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From Good Governance to Governance for Good: Blockchain for Social Impact

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  • Elham Seyedsayamdost
  • Peter Vanderwal

Abstract

Agenda 2030 has triggered a phalanx of initiatives to expand the scale and scope of activities and actors addressing global challenges. One increasingly scrutinized area is the use of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) in the fields of development and humanitarian aid. This paper examines three projects that have piloted DLT use cases, including cash‐based transfers to Syrian refugees by the World Food Programme; illegal child trafficking in Moldova by the United Nations Office for Project Services; and microlending to social enterprises in Brazil by Moeda. The paper explores the use of blockchain technology with a view to understanding its implications for governance. It argues that the decentralization and disintermediation associated with the blockchain are not a given outcome in the cases explored for this paper. Rather, the DLT projects under examination have centralizing tendencies that empower the state while replacing traditional intermediaries with new ones that have expertise in code and blockchain. The paper identifies limitations associated with DLT solutions and offers policy recommendations to enhance the use of DLTs to accelerate the achievement of the sustainable development goals. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Elham Seyedsayamdost & Peter Vanderwal, 2020. "From Good Governance to Governance for Good: Blockchain for Social Impact," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 943-960, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:32:y:2020:i:6:p:943-960
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3485
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. De Filippi, Primavera & Loveluck, Benjamin, 2016. "The invisible politics of Bitcoin: governance crisis of a decentralised infrastructure," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 5(3), pages 1-28.
    2. Michael Pisa, 2018. "Reassessing Expectations for Blockchain and Development," Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, MIT Press, vol. 12(1-2), pages 80-88, Summer-Fa.
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    1. Laura Berardi & Laurie Mook, 2023. "New digital technologies for social impact assessment: Considerations for Italian social economy organizations," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(2 Suppl.), pages 109-132.
    2. Liu, Aiping & Urquía-Grande, Elena & López-Sánchez, Pilar & Rodríguez-López, Ángel, 2023. "Research into microfinance and ICTs: A bibliometric analysis," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Hidalgo, Francisco & Quiñones-Ruiz, Xiomara F. & Birkenberg, Athena & Daum, Thomas & Bosch, Christine & Hirsch, Patrick & Birner, Regina, 2023. "Digitalization, sustainability, and coffee. Opportunities and challenges for agricultural development," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    4. Francisco Hidalgo & Athena Birkenberg & Thomas Daum & Christine Bosch & Xiomara F. Quiñones-Ruiz, 2024. "How do coffee farmers engage with digital technologies? A capabilities perspective," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(4), pages 1707-1723, December.
    5. Bokolo Anthony Jnr., 2022. "Toward a collaborative governance model for distributed ledger technology adoption in organizations," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 276-294, June.
    6. Hunt, Kyle & Narayanan, Adithya & Zhuang, Jun, 2022. "Blockchain in humanitarian operations management: A review of research and practice," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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