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Our Process

At The Whistle, we believe that one size does not fit all. We work closely with our partners, aiming to create a unique product that resonates with their local contexts. Through this ‘slow-tech’ process, we stand in contrast to the problems of paternalistic, prescriptive and extractive design that pervade the ICT4D (information and communication for development) sector. 


We promise


  1. To provide channels for witnesses to connect with partner organisations safely and confidentially or anonymously;
  2. To work collaboratively with local partners, relying on their expertise and needs to shape our products;
  3. To co-design products and campaigns with our partners, focusing on flexibility and reflexivity;
  4. To maintain this partnership after the product launch, continuing to tailor the reporting tools to local needs;
  5. To publish on best practices, pitfalls and lessons through the lens of a concern for inequalities surrounding knowledge and power.

Slow tech

Through our research, we have found that although NGOs are intrigued by new technologies, they are often resistant to incorporating them in their work.



Through our research, we have found that, although NGOs are intrigued by new technologies, they are often resistant to incorporating them in their work because they worry about negative impacts on their relationships with their witnesses.  These concerns stem in part from the one-size-fits-all technologies they have encountered that are not flexible enough to take their contexts and needs into account.  

Rather than one-size-fits-all, we believe in a smaller-scale, ‘slow tech’ approach — in other words, in using an iterative, research-based process to solve immediate needs with basic technological tools. We pay attention to the local, historical and cultural contexts of our cases, focusing on technological sustainability and building high-quality relationships with partner human rights organizations. Our process is bottom-up rather than top-down, and our partners’ expertise drives our work. 



To read more about slow tech, check out our research.