Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems

The report critiques the current digital ecosystem as a form of 'data colonialism' driven by profit-seeking corporations from the Global North. It traces the history of the struggle for communication control from the 1970s NWICO debates to the current era of AI and Big Tech. The authors propose a 'Communication Rights' (CRs) framework that moves beyond simple freedom of expression to include collective rights, public ownership of digital utilities, and the protection of data sovereignty to ensure a more equitable and diverse digital future.

• The authors characterize the current digital era as 'data colonialism,' where the extraction of personal data replaces the land grabs of traditional colonialism to generate wealth and power for Northern corporations.
• The report identifies a historical pattern of struggle over communication control in four rounds, starting with the 1970-1985 demand for a 'fair flow' of information and the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO), followed by the privatization of the internet in the 1990s, the rise of data-driven exploitation (2005-2024), and the current era of AI.
• The document argues that 'Communication Rights' (CRs) are more comprehensive than freedom of expression because they encompass the entire communication cycle—including the right to be heard and understood—and emphasize collective rather than just individual rights.
• The report highlights the severe environmental and human rights costs of the digital economy, specifically noting that Colombia generated 390 million kgs of e-waste in 2022 and that lithium mining in Chile's Atacama Desert causes water shortages for 18 Indigenous communities.
• The authors critique the UN's Global Digital Compact for failing to address the concentration of media power and the need for independent media, viewing it as a document shaped by digital corporations to avoid significant constraints.
• The report proposes a set of 11 'non-negotiables' for a progressive digital society, including the treatment of AI, data, and digital platforms as public utilities, the mandate of interoperability for social media, and the requirement that AI-based interactions be clearly distinguishable from human ones.

APA

World Association for Christian Communication (2025). Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Progressive-Decolonial_Approach_DigitalEcosystems.pdf

Chicago

World Association for Christian Communication. Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems. 2025. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Progressive-Decolonial_Approach_DigitalEcosystems.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Association for Christian Communication |title=Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems |date=April 2025 |url=https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Progressive-Decolonial_Approach_DigitalEcosystems.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldassociationforchristiancommunication2025taking, author = {{World Association for Christian Communication}}, title = {{Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems}}, institution = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Progressive-Decolonial_Approach_DigitalEcosystems.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }