Digital Sovereignty

Every country needs some degree of technological independence. Not isolation—but the ability to build and maintain critical systems locally.

The Problem with Total Dependency

When all your technology comes from outside:

• You can't fix it when it breaks
• You can't adapt it to local needs
• You're subject to other countries' policies and priorities
• Knowledge and skills flow out, not in

This isn't about nationalism. It's about resilience and self-determination.

What Digital Sovereignty Looks Like

It doesn't mean building everything from scratch. That's neither practical nor necessary. It means:

Building capacity: Training local engineers, designers, and product managers who understand both the technology and the local context.

Owning critical infrastructure: Payment systems, identity systems, communication networks—these should have local expertise and local control.

Open source participation: Contributing to and maintaining open source projects that matter to us, rather than just consuming them.

Local cloud and data: Understanding where data lives and having options that don't require sending everything overseas.

Starting Small

We can't change everything at once. But we can start with specific, practical projects:

• Affordable computers for students and developers
• Payment tools that work with local banks
• Open source software adapted for Khmer language
• Training programs that build real skills

Each small step builds capacity for bigger ones.

The Long View

This is generational work. We're planting seeds that might take decades to fully grow. But that's okay. The important thing is to start, to keep building, and to share what we learn along the way.