Reaching all children

Riorienting innovation towards greater equality and the needs of the poorest takes deliberate effort.

Illustration photo. Photo: Hoang An

When the global is a world in which every child can exercise her human rights without discrimination, can innovation really break down the barriers that exclude so many from what they need to survive and thrive?

It can, but it won’t happen by itself. The way the world works now, the most spectacular products of innovation, trendy gadgets, state of the art medical devices, nanotechnologies, benefit people whose basic needs are already covered.

Some say the benefits of innovation will eventually trickle down, but this is not a foregone conclusion.

As innovation tends to be directed to areas of relative advantage, so we need to work harder to bring it to those most disadvantaged, whether by wealth, gender, race, religion, ability or age. Riorienting innovation towards greater equality and the needs of the poorest takes deliberate effort.

(Source: CPV)