Australia's digital divide: a matter of power and inequality

What If the Most Effective Development Projects Were the Ones Run by the People Themselves? We spend billions every year designing policies for communities, but what if the real success stories are the ones led by communities? A few nights ago, I was reading the World Bank ’s June 2025 Overview on Community-Led Development, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The data confirmed what experience has been whispering all along: when people have the power to decide for themselves, they build stronger futures. According to the World Bank, when communities control planning and spending decisions, outcomes improve dramatically. It’s not a theory, not experiments but Real-world impact. According to the report, In the Philippines, millions of community volunteers (63% women) rebuilt roads, schools, and clinics through a national program that trusted them to decide what mattered most. In Guinea, mining revenues were transferred directly to communes; funding 1,500 projects in health, education, and water, reaching over 4 million people. Across the Horn of Africa, communities led infrastructure projects serving both refugees and host populations, achieving faster, cheaper, and more sustainable results than top-down aid. These are different regions and same result emphasizing that Local leadership works better. I’ve seen this play out firsthand in my community. When policies are designed with communities and not for them; everything changes. Ownership then replaces dependency. Sustainability then replaces short-term fixes. People don’t wait for help, they build it themselves. The World Bank summed it up perfectly: “When given transparent rules, access to information, and the right support, communities can effectively organize to address local development challenges.” If community-led approaches consistently outperform top-down ones, 👉🏽 why isn’t this the default yet? Maybe the issue isn’t effectiveness, Maybe it’s power. I’d love to hear your thoughts: I’m so curious how this plays out in different regions, what’s been your experience with local ownership in development projects? Let’s make this a real conversation, i'll start from me in the comment section👇🏽 Source: World Bank, Community and Local Development Overview (June 2025) 📷: Felicia Magee 🙏 #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicDevelopment #Governance #Leadership #InternationalDevelopment #Empowerment #OpenGovernment #WorldBank #Evidence #LocalDevelopment #CommunityLed

ACCAN welcomes the launch of the 2025 Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) report. The ADII is a vital source of information on progress in digital inclusion in Australia. The report demonstrates that Australia has continued to make steady progress on digital inclusion, yet large gaps still remain. Among the report's key recommendations is that the Government support concessional access to broadband for low-income households. Our own research shows that almost 70% of Australians would support such a proposal. Too many people are sacrificing connectivity to fund other essentials. We call on the government to consider the economic and social benefits a concessional broadband policy would provide and commit further funding to ensure no Australian is left offline. Read the media release: https://lnkd.in/gXXhHWce Telstra, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Anika Wells, Andrew Charlton, Julian Thomas, Vicki Brady, Professor Anthony McCosker, Justine Rowe, Adrienne Picone GAICD, Carol Bennett

🚀 New Local2030 Report Launched! 📘 The Road to WSSD2: The Local Way We’re pleased to announce the publication of The Road to WSSD2: The Local Way, a new Local2030 Coalition report that highlights the fundamental role of local and regional actors in advancing inclusive social development, strengthening resilience, and translating global commitments into tangible local progress. The Road to WSSD2: The Local Way builds on the Seville Platform for Action (SPA) proposal launched jointly by Gobierno de España, UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and the United Nations Local2030 Coalition, the OECD - OCDE, the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, and the Finance in Common Initiative, initiated through the Road to Seville: The Local Way towards the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). Drawing from multilevel consultations held across regions, the Road tos have engaged over 1,500 local development stakeholders, identifying more than 30 locally led social, economic, and housing solutions with measurable results in poverty reduction, resilience, and governance. Each example demonstrates how empowered local leadership can translate global commitments into real social and territorial change. The report converged on three interlinked themes central to inclusive social development: inclusive local economies and social innovation, social protection, care, and equity, and participatory governance and territorial transformation.   Together, these stories reaffirm that local action is the foundation of global progress. They show how communities, governments, and partners, when equipped, connected, and supported, can make social development and housing inclusion tangible outcomes of the renewed social contract envisioned by WSSD2.   👉 https://lnkd.in/e-kCvsne   #Local2030 #WSSD2 #LocalAction #SocialDevelopment #MultilevelGovernance #SustainableDevelopment

Digital inclusion means far more than access—it is the foundation for equity, opportunity, and resilience in a rapidly transforming digital economy. Bridging the digital divide not only boosts individual livelihoods but also strengthens communities by weaving together connectivity, skills, and safe participation for all. These efforts are deeply interlinked with broader challenges of affordability, digital literacy, online safety, and social justice, making digital inclusion both a driver and a measure of progress in sustainable development. #FridayReflection #digitalinclusion #digitaleconomy

"If many Australians are doing it tough, some of them are doing it even tougher. Rising costs of living disproportionately impact those on lower incomes or with fewer financial assets – they are not able to weather the storm of rising inflation in the same way their better-off counterparts can. In the context of this widening gap in Australia, the experiences of those doing it tough exemplify the concerning relationship between financial and emotional distress. ...what are the implications for social cohesion in Australia? There is a clear link between people’s financial circumstances and social cohesion". Ref: Scanlon Foundation Research Institute:  Social Cohesion Insights 09: Stretched thin: the emotional toll of financial stress Thanks Phoebe Johnston for the insightful article! #financialwellbeingeducation #intergenerationalhardship #economicandsocialparticipation #jobfocusedsocialenterprise #structuraldisadvantage #financialresilience #socialcohesion

Yesterday, we hosted a launch event in Parliament for our new report, Citizen Gain: Creating social value that lasts. The event, People, Places and Purpose: How social value can boost local consent for investment, brought together policymakers, investors, and built environment experts to discuss how putting social value at the heart of development can help unlock the UK’s housing and infrastructure ambitions. We’re grateful to Amanda Hack MP for sponsoring the event and for her words, and to our guests for their insight, experience, and support. Speaking at the launch, PIC’s CEO Tracy Blackwell CBE said: “Embedding social value throughout the development process is not only the right thing to do, it is a powerful way to build community engagement, accelerate planning and to get Britain building.” Drawing on insights from roundtable discussions with around 50 organisations nationwide, our report proposes a practical framework for embedding social value into development, helping to build trust, local consent, and enduring impact. Key recommendations are: • Develop anchor networks: bring councils, businesses and community groups together to bridge public–private gaps and build shared understanding of social value. • Leadership matters: leaders must define and embed a clear, shared meaning of social value within their core purpose. • Better understand local needs: use data and community insight to shape what social value means in each place. Please do read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eday7zqb A big thank you to WPI Strategy , who supported us in organising the event, and to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a valuable evening of discussion and ideas. We’d love to hear your feedback on the report and any insights that you’d like to share. #purpose #investments #pensions #policyholders #socialvalue #future #report

Social connection is a fundamental determinant of health, #wellbeing and social cohesion. The OECD - OCDE WISE Centre’s recently released report Social Connections and Loneliness in OECD Countries and the World Health Organization Commission’s report From loneliness to social connection both highlight the growing global challenge of loneliness and social isolation, with people meeting up less in person than before, and both young and older people continuing to be at a greater risk for social isolation. Next week, at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, the OECD WISE Centre is joining forces with the WHO Commission on Social Connection for an in-person Solution Session on why social connection matters for inclusive development.   During our session on 6 November at 11:30 (GMT +3) featuring Claudia Fuentes Julio, LAURA KESTILÄ, Alana Officer, Lara Fleischer, Dr Ola Abualghaib, Nataya Branjerdporn, and Palakh Khanna, we will explore how governments, communities, and partners can turn evidence into action — embedding social connection into strategies for poverty reduction, quality employment, health, and digital inclusion. Learn more and register to join: https://lnkd.in/eE-7CRDR #WSSDII | Kazuki Yamada | YeJin Lee

New report reveals mixed progress on digital inclusion in Australia! Despite improvements in internet coverage & speed, 1 in 5 Aussies remain digitally excluded. Read more about this on our website: https://lnkd.in/gr68a9tD #DigitalInclusion #Australia

🎓 New Research Eurofound report #Digitalisation of #SocialProtection Proud to share a new Eurfound study I, Barbara De Micheli Ph. D and Alessandro Smilari had the privilege of contributing to as part of the Eurofound expert network for Italy - Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini The report is a must-read for anyone in the public service and social policy space. We investigated 10 EU Member States and Norway, and the findings show a landscape in rapid transformation: - Digital First. In most countries studied, citizens can apply for nearly all major benefits digitally. - The Automation Gap. Automation is being used effectively (e.g., for child benefits) to prevent non-take-up.However, digitalisation is far more likely to be applied to identify overpayments than to find and support citizens who are eligible but not taking up their benefits. - The Inclusion Deficit. A significant finding is that people in atypical situations are often excluded from these standard digital processes, creating a new barrier to access. One of the report's key conclusions is the need to build trust by engaging civil society, research, and the judiciary in system development. It also notes that while the goal is to reinvest resource savings into more human-centric support, the evidence of this happening is not yet there. This work is important for building also a #EU digital social security space that is more efficient and inclusive. I encourage you to read the full report below. #SocialPolicy #DigitalTransformation #SocialInclusion #SocialSecurity #WelfareState #EUNetwork

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED A recent survey revealed a statistic that should alarm every policymaker, educator and truly, even the business leaders in this country: only 19% of our young people, those aged 18 to 35, aspire to start their own businesses. This figure reportedly represents the lowest rate of entrepreneurial ambition recorded across the African continent. Simultaneously, a massive 44% of our youth state a clear preference for jobs within the civil service. This paradox goes beyond just a statistical anomaly. It is actually a confirmation that we have structured our economy and society in a way that actively encourages our brightest minds to prioritise the safety of a pension over the immense potential of creation. https://lnkd.in/duE6_CJS