The SecDev Foundation is a Canadian think-do tank that works at the interface of conflict, development and new technologies. We believe that technology and connectivity can empower people to disrupt v...
The SecDev Foundation is a Canadian think-do tank that works at the interface of conflict, development and new technologies. We believe that technology and connectivity can empower people to disrupt violence, insecurity and oppression. Our mission is to develop data-driven solutions to making positive change possible. We work with global and local partners in cities, countries and regions affected by fragility, conflict and violence. We trigger new ways of thinking and co-designing digital tools to build local capacities. We seek to understand the challenges that communities prioritize and can meaningfully engage, in order to encourage people-centered transformation. We are committed to enabling "open empowerment" – meaning the ways in which new technologies are fundamentally rewiring how groups, individuals and states engage with progressive politics, economics and social action. We believe that greater open empowerment can help catalyze political expression, fight back against oppression, prevent violent extremism and promote more just and peaceful societies. Since our founding in 2011, we have maintained an operational focus on enabling individuals and groups in risky environments to fully take advantage of open empowerment. Our initiatives have helped societies in the Middle East, Central Asia and elsewhere to stay safe, access information, and leverage social media to ensure their voices are heard. The Foundation's work has been supported by governments and donors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.