The more you know...
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein
...and perhaps technology allows the opportunity to use both. That's at least what I believe. Before moving to DC, and starting as a Project Assistant on the ICT team here at NDI, I spent 3 years as a social worker in Chicago. Besides enjoying the amazing food in the city, I got to see firsthand the empowering effect technology gives new users. After explaining to one client struggling with barriers to employment how her computer mouse was not the type she had to "shoot at in her basement," I showed her how she could both simplify her job searching and use instant messaging to talk to her grandson. Both of these realizations (mostly the latter) gave her the encouragement to come in once a day, five days a week, to regularly look for jobs, and to regularly send smiley faces to her grandson as she chatted with him after school. Sure enough, she eventually found employment and was able to give her grandson the presents he wanted for his birthday.
I also saw the way technology opens doors for innovative ideas and the creative process. At a different social work organization, I had the chance to work with undocumented youths at a detention shelter. While we did our best to make the house as normal as possible, with full time school, sports leagues, outings, etc., at the end of the day when I went home, the clients did not. As one of the younger staff members, I had the fun job of leading activities using my computer, including creating a Jeopardy style game, making claymation videos, and the most popular activity, recording music. Writing songs and recording allowed these young men and women to work through the difficulties of their experiences, and to be constructive with the time they spent at the shelter. The music they recorded revealed amazing talents, and allowed them to show their abilities to their families when they returned home.
I moved to DC last year to go back to pursue a master's at the Elliott School of International Affairs, and I am very excited to be here on the team as it combines my passion for development and my interest in technology. I am proud to be a part of an organization that plays such a major role in the use of technology in good governance and democratic development. The ICT team has created powerful tools to enhance and improve the incredibly important work that NDI conducts around the world. No type of sustainable development is possible without the type of open and accountable government that NDI works towards. I hope that by working here, I can continue to enhance my knowledge about what technology can do and the applications of technology towards democracy building and sustainable development.