KATHMANDU: Accountability Lab is hosting the second 'HackCorruption', a hackathon, in Kathmandu to identify and support talented individuals from the civic tech, central statistics Office (CSO), and activist arenas, to build innovative solutions to combat corruption.
The Accountability Lab is implementing an in-person anti-corruption hackathon under the #HackCorruption initiative in partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and Development Gateway. Business 360 is the media partner for the event.
This initiative is funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) under its Anti-corruption Solutions through Emerging Technologies (ASET) programme.
HackCorruption has brought together 49 innovators from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, along with governance and tech experts to support them along the way.
Addressing the opening remarks on the second day of the event on Friday, Rajneesh Bhandari, a journalist, filmmaker, investigative reporter, and currently editor based in Kathmandu, shared his experience in his career of 18 years as a reporter.
He said that corruption has developed as omnipresent evil disrupting the delivery of public services, causing leakages and hindering the implementation of development activities. Further, he said, corruption has hindered democratic practice, governance, rule of law, and over a period of time, and added that corruption is getting tricky to tackle it.
Further, he said technology can be useful in the fight against corruption and emphasized that technologists, activists and citizens should work together hand in hand in this fight using the latest technology and tools as much as possible.
Likewise, Cheri-Leigh Erasmus, Global Director of Learning at the Accountability Lab, said journalists have played an integral role in the fight against corruption. She said, “We can come up with tools that counter corruption but if we are not able to expose things or communicate around it, it’s also difficult for these things to be effective.”
[gallery columns="1" link="file" size="full" ids="35845,35844,35842,35843,35846,35847,35848,35849,35850,35851,35852,35853,35854,35855,35856,35857"]
The participants of the hackathon, who formed 11 teams, were given the option to choose one of the three themes — Budget and Ownership Transparency, Open Contracting and Transparency of Public Procurement, and Digital Citizenship to Constrain Corruption — and work on it to create ideas, find solutions and develop tools to fight corruption.
Five winning teams with the most promising ideas will receive additional financial support of up to $10,000, mentorship, and ongoing training to help them build out their ideas, according to the organiser. The winners will also participate in a three-day intensive in-person boot camp in Kathmandu in coming June, according to Narayan Adhikari, South Asia Lead and Co-founder of Accountability Lab.
The judging panel comprises Agustina De Luca, Manager, Open Ownership Community Engagement; Umar Riaz, Civil Servant, Government of Pakistan; Muhammad Tanweer, Founder and CEO of App Desk, Pakistan; Hannah Hudson, Programme Implementation Manager, Integity Action; Bibhusan Bista, CEO and Co-founder, YoungInnovation, Nepal; Anna Kompanek, Director Global Programs, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE); and Eva Sander, Country Director, Accountability Lab Mexico.
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="35821,35826,35824,35832,35829,35827,35825,35822,35828,35823,35820,35830,35831,35833,35834,35835"]
[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="35840,35836,35838,35837,35839"]
Accountability Lab is a global translocal network that makes governance work for people by supporting active citizens, responsible leaders and accountable institutions.
The four-day South Asia regional hackathon will conclude on April 30.
READ ALSO:
HackCorruption has brought together 49 innovators from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, along with governance and tech experts to support them along the way.
Addressing the opening remarks on the second day of the event on Friday, Rajneesh Bhandari, a journalist, filmmaker, investigative reporter, and currently editor based in Kathmandu, shared his experience in his career of 18 years as a reporter.
He said that corruption has developed as omnipresent evil disrupting the delivery of public services, causing leakages and hindering the implementation of development activities. Further, he said, corruption has hindered democratic practice, governance, rule of law, and over a period of time, and added that corruption is getting tricky to tackle it.
Further, he said technology can be useful in the fight against corruption and emphasized that technologists, activists and citizens should work together hand in hand in this fight using the latest technology and tools as much as possible.
Likewise, Cheri-Leigh Erasmus, Global Director of Learning at the Accountability Lab, said journalists have played an integral role in the fight against corruption. She said, “We can come up with tools that counter corruption but if we are not able to expose things or communicate around it, it’s also difficult for these things to be effective.”
[gallery columns="1" link="file" size="full" ids="35845,35844,35842,35843,35846,35847,35848,35849,35850,35851,35852,35853,35854,35855,35856,35857"]
The participants of the hackathon, who formed 11 teams, were given the option to choose one of the three themes — Budget and Ownership Transparency, Open Contracting and Transparency of Public Procurement, and Digital Citizenship to Constrain Corruption — and work on it to create ideas, find solutions and develop tools to fight corruption.
Five winning teams with the most promising ideas will receive additional financial support of up to $10,000, mentorship, and ongoing training to help them build out their ideas, according to the organiser. The winners will also participate in a three-day intensive in-person boot camp in Kathmandu in coming June, according to Narayan Adhikari, South Asia Lead and Co-founder of Accountability Lab.
The judging panel comprises Agustina De Luca, Manager, Open Ownership Community Engagement; Umar Riaz, Civil Servant, Government of Pakistan; Muhammad Tanweer, Founder and CEO of App Desk, Pakistan; Hannah Hudson, Programme Implementation Manager, Integity Action; Bibhusan Bista, CEO and Co-founder, YoungInnovation, Nepal; Anna Kompanek, Director Global Programs, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE); and Eva Sander, Country Director, Accountability Lab Mexico.
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="35821,35826,35824,35832,35829,35827,35825,35822,35828,35823,35820,35830,35831,35833,35834,35835"]
[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="35840,35836,35838,35837,35839"]
Accountability Lab is a global translocal network that makes governance work for people by supporting active citizens, responsible leaders and accountable institutions.
The four-day South Asia regional hackathon will conclude on April 30.
READ ALSO:
- Accountability Lab to host 4-day hackathon to combat corruption
- ‘I chose to utilise my time to reach out to more people, talk to them and share experiences’
- Governance Lab concludes National Governance Symposium 2022
- Accountability Lab concludes Integrity Icon Nepal 2022
- Ace Institute of Management concludes 48-hour hackathon
Published Date: April 28, 2023, 12:00 am
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