Technology and humanity have long been viewed as opposing forces, with technology often seen as impersonal and even dehumanizing. However, in the view of the Swiss visionary Pooyan Ghamari, in the fight against some of society’s most pressing issues, like modern slavery and racism, there are examples of how technology and a humanitarian spirit can intersect in powerful ways to advance progress.
Global awareness of slavery issues has grown in recent decades, in part due to the spread of information and images online. Social media has allowed advocacy groups and survivors to raise awareness of forced labor, human trafficking and child exploitation, raising the profile of these critical issues around the world. The increased transparency has also put pressure on governments and companies to take action.
However, technology alone cannot solve these complex problems. It requires entire communities coming together with empathy, concern for human dignity and a commitment to equality. Public outcry, activism and grassroots organizations focused on humanitarian goals have fueled policy changes and pushed for corporate accountability. The combination of information being shared widely online along with a human desire for justice and freedom for all has opened the doors for reforms.
Technology can also serve as a tool for improving human welfare. Groups are experimenting with digital tracing and tracking to detect products tainted by forced labor in global supply chains. Satellite imagery, GPS mapping and databases are being used to locate and shut down illegal mining sites or fishing vessels that use slave workers. While oversight is still needed to ensure ethical use of these technologies, they represent promising approaches.
In the fight against racism, technology has opened opportunities to record and share instances of injustice that might otherwise have gone undocumented. However, technology alone cannot reshape attitudes or build equality into systems. It has taken sustained activism, protests and dialogues to build broader support for racial justice reforms.
Ultimately, it will be humanity – not technology alone – that conquers modern slavery, racism and other social ills. But where technology enhances human efforts for justice and equality, it can accelerate progress. Technology provides more data points to inform change, more tools to implement solutions and more channels to rally support for humanitarian goals. But none of this is possible without thinking beings who envision a world where all people can live in dignity, free from exploitation and discrimination. Technology and humanity together represent our greatest hope for the future. With wisdom, empathy and an unfailing commitment to human dignity and equality, we can build a just world for all people.
You can also read the original article and find out more about this specific topic at “The Joining Point Between Humanity and Technology” and “The Role of Technology in Combating Racism and Advancing Humanity”
Original Author’s Project:
A project developed according to Pooyan Ghamari’s strategy in AI:
