Introduction:
Working at University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins (CSM), I have felt that we are consistently keeping pace with and learning about new technologies. However, what is the true cost of the technology we use to teach and learn at university?
UAL has a framework in place for ‘Embedding Climate, Racial and Social Justice’ into the curriculum, accessible to all staff on Canvas. The framework is a guide for adhering to university standards. It comprises a thorough investigation addressing legal policy on climate change and social justice, which is then addressed in the course handbook. UAL claims that “We offer hope through action, committing to the decolonisation and decarbonisation of our education and creative practices.” However, there are elements of human rights violations being ignored.
The intersection of technology and human rights has highlighted significant ethical challenges, especially regarding the exceedingly fast deployment of media technology and the labor practices associated. I aim to investigate and raise awareness among the CSM community about the horrific practices of extracting cobalt from the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I will follow the UAL framework through research, then embed the findings into my intervention workshop.
It is my duty as a Specialist Technician in media to tackle this subject, as it is ignored in the technical workshops of higher education. I use portable batteries and computers for every workshop I teach, and that is not without a global impact which lacks sustainability. It would be selfish not to speak on this matter for the greater good (Mill, 1861) of the ‘global majority’ (Campbell-Stephens, 2021). I realise this is a project to be done on a governmental scale for true impact; however, my aim at CSM is raising awareness and laying down the groundwork for the university’s active participation in social justice pedagogy (Chapman & Hobbel, 2022) for the DRC.
What is Happening in the DRC and Why Should We Care?
I teach media production and work with media technologies daily, and I can’t help but question how our Western nations have the luxuries of portable technology like cameras, phones and laptops. Indeed, we take these technologies for granted, so much so that they are heavily embedded into our society, and without them, we cannot function.
The global demand for rechargeable batteries, driven by the increasing use of portable electronic devices, is boosting the need for cobalt, a crucial component in lithium-ion batteries. 73% Of global cobalt production (Cobalt Institute, 2022). comes from the mines of the DRC, with 20% of it sourced from artisanal miners (ISS ESG, 2022), often alongside larger operations done by conglomerates such as Glencore.
According to Glencore ‘artisanal’ mining refers to small-scale, informal mining carried out by individuals or small groups using primitive tools, with methods like panning and digging, as a means of livelihood in developing countries. While it supports millions economically, artisanal mining causes significant environmental damage and involves hazardous working conditions, lacking legal regulation. Using words like ‘artisanal mining’ is a way to art-wash the issue, making it more palatable for our Western sensibilities (Lawson, 2024).
It can be argued that cobalt mining supports the low-carbon transition, provides significant employment in the DRC, and, through initiatives like the Fair Cobalt Alliance, can promote safer, sustainable practices and community development. However, in a report written by freetheslaves.net (2013), 866 cases of slavery were discovered and seven types of slavery were identified. This includes “forced labor, forced prostitution, debt slavery, extreme child labour, peonage, forced marriage, and sexual slavery.” Furthermore, 23% of those in slavery were between the ages of 7 and 18. This sentiment is echoed by Kara (2023) in his book Cobalt Red, stating that “It’s not chattel slavery from the 18th century where you can buy and trade people and own title over a person like property. But the level of degradation, the level of exploitation is on par with old-world slavery.”
Intervention:
Technology should not perpetuate systems of oppression or apartheid (Benjamin, 2019); therefore, decolonising technology should be at the forefront of teaching in modern education systems. We hold a responsibility towards the people who make our technology and give us the ability to learn and teach. To identify human rights abuses and understand how rechargeable batteries that power our portable technologies are made, it must be clarified to our students what the early stage of the supply chain is. We do this by acknowledging the ordeal of the cobalt miners of Congo, while looking into Critical Race Theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017) and the neo-colonial mindset of Western conglomerates, and the dehumanisation of natives. To disseminate this information, I would host a ‘Teach-In’, a strategy previously utilised at the CSM Liberated Zone for Solidarity with Palestine (December 2023-June 2024). This ‘Teach-In’ would also require, at the start of the workshop, barricading the room using furniture, putting up posters, and blasting siren sounds as a performative act of civil disobedience.
The ‘Teach-In’ is a play on words from the ‘Sit-In’—a type of peaceful protest where participants occupy visible spaces to disrupt normal activity until their demands have been met. This tactic was used during the Civil Rights movement in 1950s USA (Morris, 1984). The ‘Teach-In’ has the additional step whereby an educator holds a lecture/workshop related to the matter of protest.
The ‘Teach-In’ will involve:
- Teaching students how to use digital tools and social media for activism, including a workshop which creates vlogs and podcasts focused on social justice issues. We would be working with the mobile phone, using it to record and edit. This mobile phone is also the culprit that uses ‘artisanally’ mined cobalt for its battery. This would be discussed at length.
- Discussing and learning about media literacy so students can critically analyse legacy and online media messages, to understand the role of media in shaping public opinion and activism. The aspect of content creation focused on social justice issues and media literacy will be explained through a presentation to act as a visual aid, while comparative recent examples of activism for the DRC will be case studied.
I have experienced students asking why they should care—they cannot make a difference on such a global scale. My response is that we cannot judge others’ ability by our own limitations. We would explore and discuss alternative technology, as opposed to what we already have in place at Central Saint Martins. To conclude this intervention, I will provide students with resources to organisations that aid in the sustainability of technology to potentially collaborate with or utilise as alternatives. Links to resources are listed below:
At times, dissent occurs in the classroom when tackling sensitive subjects dealing with oppression (ASCD, 2020), but it must be managed constructively to create an inclusive classroom environment where diverse perspectives are valued.
I aim to foster a sense of resolution in the discussions taking place in my ‘Teach-In’; therefore, I would look into the following conflict resolution strategies to deal with the matter at hand (Deutsch, 2006):
- Encouraging open dialogue and respectful debate, enabling critical thinking and open communication, which encourages students to express their feelings and viewpoints calmly and respectfully.
- Reducing blame and promoting personal responsibility by encouraging the use of ‘I’ statements.
- Students must also partake in ‘Active Listening’ to acknowledge others’ perspectives before responding; therefore, prior to any discussion/debate, I will lay out ground rules as the expectation of student behaviour. This would be in the form of ground rules given at the beginning of the ‘Teach-In’. If students fail to comply, I would politely remind them of these ground rules.
It’s crucial to be able to critique and question the choices universities make. This is an act of critical pedagogy (Cowden & Singh, 2013) because even within our higher educational establishment, critical pedagogy is transformative and aligned with principles of equity (rather than equality), diversity, and inclusion, helping us decolonise the technology we use at university.
The institutional change would be based around questioning the institution’s use of specific resources. therefor, this ‘Teach-In’ will take place next term when all students are available, because every student should have a right to learn to decolonise the technology they use day to day; therefore, I aim to make it a sign-up class for the full day, open to every student on campus for every intersectional identity (Crenshaw, 1991).
What is the Outcome?
The ideal outcome is to raise awareness and begin to lay down the groundwork for ideas around change, both personally and institutionally. Ultimately, students should come away from this ‘Teach-In’ centring their ideology around habit change and normalising questioning the idea of oppression of people for our necessary luxury technology in the 1st world. I may come away with new insights into this research through students contribution and participation. This will inform my future delivery of this ‘Teach-In’
I have started thinking about ‘fast fashion’ (Hewitt et al., 2023) and the rapid production of inexpensive clothing to meet the latest trends. It involves quick design-to-retail processes, often leading to issues like poor labour conditions and environmental impact due to its emphasis on speed and cost-cutting. Comparatively, the term ‘fast technology’ (Adão et al., 2022) has a positive definition, referring to advancements that significantly increase the speed and efficiency of technological systems. Though, truth be told, it’s like for like—the cost is not only economic but also human suffering.
This is a significant issue needing government intervention, but it’s crucial to begin developing language and encouraging students to think critically about the portable technology we capitalise on in the West. Through this intervention, we can work towards a more just and equitable technological future within educational establishments, moving beyond the technology currently in place at Central Saint Martins. I will provide students with valuable resources to organisations like No Tech for Apartheid, which advocates for ethical technology use, the Restart Project, which focuses on repair and sustainability, and Open Repair’s insights on mobile technology sustainability. These resources will help students understand what their next steps can be to promote the sustainability of technology.
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Acknowledgments:
After presenting our Intervention ideas to each other, my group mates told me that although I was ambitious to tackle this subject, It was a good start. My main learning outcome were the resources that I was guided to for students provided to me by Jon Flint:
Additionally a group mate suggested making an actionable list of demands for the university, however I have chosen not to tackle this point due my goal being to raise awareness at this stage, and implanting the idea of habit change. Most people who I have spoken to about the topic of cobalt mining in the DRC had no idea that this was happening.
References:
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