Reclaiming ICT4D

I am so relieved to have finished the first draft of my new book on ICT4D to be entitled “Reclaiming Information and Communication Technologies for Development” which is to be published by Oxford University Press.  Now it is time to redraft and revise it in the light of all of the helpful comments that I have received from colleagues and friends – for which many thanks.  Somehow, I also need to cut it in length, which is proving to be much more difficult than I had anticipated!

It is always fun to create wordles just to try to capture the essence of a book in an image, and so I thought I would share this to provide an overview of what I have written – and of course to whet potential readers’ appetitites.  I guess that most of what I had hoped for has indeed been revealed, but of course the image does not capture the emphasis or the way in which I have referred to particular themes!  It is good, though, to see the emphasis on people, development and ICTs!

For those who would like a little more detail, this is the provisional Table of Contents – subject of course to revision:

A critical reflection on ICTs and ‘Development’

A ‘critical’ approach to ICTs for development
Understanding ‘Development’
ICT4D in theory and practice
Reclaiming ICT for Development (ICT4D)




Understanding the technologies

An ever more converged and miniaturized digital world: technological and business implications
Spectrum and their management
From fixed line to wireless communication
From voice to data: impacts of the digital transition
On Openness and being Free
Social Media and Over The Top services
5G and the Internet of Things
Incubators, Digital Hubs and App Development
The importance of a technical understanding




The international policy arena of ICTs and Internet Governance

Stakeholders in the international ICT arena
The World Summit on the Information Society and the evolution of ICT4D multi-stakeholder dialogue in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals
The differing interests of multi-stakeholderism: the ITU, ICANN and the IGF
The future of multi-stakeholderism and interests in the Internet




Partnerships in ICT4D: rhetoric and reality

The idea of partnerships in development
The emergence of Public-Private Partnerships
ICT4D partnerships: a good case still remains
Delivering effective multi-sector partnerships




From regulation to facilitation: the role of ICT and Telecommunication Regulators in a converging world

A balance of interests
Technical aspects of ICT and telecommunication regulation
Universal Service and Access Funds
The challenge of revenue generation
New models of facilitation in the interests of the poor




Reflections on the dark side of ICT4D

Privacy and security
The dark side
From ‘cybersecurity’ to resilience
The big con: social media, Google and Big Data
Dehumanization: cyborgs and the Internet of Things
In the interests of the poor and marginalized




…in the interests of the poorest and most marginalized

ICTs and empowerment
Technical options for empowering the poor and marginalized
The role of governments and international organisations
The power of multi-sector partnerships
The Dark Side: managing security and resilience
Enhanced learning, understanding and action
Reclaiming ICTs for development