Paper details

Paper authors	Susanna Trotta
In panel on	Technology, Innovation and Experimentation in the Refugee Sector
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

This paper looks at the roles of faith-based humanitarian actors in innovation experiments involving the use of blockchain technology for cash distribution in refugee/Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps. In the last years, blockchain technologies have often been described as a potential game-changer in humanitarian interventions, increasing their accountability and efficiency. However, as some researchers have highlighted, there are also risks connected to these innovative projects – especially concerning surveillance – which might increase the vulnerability experienced by refugees/IDPs. Faith actors have conducted studies and implemented pilot projects in partnership with other stakeholders in this field. This is particularly relevant since they represent a considerable share of non-governmental humanitarian actors. It is also particularly interesting given faith actors’ (perceived) sensitivity regarding the ethical implications of new technologies – as expressed, for example, in the European Commission’s public consultation on the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence. This paper also explores how these studies and pilot projects frame and present the use of blockchain for cash distribution in refugee/IDP camps, i.e. how/whether issues of privacy, accountability and efficiency are discussed.

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