Ericsson, in conjunction with Refugees United, has launched a global call to action encouraging the international tech community to create technical solutions to help refugees find lost family members.
The Global Hack for Good campaign will comprise a series of hackathons and will be held on three continents over three separate weekends.
“Everyone has the right to know where their family is,” said Christopher Mikkelsen, co-founder of Refugees United. “To separated refugee families, this for many years seemed impossible. Today, we’re at a tipping point where technology can help them reconnect. Now it’s up to us to act and help.”
Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, vice president of sustainability and corporate responsibility at Ericsson, said: “We have a long-term commitment to the refugee cause, and have been working with Refugees United since 2010 to create a mobile platform for refugees to reconnect with family and loved ones.”
The first hackathon will be in Cairo, Egypt, from May 31 to June 1, followed by San Francisco, USA, from June 7 to June 8 and finally Nairobi, kenya, from June 15 to June 16.
The jury, including experts from both Ericsson and Refugees United, will select two finalists in each location.
On World Refugee Day, June 20, 2013, a winner from each location will be announced. The three winners receive a trip to Kenya and will be invited to test their prototypes in the Kakuma refugee camp in late 2013.
