Beyond the Roadtrip 1: examples of tech justice initiatives across the globe

Joe Roberson

3 pathways to technology that is responsive, inclusive, and just. How communities everywhere are shaping technology for justice and inclusion.

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

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Powerful change often starts quietly. Conversations matter. People coming together to shape their own tools matter even more. The Tech Justice Roadtrip sparked important dialogue. Activists, survivors, and community leaders shared ideas about technology designed with care, inclusion, and justice at its heart.

This article goes beyond the Roadtrip. It summarises 3 new essays by Siana Bangura that show what tech justice looks like in action around the world. If you want to build technology that truly belongs to people – technology that is responsive, inclusive, and just – these essays offer insight and inspiration.

1. Community co-design: technology built by and for the people

“To build community requires vigilant awareness of the work we must continually do to undermine all the socialization that leads us to behave in ways that perpetuate domination.” – bell hooks

Technology is often designed by small groups of experts. This leaves out the voices of those most affected. The result is tools that ignore or even harm the people they are meant to serve. Community co-design changes this. It invites people – especially those left out in the past – into the process from the start.

A strong example is Camden Giving’s Elevate tool. Young people in Camden, London, worked together. They created a participatory grantmaking platform. It addresses food poverty in their community. The project used translation to include more voices. They experimented with AI to streamline the process. Every step was taken with care and consent. The result was a tool that empowered young people. It made grantmaking more accessible and fair.

This is not an isolated case. Around the world, communities are showing how co-design leads to better, more inclusive technology.

Tutoring system (Egypt): Teachers and AI experts built a learning platform for under-resourced schools. The focus was on supporting mostly female students. Teachers were involved in the design. This made the platform fit real classroom needs.
Water governance (Yaqui Community, Vícam): Indigenous people co-designed water governance technology. Local rights and participation were centered. The technology supported sustainable water management. Traditional knowledge was respected.
Decidim (Barcelona): The Decidim platform enabled 40,000 residents to shape city policy. Issues included housing and air quality. People had a direct say in decision-making. This built trust and engagement.
Birmingham: Civic Square and MAIA are pioneering community-led spaces and ownership projects. Neighbourhoods are built on local wisdom and collaboration.

Community co-design is not just about better tools. It is about sharing power and building trust. As bell hooks reminds us, “We must be linked to collective struggle, to communities of resistance that move us outward, into the world.”

When people are involved in design, technology becomes more accessible. It becomes more sustainable. It aligns with real needs. It also reduces harm by including diverse perspectives. Everyone’s voice is heard.

Learn more

To learn more about how community co-design can transform technology and empower those it serves, read the full essay.

2. Feminist AI: centering survivors and challenging bias

“She who plants a garden, plants hope.” – Breonna’s Garden

Artificial intelligence is often seen as neutral or objective. In reality, it reflects the biases of the world it comes from. This can amplify inequality and harm. Women, gender-diverse people, and survivors of violence are especially affected. Feminist AI is about shifting power. It centers the voices of those most affected.

Around the world, activists and technologists are prototyping new AI. Their goal is gender equality and justice.

Global examples of feminist AI in action

Breonna’s Garden (USA and worldwide): A virtual and augmented reality experience created by Lady Pheønix with Breonna Taylor’s family. It offers a safe, healing space for people to share messages of hope and remember loved ones. The project, shown at major events, has won awards for its impact.
SafeHer (Philippines): A women’s safety app for public transport in Metro Manila. It provides SOS alerts and live location sharing, empowering women to stay safe in challenging environments.
SOF+IA (Chile): An AI chatbot that helps women facing digital harassment. It centers the needs of those most affected, supporting women as they respond to online abuse.
Chayn (UK and worldwide): A global nonprofit creating trauma-informed resources for survivors. Their Advocat AI tool, developed with survivors, helps generate self-advocacy letters and prioritises privacy.
AymurAI (Latin America): An open-source tool that collects data on gender-based violence from courts. It helps identify patterns of violence and supports policy change for survivors.

Feminist AI puts principles into practice. Intersectionality matters. Consent matters. Empowerment matters. These are built into every stage of design. Eva Blum-Dumontet of Chayn explains it well. She says:

“AI is here to stay so we should be finding how to use it in positive ways… use an intersectional lens; recognise that communities have different needs; and focus on addressing those needs.”

These initiatives show feminist AI is a global movement. People across borders are united. They are building technology that is just, compassionate, and rooted in the needs of communities everywhere.

Learn more

To learn more about how feminist AI can create technology that supports and empowers survivors, read the full essay.

3. Liberatory governance: imagining and building healthier communities

“Our collective imagination has been arrested and confined, making it difficult to think beyond the racist, classist, sexist, ableist status quo.” – Professor Ruha Benjamin

What if technology was governed by the people who use it? What if it was not controlled by distant corporations? Liberatory governance is about building infrastructures that support justice, care, and community well-being. It is more than rules and structures. It is about how we relate to one another. It is about building the world we want to live in.

Examples of liberatory governance in action

Multitudes Co-op: An organisation rooted in radical Black feminist principles. The group explores new governance models focused on common stewardship, ecosystem support, and archival practices. Technology plays a key role in bringing people together and amplifying their voices. Multitudes Co-op is designing a new form of sound system that is guided by design justice and disability justice.
Barcelona’s Superblocks: In Barcelona, residents have transformed city districts through community-led initiatives. They reduced car traffic and created green, pedestrian-friendly spaces for everyone to enjoy. Another local project is making the coastline accessible to all, not just a privileged few. These changes are the result of strong community decision-making and collaboration.
Atlanta’s Stop Cop City movement: A decentralised movement led by grassroots organisers. They protect local forests and resist carceral structures. The movement is rooted in shared power, collective action, and leadership from those most impacted. Community members come together to protect their neighbourhoods and ensure that decisions are made by the people who live there.

Key principles of liberatory governance

Shared power: Decisions are made together. Everyone’s voice is valued.
Collective action: People work together to bring about change.
Leadership from the most impacted: Those most affected by injustice lead the way.
Building healthy, inclusive environments: Liberatory governance creates spaces where everyone can thrive.

Liberatory governance is about imagining new possibilities. It is about building infrastructures that support justice, care, and community well-being. It challenges the idea that technology should be controlled by a few. It puts power in the hands of the people. This approach is essential for a future where technology serves everyone, not just the powerful.