CDE 6020: Digital Development, Inclusive Innovation and Information Disorder

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Digital development is inevitable to bring about revolutionary social and economic changes for agri-food and rural communities. However, it also poses several challenges, such as issues related to digital equity and ownership of information and knowledge. There are also risks associated with the spread of false and fabricated information, which can cause community conflicts and polarization over topics such as GMOs, organic agriculture, and climate change, among others, that affect people’s livelihoods. Recent events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social and political developments, including the US election, the Ukraine war, the freedom convoy, and the nitrogen emission policy, have highlighted the need to focus on digital competencies and critical analysis skills of community members. These are necessary skills and competencies to help facilitate inclusive digital innovation processes with marginalized communities, such as rural and remote communities, women, and smallholders, during this revolutionary state of digitalization and digital development.  The course contents have been organized according to three major areas: (i) theoretical and conceptual frameworks that underpin digitalization and digital development, (ii) concepts, examples, and cases related to socio-political and economic factors influencing information disorder, and (iii) knowledge and skills necessary to play leadership roles for combatting information disorder and undertaking a digital project within the community of practices to support inclusive innovation.

Time

TBD

Location

TBD

When?

Fall, 2024