Women in Tech Maldives Announces 24-Hour ‘Debunkathon’

National Democratic Institute (NDI) in  partnership Women in Tech Maldives, has announced a brand new 24-hour hackathon titled Debunkathon, to be held on October 27 and 28, 2023 at Waters Edge, Hulhumale’.

The purpose of this hackathon is to raise awareness about media literacy and create and invent solutions to stop misinformation and disinformation. Teams of three to five individuals can now register for this hackathon to discover sustainable and innovative ways to counteract false information. From the registered teams, five teams will be selected to compete in the hackathon. 

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The focus of the hackathon will be to identify new and innovative ideas that address issues relevant to the Maldives problem domain. The winning team will receive a prize of  USD 8,000.

Misinformation has long been used as a tool to intentionally mislead and manipulate the public. It can undermine public confidence in authorities and the media and, as such, harm democracies by hindering citizens’ capacity to make informed decisions. 

With the increased usage of social media, misinformation can now be spread further and quicker across networks in an anonymous, cheap, and efficient manner, posing a challenging issue for all parties involved. Women in Tech believes that technology, collaboration, and knowledge sharing can be utilized to effectively debunk myths and build a more informed society.

With the support of USAID, Women in Tech, and NDI, is hoping that this hackathon can bring together innovators, problem solvers, and advocates of truth to explore and develop fresh, innovative approaches for countering misinformation and disinformation and increase public awareness on media literacy.

Before the hackathon, a 2-hour interactive pre-hackathon workshop will be held for developers, innovators, and media personnel to brief them regarding the hackathon, the status of misinformation and disinformation, and the available resources and tools to combat this complex social issue. Those interested to participate in the prehackathon workshop can sign up using the link: https://forms.gle/NVcxYEGBp2f9AnTx8

The Debunkathon will include interactive sessions, networking events, and knowledge-sharing sessions organized by the event hosts. The competing teams will have the opportunity to get guidance, expert advice, and support from skilled mentors in the relevant fields.

Interested teams can now register through the registration link: https://forms.gle/YPrSs3W54iTB8Sse8 Registrations will be closed on October 23, 2023.