The preponderance of Western methods, practices, standards, and classifications in the manner in which new technology-related knowledge is created and globalised has led to calls for more inclusive approaches to design. A decolonisation project is concerned with how researchers might contribute to dismantling and re-envisioning existing power relations, resisting past biases, and balancing Western heavy influences in technology design by foregrounding the authentic voices of the indigenous people in the entire design process. We examine how the establishment of local Global South HCI communities (AfriCHI and ArabHCI) has led to the enactment of decolonisation practices. Specifically, we seek to uncover how decolonisation is perceived in the AfriCHI and ArabHCI communities as well as the extent to which both communities are engaged with the idea of decolonisation without necessarily using the term. We drew from the relevant literature, our own outsider/insider lived experiences, and the communities’ responses to an online anonymised survey to highlight three problematic but interrelated practical paradoxes: a terminology, an ethical, and a micro-colonisation paradox. We argue that these paradoxes expose the dilemmas faced by local non-Western researchers as they pursue decolonisation thinking. This article offers a blended perspective on the decolonisation debate in HCI, CSCW, and the practice-based CSCW scholarly communities and invites researchers to examine their research work using a decolonisation lens.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are widely known as tools for poverty reduction. However, before ICTs can be utilized as tools for development, one needs to assess the various development challenges facing a country and then analyse where and how ICTs could positively impact development in a sustainable way. As technology influences the way people relate toward each other, it is important to view ICTs from an ethical perspective. This research theoretically explores the key aspects of ethics that should be applied to ICT projects in rural communities. Understanding the key aspects of ethics related to ICTs would foster the adoption of ICTs in rural communities and ensure that the integration of such ICTs is compatible with existing development strategies in developing countries. Four existing frameworks on ethical practice are explored which serve as a foundation for a theoretical framework of ethical practice in ICT4D. The proposed framework highlights four ethical themes that should be considered in rural ICT4D initiatives. These themes include: collaboration and participation, socio-economic context, cost and benefits and underlying stakeholder interests. It is suggested that further research and practical application can inform the framework.

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This is a forum for perspectives on designing for communities marginalized by economics, social status, infrastructure, or policies. It will discuss design methods, theoretical and conceptual contributions, and methodological engagements for underserved communities. --- Nithya Sambasivan, Editor