“On 29th August 1965, an article was published in The Observer entitled “How to help them help themselves”, written by Fritz Schumacher the distinguished economist with support from his close friend Observer editor, David Astor. In it, Schumacher pointed out the inadequacies of aid based on the transfer of large scale, capital-intensive technologies and argued … Continue reading Halting the push-push of global development
Tag: Schumacher
Rethinking Schumacher
Ever since I came across Fritz Schumacher’s “Small is Beautiful” at University back in 1997, I’ve been a close follower of the appropriate technology movement. Although for many appropriate technology is associated with ploughs, stoves and farming implements, for some time I’ve been thinking about how it applies to the work we do with mobile. … Continue reading Rethinking Schumacher
Time to eat our own dog food?
Is the future of social mobile an empowered few, or an empowered many? Mobile tools in the hands of the masses presents great opportunity for NGO-led social change, but is that the future we’re creating? In “The White Man’s Burden – Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and … Continue reading Time to eat our own dog food?