I sadly remember coordinating an online project two years ago where I witnessed colonialism at its apex ; where some well-intentioned trainers wanting to help us acquire professional development where imposing a learning platform less effective in our context simply because they were comfortable with it. My attempt to explain to their team that our trainees would not be able to use their platform and suggesting a more affordable learning platform for us the beneficiaries of the training was not taken seriously. At the end of the story their platform was imposed on us for thier comfort and the participation rate was poor from start to finish.
Digital colonialism occurs when external entities impose their technological infrastuctures, methods and applications without considering the local context, needs and values. The short story above is a clear example of digital imperialism. The aim of this article is to shed light on what I consider a serious issue in the digital world ; digital colonialism, and sensitize the reader on how imposition and incompatible methods in online trainings can help perpatuate unfairness. It shall also suggest measures to consider when intending to take or deliver online training content in a less privilledged context.
Clearly,no one is ill intentioned when organising trainings online.Sharing is caring they say. Colonialism steps in when there is incompatibility in training platforms and the trainer(s) refuse to understand by contextualising. Powerful entities often advocate for standardized approaches and methodologies that may not align with the cultural, social, or economic realities of the targeted communities. These methods may be developed in a different context and fail to address the specific challenges faced by local populations. As a result, they lead to inefficiencies, exclusion, and limited relevance.For instance imposing the use of Apps that do not match the local context is a clear imperialist behaviour which leads to the above mentioned consequences. Most tech companies often tend to introduce their platforms and applications into new markets with little regard for the specific needs and preferences of the under privilledged groups. To them, a successful app in one part of the world will automatically be successful elsewhere disregarding the importance of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors.
The Path Towards Fairness
To address the unfairness of digital colonialism, a more inclusive and local approach is required. It is crucial to involve local communities, governments, and stakeholders in the design and development of digital solutions. In that case,technologies align with local needs, respect cultural values, and empower communities rather than reinforce existing gaps.
Suggested solutions or approaches to eradicate digital colonialism
• Promote digital literacy and technological self-reliance by investing in local innovation.Local tech ingeneers can devote time to creating or ameliorating already existing Apps to best suit local contexts.
• Encourage cultural tolerance and empathy by considering and stepping down to context during trainings. Imposing an App which is context inappropriate is creating a frustrating overshow of superiority complex ,leading to poor output. Trainings should therefore be tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the targeted community.
• Peer to peer learning and mentoring programs in marginalized communities can be highly effective in promoting digital literacy which helps the local community step up to a reasonable digital level. Knowledge is best practiced and shared in a group.If you keep your digital skills to yourself, you maintain your community on the low.
Digital colonialism is a complex issue with numerous challenges to global equity and fairness in the digital domain especially because technology is fast evolving. To stop digital colonialism and promote fair power dynamics in digital literacy,we in marginalized communities need to be aware of the huge digital gap that exist between us and the others and work towards attaining reasonable digital literacy levels. Also , our governments need to understand that efforts from the local community should be sustained by strong government policies geared towards facilitating digital immersion. Lastly, tech priviledged or more enlightened communities need to shift from impostion to inclusive approaches,taking into consideration the local context.