Development and Cooperation in the 21st Century

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have long been praised as a panacea for development. Of course, we all know that ICTs didn't change the rules of the game. In some aspects technology even has a bad impact on development projects. Technologist often have the bad habit of wanting to find solutions to problems and neglecting the (social) environment in the process. In that aspect they often forget the people that will be involved in owning and using the technologies. In a development project this means the individuals, the communities and their values. In order that ICTs can unfold their full potential, technologist must become humble, play the role of mediators and help communities develop their own solutions based on their own history, values and aspirations.