Kleine thinks about ICT4D using an approach outlined by the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen. His so-called capabilities approach focuses on human development: development as a process of expanding freedoms. But what does freedom mean in this case?
In Sen’s work, freedom enhances the choices that people have in the direction of their lives. This frames human development as a process, recognizing that everything is constantly changing. Freedom of choice puts people at the centre of the development process. People uniquely define the lives that they value, and know the challenges that they face best. This means that development must not become a top-down project with pre-defined goals, but rather an open-ended process centred on the people whose lives are affected.
The video below shows Professor Sen talking about his capabilities approach to development.
(uploaded Jan. 6, 2008)