Beyond the Roadtrip 2: tech justice in the Global South

Joe Roberson

Communities across the world are reimagining technology for justice. These stories show how people use digital tools to protect culture, share power and challenge systems that leave many behind.

We the Catalysts CIC (trading as Catalyst) was a Community Interest Company, whose registered company number was 15519453.

You are free to copy and adapt it. Read the terms.

Quick links

Technology shapes our world. But who gets to decide what it looks like? Who benefits?

Around the world, communities are building new ways to use tech. They want tech that serves everyone fairly. Here are five stories, gathered by Kayleigh Walsh for the Tech Justice Roadtrip zine, that show how this works in practice.

Building justice in the Global South

Communities in the Global South are creating their own tech solutions. They don’t wait for others to help them. Instead, they build what they need.

Indigenous interpreters in Mexico worked with researchers to create an AI tool. The tool would help people get justice in their own languages. But the interpreters made an important choice. They decided that building community was more important than building technology.

This shows us something key about tech justice. It means listening to communities. Sometimes the best choice is to step back and let people lead.

Sudanese communities have created Emergency Response Rooms to help each other during war. These groups use WhatsApp and local networks to organise aid, share information, and save lives when official help is missing. Their work is rooted in a long tradition of neighbourhood support and collective action.

This shows us the power of community-led response. Even in crisis, people come together, share skills, and build new ways to survive. Tech justice means recognising and supporting these grassroots efforts.

First Nations communities in Australia are building their own energy systems. The Ngardara Cooperative uses solar power to create microgrids. This isn’t just about electricity. It’s about getting power back – both energy and control.

One community elder said: “If they can help us get better power using solar, can you imagine how many families will come back to the homeland? How many healthy families we will have…”

These stories show us that tech justice means partnership, not charity.

Māori data sovereignty in Aotearoa

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Māori communities are using technology to protect and celebrate their culture. The Āhau platform is a digital tool built on Māori principles and language. It helps families create and share their whakapapa (genealogy), stories, songs, and prayers.

Āhau acts as a living archive. It helps people remember their ancestors and keep their history alive. Families can add stories about special events or important people. They can upload songs and prayers. All of this information stays on the user’s device, or on a private server that only invited people can access. This keeps knowledge safe and in the hands of the community, not outsiders.

This approach puts Māori values at the centre. It protects language, culture, and history. It also shows how tech can be used for self-determination and collective memory, not just for profit or control.

Community radio in South Africa

Bush Radio in South Africa shows how old technology can still fight for justice. Founded in 1992, this community radio station gives voice to people who are often ignored.

Bush Radio started during apartheid as a cassette project. The government controlled all media then. So activists found other ways to share information and stories.

Today, Bush Radio focuses on young people. About 80% of its listeners are between 15 and 35 years old. The station lets young people make their own programmes and offers them media training and internships. This gives them a voice and helps them learn new skills.

The station tackles big problems like:

Gender-based violence
Youth unemployment
Social justice
Human rights

Bush Radio calls itself the “Mother of Community Radio in Africa”. It shows how communities can use simple technology to challenge power and create change.

Hope and harm across borders

Technology can help people. It can also hurt them. This story shows both sides.

SocorroBot helps families in Mexico. It’s a WhatsApp chatbot. Families use it when someone goes missing. The bot helps them report the case. It makes the process easier when people are scared and confused.

The team that built SocorroBot worked with real families. They tested the bot with people who would actually use it. This is tech justice in action – building with people, not just for them.

But this work also raises hard questions:

Who pays to keep these tools running?
What happens when the state itself causes harm?
Can technology really fix broken systems?

The answers aren’t simple. But the process shows us something important. Good tech design puts power back in people’s hands. It helps communities create their own solutions.

Explore these themes: Exploring the patchwork of ustopias and Tech Justice 2: a journey to the Global South: Aotearoa, South Africa and Sudan

Fighting digital control in Palestine

Palestine shows us both sides of technology. Tech can be a weapon of control. But it can also be a tool for resistance.

How tech is used for control: The Israeli military uses digital tools to target Palestinians. These include:

AI systems that choose targets
Facial recognition at checkpoints
Surveillance of all Gaza residents
Cloud services for military operations
Internet shutdowns

Big Tech companies help make this possible. They provide the technology and services. This is digital colonialism – using technology to oppress people.

How Palestinians fight back: But Palestinian communities don’t give up. They use technology to resist and survive. They:

Share videos of attacks on social media
Use hashtags like #FreePalestine to spread their message
Create AI tools to spot hate speech against Palestinians
Build apps to help with medical care during war
Use digital platforms to tell their own stories

Palestinian entrepreneurs are creating new tech solutions. They build tools for healthcare, education, and communication. They use AI to amplify Palestinian voices in a digital world that often silences them.

Tech for Palestine is a new platform that helps Palestinian startups. It provides mentorship, resources, and support. It also creates a safe space for tech workers who want to speak out about injustice.

This shows us that tech justice means challenging systems of control. It means giving people the tools to tell their own stories and fight for their rights.

Read the full story and 3 more examples from Palestine: Exploring the patchwork of ustopias and Tech Justice 3: a deep dive into Palestine

What we learn from these stories

These stories come from different places. But they share something important. They all show that communities have power when they work together.

Tech justice isn’t the same everywhere. It looks different in Mexico, Australia, Aotearoa, South Africa, Sudan and Palestine. But it always starts with listening to people who are most affected.

Key lessons:

Listen to communities first
Build with people, not for them
Protect culture and language
Give voice to the voiceless
Challenge systems that cause harm
Put power in people’s hands

These stories show us a different way forward. They help us imagine tech that liberates instead of controls. Tech that serves everyone, not just the powerful.

Read Kayleigh’s research in full: