EUvsVirus: a European hackathon against the pandemic
20,900 participants mobilised online to design responses to the pandemic.
Context
In spring 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic called for fast responses. The pan-European EUvsVirus hackathon brought together people from all over Europe online to design solutions within a few days.
Intervention
As civil society project lead, I co-organised this three-day hackathon in one month and coordinated 48 volunteers, pro bono.
Observed effects
- 20,900 participants in three days
- 48 volunteers coordinated, after one month of preparation
- A video series of tips for teams, “How to hack” (May 2020)
What it shows
A very large group can organise itself within a few days, if the frame is clear and everyone knows where to contribute. This experience led me to a question: what if we collectively had the capacity to overcome any crisis in a matter of days?