This is the twentieth episode of our podcast based on the vignettes contributed by friends and colleagues to Tim Unwin’s new book Digital Technologies in an Unequal World: An Empancipatory Manfesto. In it, Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi draws on his experiences in Malaysia to reflect on what has changed over the last two decades in terms of how and why digital tech is being used, from the days of kedai.com which was seen as being a way to “bridge the digital divide” to the contemporary period when Malaysia is still providing free collective broadband to rural and underserved communities. He concludes that “the technology has evolved and yet inequalities still remain. In the end, it’s never about the technology but it’s about what technology can do for society. Let’s begin by agreeing on the societies we want, then apply the appropriate technologies to make them thrive”.
The full vignette can be read here.
All audio files relating to the book are also available on our podcast with a new episode every week.
Sharil, from Malaysia, trained and practised as a lawyer, became a policy maker, went into corporate finance and then moved on to become a telco regulator and a trade negotiator. Thereafter, got involved in corporate restructuring, automotive, infrastructure and aviation, whilst dabbling in a spot of angel investing, startup mentoring, media and movie making. He is currently serving as the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.
Full details of the book are available through the following links:
- An overview
- What others are saying about the book
- Chapter summaries
- Draft of opening chapter
- Full drafts of all the 31 vignettes contributed by other leading researchers and practitioners
- Flyer about the book
Other recent episodes
Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 24) – Tom Wambeke on “Beyond the Cable: ‘The embrace of co-designed, plural futures'” – ICT4D Collective » ICT4D
- Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 24) – Tom Wambeke on “Beyond the Cable: ‘The embrace of co-designed, plural futures'”
- Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 23) – Ugo Vallauri on “The Right to Repair”
- Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 22) – Jamie Proctor on “The Right People, Building Things They Understand, and Striving to Deliver Directly for Citizens”
- Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 21) – Ettie Unwin on “Crafting a More Equitable Framework for Global Epidemiological Research Practice: Working With Not On”
- Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World (Episode 20) – Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi on “It’s about what technology can do for society”
ICT4D Collective 