Applications open for Democracy’s Firewall Hackathon

Objective

• The objective of the Democracy’s Firewall Hackathon is to develop innovative, scalable solutions that defend democratic values, especially freedom of expression, while effectively countering disinformation in the digital age.

Aims

• Strengthen democratic resilience against both long-standing and emerging threats.
• Promote innovation in how they uphold and renew democracy, moving beyond traditional approaches.
• Balance freedom of expression with the fight against disinformation, in full alignment with the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Generate concrete ideas that can inform or be integrated into the implementation of the New Democratic Pact and the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.
• Foster cross-sector collaboration between youth, civil society, tech developers, policymakers, academics, and creatives.
• Engage the wider public in a meaningful conversation about the future of democracy, using both online and offline platforms.

Focus Areas

• Media and Communication
  • Encompassing journalism, digital storytelling, and strategic communication.
• Political Sciences
  • Focused on civic engagement, democratic innovation, and public policy.
• Law and Policy
  • Focused on legal and policy frameworks that promote multistakeholder decision-making processes and boost public trust.
• Information Technology
  • Including AI, data science, programming, and cybersecurity.

Funding Information

• The first-place team will be awarded €3,000.00, provided by the Council of Europe and delivered by KDKT no later than 3 months after the end of the event.

Eligibility Criteria

• Participants should apply as teams. Anyone residing in a Council of Europe member state is eligible to join. Teams should be multidisciplinary, and participants are strongly encouraged to form groups that reflect gender diversity.
• Selected teams will be invited to Strasbourg for the final event, with all transport and accommodation costs fully covered by the Council of Europe.

Application Requirements

• The summary should include:
  • A brief description of your solution and how it addresses the challenge.
  • Key features of your solution (e.g., data extraction, case comparison, user interface);
  • Teams may consist of up to 5 participants, all registered in a member state of the Council of Europe.
  • Language Requirements:
    • Submissions must be provided in English. Submissions in other languages will not be accepted.

For more information, visit Council of Europe.