People-Centered Internet announces Kristin Little as Digital Cooperation and Diplomacy Fellow

Palo Alto, CA, April 3, 2020 — People-Centered Internet, a California-based 501(c)3 organization with a mission to “put humanity at the center of the Internet,” announced the appointment of Kristin Little as Digital Cooperation and Diplomacy Fellow for a new “Digital Cooperation and Diplomacy” initiative.

PCI’s Digital Cooperation and Diplomacy (“DCD”) initiative builds on the groundwork established by the United Nations’ High Level Panel for Digital Cooperation, on which PCI’s founding chairman, Vint Cerf, served. In its “Age of Digital Interdependence” report, the panel envisioned “a future which is inclusive and empowering; a future in which digital technologies are used to reduce inequalities, bring people together, enhance international peace and security and promote economic opportunity and environmental sustainability.” The DCD initiative will support this vision by facilitating conversation and collaboration among governments, technologists and civil society and will be led by DCD fellow, Kristin Little.

Kristin brings over a decade of experience at the World Bank, where she designed, conducted, and contributed to field-based, mixed-methods evaluations of the Bank’s $200 billion of investments in infrastructure, disaster recovery, climate change mitigation, water, cultural heritage, and social development. As DCD fellow, Kristin will work with partners in a pilot a “Global Digital Diplomacy Alliance” and contribute to planning for Digital Cooperation events coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations.

“I am honored to become a PCI fellow and deeply appreciate the human-centered focus of the organization,” said Little. “After several years of evaluating multilateral development projects, I understand the importance of listening carefully and intentionally to all people involved, to find solutions that are equitable, sustainable, and empowering. As I step into this role, I am excited about the chance to work with partners in government, technology, and civil society to help shape and harness the power of digital technologies for the common good.”

PCI cofounder and board chair, Mei Lin Fung said, “We are very pleased to welcome Kristin and her broad and relevant experience as we expand our efforts in this arena. People centered approaches require a combination of empathy for those “not at the table” together with deep listening, agile intelligence and reservoirs of patience for the diverse multi stakeholder conversations needed to make progress in digital cooperation and diplomacy — Kristin brings all of this and more.”