Geeks for Social Change is an initiative led by Dr. Kim Foale Personal blog, focussing on achieving measurable social change through activist, academic, and technological knowledge. It is an experimental approach to a different kind of agency – a practice primarily built on ethical grounds rather than financial ones The two are, of course, uncomfortable bedfellows that prioritises transparency and service provision over shiny marketing and product delivery.
I take a holistic approach to research, technology, and activism, aiming to use the best of all of them to create a fairer world. I have over a decade’s experience as both a web practitioner and community activist, and hold a social science PhD Link to my doctoral thesis. I’ve been involved in dozens of groups focussing on human rights and environmental issues, and created dozens of websites Partial portfolio on my website for community organisations, universities, and businesses (including my own Tai Chi School).
Read more about me and who I work with…
About Geeks for Social Change
I established GFSC in response to an increasing frustration at the lack of communication between the spheres I work in. These are an activist sector extremely slow to utilise new technologies; an academic sector focussed on research impact and publications rather than engaging in social change; and a tech sector mostly invested in technological progress for the rich, rather than innovating to solve social problems.
It’s also an attempt to open up the development process: placing ethics first, and being transparent about what I do and how I do it. Commercial marketing demands make it impossible to be critical about both our successes and failures: a shame, especially given we tend to learn the most from the latter. By taking this approach I hope that we can create a public dialogue around technology as a whole, and work together to overcome the barriers towards social progress in the world today.
Read more about the project background…
My Approach
I want to engage with social issues by working with people and organisations of all types, to transform society for the better. I want to challenge the current client/agency relationship and build a different kind of praxis: one that works with communities to achieve social change, using all our knowledge to build holistic solutions and deeper understandings of social problems. I believe that the most pressing job of technologists and researchers should be to help facilitate communities and organisations to create their own solutions.
Work with me
I work exclusively with people who want to create measurable social change. I can build websites and apps, train you, and develop strategies tailed to the needs of your specific organisation and social change focus. I prefer to do this holistically, working with your organisation to understand where it is and where it needs to be, and help you use your time and resources most effectively. So yes, I can make you a website; but by working together we can build something better, for me, you, and the people we’re doing it for.
Read more about the problems I can help with or get in touch.