Learning to Serve Meaningfully
Digital is a 21st Century tool of communication, media, business, governance, activism and social norms. Digital isn’t merely technology—it’s life, a medium, innovation, and marketing. Yet, critical questions arise: who controls and benefits from this digital existence? Whose narratives remain unheard? However, the larger society is constantly being left out or excluded and either data fields or data mined for control and appropriation.These questions have guided our journey.
With the advent of Internet in India on 15th August 1995; India is almost the largest digitally appropriated user population of the Internet and digital tools.On one end there is a lot of discussion on information society, surveillance, online hate speech, digital interference, virtual domination, and the list of digital jargons seems to be never ending, while on the other end, there is still a huge population reaching out to gain access. The journey of DEF has witnessed a very dynamic shift and complex evolution of the digital divide over the years in terms of impact. The continuous learnings have helped to empower the organisation to skilfully and creatively find solutions that aid in bridging the gaps of the digital world. Yet, the country which has 665,000 villages, 250,000 Panchayats, 7,274 blocks, 28 States and 8 Union Territories, 780 spoken languages, and 70% of the population belonging to Dalit, Bahujan, and OBC; more than 50 percent of the population have never used Internet and another 25% are not meaningfully connected.
The meaning and manifestation of actual “digital society” is to create a network of communities with equity, open access, active participation, and without exclusion. Digital Empowerment Foundation have been working since 2002 to create a digitally inclusive society with extra ordinary focus on prioritising inclusion of marginalised communities, especially in rural areas. It has touched more than 35 million people and participated in several policies that have made digital ubiquity wider and empathetic.
The Museum of Digital Society serves as a testament to the two decade journey of the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), encapsulating its pioneering efforts in digital development. Through an extensive historical archive, the museum chronicles DEF’s transformative models of digital inclusion and empowerment, highlighting the role of frugal technologies built for last-mile communities. This repository of knowledge, shared through books, publications, and case studies, tells the story of how digital interventions can bring social change. The museum not only celebrates digital integration but also emphasises access, rights, and entrepreneurship in the digital age. It stands as a beacon of DEF’s mission to bridge the digital divide, showcasing how storytelling and technology can empower marginalised communities. Ultimately, the museum reflects the evolution of a truly inclusive digital society—where technology serves as a tool for equity, innovation, and opportunity for all. Museum of Digital Society is an effort to create a living ecosystem of the learnings of 23 years of Digital Empowerment Foundation and demonstrate the same for larger masses to experience, live, learn, and replicate.