Why we do it

We know that social, economic, and cultural injustices have historically prevented or excluded groups from enjoying equal access to opportunities. Diversity, equity and inclusion as an approach aims to address some of these challenges.

But what does it mean to be truly diverse, equitable and inclusive? How do we ensure that power is fairly distributed so that those who are excluded can have equal access to opportunities, and can enjoy economic, social, and cultural mobility?

TCU looks at this problem in the context of achieving digital rights for all.

Today, surveillance, censorship, and online abuse are some of the biggest challenges the digital rights field works on. And across the world, women, people of color, and activists from excluded communities typically bear the brunt of these challenges more so than individuals with privilege, or dominant groups in society.

While many NGOs work to address these issues, NGO funding systems are built on, or have inherited power dynamics that are deeply colonial in nature. Additionally, the process and paperwork to access funding can be extremely complex and bureaucratic for local, grassroots NGOs to navigate - Funding tends to be repeatedly given to well-established, larger organizations that fit a certain mold. What’s more, funders tend to demand that money is spent on programmatic activity or knowledge production, underfunding support for health and well-being for defenders, neglecting investment into the people who do this vital work.

Such an approach both creates and perpetuates high barriers to entry for people who possess qualifications, skills, and networks that lie outside typical settings of privilege.

This means that those who have been traditionally excluded (such as women and people of colour) are typically dramatically underrepresented in positions of leadership within the field. Their voices are largely absent from the debates that seek to address these major challenges of our time. For those who do manage to overcome some of the obstacles, high burnout is inevitable, leading to high turnover and again, a loss of diverse experience and perspective.

If we truly want to advance internet freedoms for all, what do we need to do to ensure that individuals and groups who are traditionally excluded feel like they are heard, included and that they too belong?

TCU’s starting point is the fundamental belief that lasting change can only take place if it is led and informed by those who have the faced the most injustice, and when it is community driven.

To correct imbalances of power, TCU believes that the internet must be co-designed by the many rather than the few. That is why our programs serve as ramps for people from under- represented groups who are trying to break into the digital rights field and elevate the leadership of communities who are at the greatest risk of oppression online. It is only with their experience and expertise that we can set a collective strategy for the digital rights field. This is the only sustainable way to ensure that the privacy, safety, and humanity of all individuals are respected.

If we are to truly disrupt a broken system, we need to do it with love. Radical, fierce, lasting love that is unashamedly inclusive, deliberately diverse, and committed to sharing power.