm. Not a day goes by without the release of an app hoping to solve something, and the fact so many … Continue reading Due diligence? We need an app for that.