The following Program Schedule is currently in a draft state. Please note that it is subject to change. The program will be finalized over the course of the next month.
Organized by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies, Hack for Humanity is an annual humanitarian focused hackathon at Brown University that brings together students to learn about the most pressing needs in the human rights and humanitarian sphere and develop creative ideas for innovative programs or technologies that could help improve the lives of disaster and conflict affected communities around the world.
Hack for Humanity 2021 | COVID-19 and the Next Pandemic: Improving Preparedness, Response, and Inclusivity
This year's hackathon will focus on how to better respond to pandemics and their associated far reaching societal impacts. Registered teams of students will work together virtually over the course of two days to develop creative ideas for innovative programs, systems, or technologies that could improve how we plan for and respond to pandemics. While your team has the flexibility to address any area that is applicable to the overarching topic of pandemic preparedness, response, and inclusivity, we have provided a list of potential sub-topics that you could draw from to narrow your focus. It will also be important that your team recognize the below listed cross cutting issues as you work towards developing your project pitch.
Potential Sub-Topics to Consider
These listed sub-topics have been provided to help your team get started in identifying a focus area to address. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it gives an indication of the wide-ranging impact pandemics have on society. Your team is welcomed to focus your efforts on one of these themes or identify another area all together that is applicable to the overarching topic of pandemic preparedness, response, and inclusivity.
Public Health
Approaches to vaccination and vaccine uptake, clinical care, diagnostic testing, infection prevention and control (including PPE), mental health, contact tracing/health surveillance, risk communication, and community education
Human Security
Livelihoods; food security; education; and housing
Human Rights
Access to justice; safe elections; privacy; and documentation of human rights violations
Violence and Abuse
Preventing gender-based violence, domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse
Cross-Cutting Issues
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many cross-cutting societal issues centered around inclusivity. We ask that your team take these following issues into consideration as you work on your project pitch.
Cross-Cutting Issues
Inclusivity of racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, elderly, urban populations, incarcerated populations, migrants and displaced people