The “sharing economy” is a system in which people share resources or services — from homes to cars — by renting them from one another, typically via apps and websites. It has become increasingly popular in developed countries over recent years. But what advantages could this system bring to international development?
“In effect, what we’re looking at is the power of new technologies to connect us to one another directly,” April Rinne, a sharing economy adviser, told Devex. “We can transact directly with one another, rather than going through that centralized intermediary — namely a company or a government — or in the case of global development, an international aid agency.” Rinne said that “If people can meet more and more of their needs through their phone, we don’t require some kind of central intermediary to interact with. This unlocks all kinds of assets, all kinds of talents and skills, all kinds of opportunities.”
Rinne defines the sharing economy as decentralized networks of people connected through new technologies — the key, she says, is that it is about access to resources over ownership of them. Based in Portland, Oregon, she works with clients around the world to help the sharing economy realize its full potential.
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
