The power of a community in developing ideas beneficial for the public good can’t be underestimated. Community-led initiatives can most likely be found in every bigger city nowadays, with a lot of them also dealing with the question of how technology can support their ambitions.
A great example for these kinds of communities is the “Code for Germany” project, founded under the patronage of the Open Knowledge Foundation. It consists of a network of communities based in cities all over Germany, creating innovative and community-owned soft- and hardware solutions. The products deal with issues surrounding climate change, noise pollution, the search for the cheapest public transport options and loads of other topics of public interest.
Inspired by the success of these projects, we thought, “why should this not also work in a peace context?” This is what we want to achieve with our “Code for Peace” initiative – harness the power of technology for a greater cause, tackling local challenges with innovative solutions. We want to create a collaborative space where passionate individuals can connect, brainstorm, and develop projects that make a tangible impact. Everyone is welcome to join, no matter the digital skill level - from experienced developers, civic-minded activists, or someone with a fresh perspective.
There are no limitations on the scope of the projects, they can rather target local issues or focus on topics of international relevance. Whether the aim is to create something small or big, is therefore totally up to the participants. What connects them should first and foremost be the objective to create something contributing to the public good, the ownership through the community and the use of freely accessible open-source data.
The first introductory meeting will take place on October 4 in the office shared by the IIP and the Austrian Centre for Peace located at Möllwaldplatz 5 in Vienna’s 4th district. The following meetups are planned to happen on a monthly basis in a more informal setting, taking place on weekdays in the afternoon/evening hours.
Although supported by both the Austrian Centre for Peace and the Austrian Institute of Technology, we aim to place the responsibility and leadership of “Code for Peace” into the hands of the community, fostering a flexible and creative shaping of the project and the meetups by the people taking part.
For more information, you are more than welcome to visit our homepage code-for-peace.com/
In case you want to be part of our community, you can register for our first meeting in October here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/code-for-peace-tickets-1008313431617?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
For more information on the Code for Germany project and the Open Knowledge Foundation, you can also visit their websites: