Shift The Power

We are completing our expanded Shift-the-Power strategy in close collaborate with our Board of Directors
and key partners. We look forward to presenting our detailed strategy on May 1, 2021.

Our Shift-the-Power efforts are part of a larger movement. We are one of many. We founded WeRobotics to counter the foreign-first, top-down, and techno-centric approach that pervades the social good sector, from aid and development to health and the environment. As others have said before us, the goal of the social good sector must be to end need, not just meet need. This means, for example, that international organizations (including small ones like WeRobotics) must have a transition plan that is “centered around devolving power, money and voice to local organizations.” Here we share our progress on the transition plan that we started on the same day WeRobotics was founded. We created two distinct identities from day 1: WeRobotics and Flying Labs. Flying Labs are independent knowledge hubs run by local experts. Our transition plan shifts power from WeRobotics to Flying Labs.

Our goal is to contribute to systems change in the “Technology for Good” space by shifting power back to local experts at scale. We do this by enabling the adoption of the replicable inclusion models we’ve co-created with the Flying Labs network.

This plan resonates with calls from leaders in the Global South: we exchange knowledge and connections with and between local experts across Flying Labs, helping them reinforce their capacity, credibility and visibility; driving new funding, technologies and leadership opportunities to local experts while actively crediting and building their human resources based on their priorities. We are actively ceding market share to local experts. Our impact metrics reflect these priorities. Together with Flying Labs, we’re co-creating FlyingLabs.org as an independent legal entity to expand South-to-South collaboration. The dot org will be an international organization deeply rooted in the Global South(s), headquartered in the South(s) and led by experts from the South(s). The new entity will take over the coordination of the Flying Labs network from WeRobotics. As for WeRobotics, we will press forward by enabling the adoption of this shift-the-power model at scale so that international organizations, donors and companies can become more local-first and thus effective organizations.

In sum, we want to enable the adoption of the Flying Labs models to contribute to systems change across multiple sectors and emerging technologies. We are one of many and we don’t have all the answers, which is why we’re keen to team up with and learn from others. If we can cede majority market share to local experts, then hopefully others can too, along with entire sectors and industries. This is the systems change we seek.

Follow our progress below!

Read our blog posts on “Shift the Power”

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