Join the Humanitarian MERL+AI Learning Group for the book launch of “Aid and ID: Making People Matter” with editor Margie Cheesman and contributors
On September 16th, the Humanitarian AI+MERL Learning Group will host Margie Cheesman alongside book contributors for the official launch of “Aid and ID: Making People Matter.” You can register here to join.
We spend a lot of time talking, thinking and chewing through thorny questions about the use of AI—and not nearly enough time considering the foundational systems that humanitarians already depend on. In the new open-access book “Aid and ID: Making People Matter”, editor Margie Cheesman brings together key humanitarian practitioners to reflect on the most crucial of these systems: identity management. Drawing on their own experiences with the real-world complexities of identification in the humanitarian space, twelve experts provide critical new insight into how humanitarian principles and operational pragmatism produce new forms of politics and power to re-shape humanitarian work in practice. The collection also looks forward; asking what humanitarian organisations should prioritise as they rethink identity management in a time of severe funding pressures and renewed demands for efficiency.
Why does identity matter for humanitarian practitioners?
Amidst numerous other shockwaves and flashier technological developments, it is easy to gloss over identity tools. For those accessing humanitarian services however, such tools stand sentry. Aid and ID reinvigorates the discussion on identity management and aid, bringing together long-standing ethical debates with emerging paradigms of digital public infrastructure and humanitarian data governance. The evolving face of humanitarian identity management offers insights into historical currents of humanitarian change, and can perhaps provide some much sought-after clues for the uncertain future of humanitarian work.
At the book launch we will hear more from Margie about why and how ID brings the humanitarian sector’s wider dilemmas into focus, taking stock of challenges and possibilities ahead. We will also get a preview of some of the chapters with lightning talks from practitioners who contributed to the book, before a moderated discussion and audience Q+A.
More about editor Margie Cheesman
Margie is a lecturer in digital economy at King’s College London and co-leads the Digital Sovereignty Observatory. She is an anthropologist specialising in the social and political dimensions of emerging technology. Her work examines how technologies like blockchain and biometrics are designed, used, and adapted in sensitive environments, including humanitarian aid and migration management.
And stay tuned for more information about our featured book contributors!
A note on the book
This book was designed by the visual artist Edwin Mingard and produced by the charity publisher Hafan Books, hafan meaning sanctuary in Welsh. All proceeds from sales of the physical book go to the charity SASS which supports asylum seekers and refugees. You can order the book online via this link.
Join us!
Register here to attend the launch on September 16th (9-10:15am EDTT/ 2-3:15pm BST/ 4-5:15pm EAT).
And if you haven’t already, find out more about joining the Community of Practice here.