Shift the power in humanitarian data: support the Data Values Advocates Program

Data is the cornerstone of humanitarian action. From determining where to distribute aid to shaping long-term recovery efforts, data underpins nearly every decision in crisis response. But a pressing question remains: who controls this data, and whose interests does it serve?

The data collected about crisis-affected communities is usually out of their hands. International humanitarian agencies, governments and tech companies determine how data is gathered, interpreted and used. While these efforts are often well-intentioned, they can reinforce existing power imbalances and leave the most vulnerable communities without a voice.

In response to these challenges, the Data Values Advocates Program was created to shift power to crisis-affected communities. By equipping grassroots leaders and activists with the tools and platforms to shape data governance, the program aims to ensure that those most affected by crises have a say in how their data is collected and used. With the third cohort launching in early 2025, the program empowers changemakers to advocate for and embed localised, community-driven processes in data collection, use and governance across the humanitarian and disaster management cycle.

Data extractivism and AI in humanitarian crises

As the humanitarian sector embraces artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to improve the efficiency of aid, there's no denying its potential benefits for responses at speed and scale. However, these tools are only as good as the data that feeds them. 

AI models rely on vast datasets, often collected without meaningful consent or participation from crisis-affected communities and with minimal consideration for their rights or the long-term implications of how data is used. This ‘data extractivism’ mirrors broader global dynamics where powerful institutions benefit from local resources without equitable input from those most affected. This dynamic not only undermines trust but also entrenches power imbalances.

The data foundations of AI systems can also perpetuate biases, leading to skewed outcomes in aid distribution among other harms. For instance, data about underrepresented groups may be incomplete, misinterpreted or excluded entirely, resulting in these communities receiving inadequate or inappropriate support. 

To counter these risks, data must be shaped by those affected by crises. Communities need the tools, knowledge and opportunities to govern their own data – ensuring that AI-driven decisions reflect their needs and realities.

Empowering local changemakers: the Data Values Advocates Program

To address these urgent challenges, CDAC Network and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data are preparing to launch the third cohort of the Data Values Advocates Program. This initiative directly supports community leaders and activists to shape data practices from the ground up.

The Data Values Advocates Program equips people, especially young people and those from underrepresented communities, with the skills and resources to advocate for equitable, community-centred data systems. By fostering local ownership of data, the program challenges the prevailing top-down approaches, ensuring that data collection, use and governance serve the interests of those most impacted by crises.

In previous cohorts, we’ve seen the transformative power of this approach. Advocates like Mayuri Dhumal, who worked with women in rural India to address water scarcity, have demonstrated that, when communities are empowered with data, they can directly influence policy decisions and hold authorities accountable. Another Advocate, Joon Baek, mobilised young people across 18 countries to engage with data justice, creating networks that continue to push for fair and responsible data practices globally.

This third cohort will expand on these efforts to tackle data issues specific to their communities – whether that’s addressing the risks of AI or improving local participation in disaster preparedness.

A call to action: sponsor an Advocate

We need more than just well-intentioned regulatory policies to create equitable data systems – we need action. That’s why we’re inviting donors, activists and local organisations to get involved. Sponsoring an Advocate will directly support grassroots efforts to promote community-driven data practices, helping to challenge the current dynamics of data extractivism and unaccountable AI.

By funding an Advocate, you’re investing in the future of local leadership in data governance, ensuring that increasingly digitalised humanitarian action is driven by the people it seeks to support. Sponsorship helps us to provide training, mentorship and project support, while giving Advocates the international platform they need to share their work and inspire broader change.

Launching this call to action during the UN World Data Forum, we invite you to join us in supporting the forum’s themes of ‘Innovation for better and more inclusive data’ and ‘Effective partnerships for a more equitable data ecosystem’. These conversations are crucial if we are to build a humanitarian sector that truly listens to – and is led by – those most affected by crises.

For more information on how to support or get involved in the Data Values Advocates Program, please contact Fatuma Faarah at ffaarah@data4sdgs.org.