Techfugees, in collaboration with Tech Salon and UNICEF, are putting up an afternoon event discussion this August 15th in Amman, Jordan to discuss how techies can volunteer to create the most positive impact for refugee lives. More information and how to join below.
Time and time again, technologists have demonstrated a great deal of goodwill and capacity to contribute their skills to challenges faced by the most vulnerable, and in particular those in crisis. For example:
- After the Haiti earthquake in 2010, a network of GIS specialist organized to build maps to support crisis response. Six years on, the Crisis Mappers community is a loosely organized group of over 8,400 volunteers in 160 countries who build maps to support emergency response.
- In 2011, DataKind launched to connect volunteer data scientists with the non-profit and public sector. Five years on, DataKind has chapters in 5 countries, connecting cutting edge data analytics regularly in use by the private sector to pressing social problems.
- In 2016, Techfugees launched in the UK to organize the technology community around refugee response. Very quickly, Techfugees expanded to chapters in 17 countries.
And yet, skeptics abound, pointing to a common mismatch between solutions that technologists create and reality on the ground.
How can the tech community engage, volunteer and create real impact?
As we launch Techfugees Jordan, we are setting an open discussion on how we can learn from similar initiatives. How can we make sure that volunteer technologists are working to meet the most critical challenges that refugees face, and that their solutions are context and content appropriate?
Our discussion will be informed by two lead discussants
- Yara Chalhoub, Project Manager at the MIT Enterprise Forum (Pan Arab Region) and in charge of the “MIT Enterprise Forum (Pan Arab) Innovate For Refugees” Competition;
- Josephine Goube, COO of Techfugees
Please RSVP now to join your peers to discuss the promise and challenges in leveraging the Techfugees Community into the work of refugees response.
The RSVP is required for participation and we’ll have refreshments for an afternoon rush, but seating is limited. Once we reach our 35-person capacity there will be a waiting list!
Tech Volunteering
August Technology Salon Amman
Monday, August 15th, 2016
3pm – 5pm
Amman, Jordan
RSVP is required for attendance: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJfiLq5pm5UmIqvRpFz6KZ7FOH8LWQl-4MsQi9vDesSmzinQ/viewform?c=0&w=1