Using technology as a means of empowerment
She believes xenophobia stems from the fear of economic impacts and the uncertainty of change. For the French native, technology offers unlimited opportunities for empowerment.
“Technology can create new solutions. A smartphone in hand can connect people with information from other locations in real time,” said Goube, CEO of London-based Techfugees, which connects refugees with the tech world and creates a database of initiatives that supports the creation of tech innovation for refugees and non-government organizations.
“We have to meet halfway. It’s not just us doing all the work.” JOSEPHINE GOUBE TECHFUGEES CEO
An app in Norway, for example, that offers a tool for newcomers and locals to connect for dinner and interact socially by texts on mobile devices helps foster a more connected community, she said.
“We have to meet halfway. It’s not just us doing all the work. We need to empower people to help themselves, too,” said Goube, whose organization is hosting its global summit in Paris in October.
Ramzi Jaber, another conference speaker, also relies on information technology for social change by “visualizing data” to expose human rights violations and institutional- ized discrimination.
In 2012, the McGill University civil engineering grad launched Visualizing Palestine, a startup that demonstrates injustices by creating visual stories based on data and statistics produced by human rights groups and international organizations.
One illustration, based on studies and research, shows what happens to the body physiologically when a person is on a hunger strike.
The group, co-founded by Jumana Al Jabri and Jessica Anderson, does data journalism and partners with civil society organizations.
“Our work lies in the intersection between technology, data and social justice. We use them as tools to raise awareness about a topic,” said Jaber, a Palestinian immigrant now based in Toronto. “Fake news divides us. We want people to understand issues factually.”