Local Data Sovereignty

Local Data Sovereignty:
Cultivating Marginalized Access Towards Technological Stewardship

IF20 Webinar
21 May 2024
Watch the video recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsBr4X_7cN8

The G20 Interfaith Forum working group on religion and environment, with which IEF partners, organised a webinar on 21 May 2024 on issues of local data sovereignty.

In the quest for understanding how diverse faith traditions can contribute to a discourse on indigenous and local approaches to data, we ought to look through a lens that surveys the pluralistic traditions and the intricate social networks interfaith provides. The pursuit of local data sovereignty—a concept that denotes the autonomy of communities over their informational resources—becomes paramount when viewed as an issue of economic and ecological justice.

How do we demonstrate the importance of ethical stewardship, community engagement, and the protection of both human and ecological well-being? Drawing upon shared values across different faith traditions such as the common good, social justice, respect for the sanctity of life and nature, and the imperative to care for the vulnerable, this webinar informs fundamental questions pertinent to technology, particularly around data sectors like AI, big conservation, and food/water security.

SPEAKERS: Arnie Saiki, IF20 Moderator
Hugh Govan: Adjunct Senior Fellow, University of the South Pacific School of Law and Social Sciences
Lorna Q. Israel: Department of International Studies, Miriam College, Philippines
Robert Ford, Regional ICT frameworks Africa (Rwanda) Aurasoft, FinTech
Aram Sinnreich: American University School of Communication, Chair of Communication Studies, co-author of “The Secret Life of Data”