Innovative Tech Award Recognizes Connections Enabled through Collaborative’s Global Solidarity, Local Actions Toolkit
By Nedra Sandiford
The Collaborative is proud to accept The Innovative Technology award from the GoAbroad Innovation Awards, recognizing the Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions Toolkit.
Technology is a powerful tool that has been designed and shaped to fit our every want, need, and desire. Technology can be a connector or a divider, and it takes thoughtful, intentional design to create tech tools that can help bridge divides.
We find ourselves in a time where society is seemingly at a crossroads – with technological misuse or technological inequities exacerbating division and isolation. Now more than ever, we must be dedicated to the responsible, innovative, and beneficial use of technology if we want to find solutions that will help to create a world that is more just, inclusive and sustainable.
It is a source of immense gratitude and pride then, that the Global Solidarity and Local Actions Toolkit has been recognized for its technological contributions to global engagement by the GoAbroad Innovation Awards. What began as an outlet for like-minded individuals across disciplines, institutions and industries during a global pandemic has grown and continues to expand as a knowledge-sharing and spreading tool in the fight for global justice, inclusivity and sustainability.
Communities of practice have sprung up around the content in the Toolkit, both through intentional Collaborative programming and via place-, thematic-, or institution-based interest groups. The toolkit brings scholar-practitioner-educators together around themes like interdependence, sustainability, civic engagement, Fair Trade Learning, interculturality and diversity, equity and inclusion, decolonization and more. A tool like this allows us to embrace glocality as opposed to an imperialist or US-centred approach (though we recognize and acknowledge the prevalence of voices from privileged communities in high-income countries – we strive and continue to work to address this), from the classroom to the boardroom to the community center.
Yet perhaps most important, behind degrees, orientations, grades, classes, credits, company goals, targets, outcomes and stakeholders, is the simple human connection that is born between those who engage with the Toolkit. When we see the Toolkit in syllabi, or linked in a blog post, or sourced for scholarly articles, or used to develop a workshop or a training, what we see is the connection that society, and even technology, seems to encourage us to downplay or cast aside. That society would like for us to forget exists. When we become aware of the use of the Toolkit, behind every click and every link – we see each other. We know that there is a team out there, a network, a hive, a tribe – all working in their ways and in their part and in their locations for a world that is more just, inclusive and sustainable.
Interested in learning more about the toolkit or using the modules in your work? Please access the Toolkit here.
For information about upcoming workshops on using the Toolkit, check out our events page or sign-up for the Collaborative Newsletter by scrolling down on our homepage.
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Nedra Sandiford is based in Málaga, Spain and is currently the administrative director for the Dickinson in Spain study abroad program. She is originally from New York City and holds a Masters’ Degree in International Affairs with a concentration on Media and Culture from The New School. She has been a co-creator and collaborator throughout the Toolkit’s development, and has recently joined the editorial team.