Digital Dilemmas Debate #5: From Food to Wifi – Connectivity as Aid

About the Event

What can connectivity do for people living through an emergency? What are the barriers to setting it up? And how can we ensure that it is kept safe to use?

In partnership with the Humanitarian Policy Group at the ODI, ICRC have invited experts from the humanitarian, policy and mobile sectors to discuss the opportunities (and risks) granted by increased digital connectivity in humanitarian settings. In particular, the speakers will look at examples of how establishing connectivity can help people better access information and opportunities. They will also look at what considerations apply to make sure that the most vulnerable are not excluded – and what we can do to ensure that this line of contact is kept safe.

The discussion will be the first event of the June thematic path – Connectivity as aid, Connectivity for aid, and Connectivity denial.

Speakers

MODERATOR – Barnaby Willitts-King – Senior Research Fellow (Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI)

The series

The Digital Dilemmas Debates are a series of roundtable discussions between prominent experts and stakeholders from different sectors about the humanitarian digital transformation, its implications and the work ahead. Each month, they will explore a different type or trend in the technologies used to respond to various types of crisis, and offer reflections on what is coming next.

The Digital Dilemmas Debates are a component of the DigitHarium, which is part of the Humanitarian Data and Trust Initiative (HDTI).