Technology’s Potential in Social and Economic Development

Over the past decade, global access to technology has mushroomed, with widespread penetration of mobile phones and handheld devices that connect to the web, even in the world's most rural communities. This increased access to computing and connectivity is a gateway to innovative approaches to social and economic development work, enabling the tracking and dissemination of information that would otherwise take months to collect or distribute.

SecondMuse has been collaborating closely with the Academy for Educational Development on the implementation of innovative programs using mobile phones, SMS and cloud technologies to gather critical health information from rural populations and rapidly analyze incoming data.

The availability of new delivery models for information, particularly in remote or impoverished locations, can assist countries and non-profit organizations in bridging gaps in health care and diagnostics, teacher training and emergency management and response and access to information, as well as engage wider populations in social activism and increase the potential for the development of technology solutions on a local level.

Through the Random Hacks of Kindness initiative, SecondMuse has been engaged in the mobilization of volunteers worldwide to develop solutions to challenges in disaster risk and response—many of which capitalize on the ability of web and mobile phone technology to crowd-source vital information about a disaster and engage local populations in response efforts.