04-07, 12:55–13:15 (Europe/Zurich), Surge Stage
A billion people in the world lack legal identification. Among these people, there are many exiles, stateless, and refugees that have had their identification tampered with or erased by malicious or incompetent state actors. Sadly, these people already started to be hurt by the technology that has potential to improve their lives. Much has to do with how digitalisation and blockchain developers are better connected to state actors that cause these problems rather than to communities that are affected.
Blockchain-based solutions, especially in decentralised identification, have notable potential in resolving some of the biggest problems faced by the most vulnerable populations in the world. These solutions require connectivity between developers and user-base that stands to benefit the most. Based on this improved connectivity, specific blockchain projects can be developed to promote financial inclusion, secure archiving of documentation, and allow access to identification/education/healthcare/and many other services. The blockchain sector can develop tools to improve the world, while the most vulnerable populations can see how these tools stand to benefit or harm. The two sides need each other.
Aleksejs Ivashuk is the Founder of Apatride Network, a coalition of stateless individuals, communities and stateless-led organisations working on addressing statelessness in the EU. He is also an associate member of ENS, Co-Lead of Global Movement Against Statelessness, and serves on UNHCR's Advisory Board of Organisations led by the forcibly displaced and stateless.
Previously, Aleksejs worked for Thomson Reuters, IPSA International, the Green Party of Canada, the U.S. Senate, and was actively involved with the Canadian Red Cross in its First Response and Disaster Management programs. He holds a Political Science MA from Simon Fraser University, Canada. He has published on the topic of statelessness with Oxford’s FMR and Swiss Refugee Council.