The #WorldInnovationDay Hackathon seeks to look for innovative and creative solutions to challenges that are being faced globally. The Sustainable Development Goals of Health and Well- Being, Quality Education, and Decent Work and Economic Growth are the challenges that will be targeted by the hackers at the #worldinnovationday hackathon.
This April, Hackmakers in collaboration with the United Nations, is organizing a global virtual hackathon: the #WorldInnovationDay Hack, 2021. It aims to encourage and foster innovative and creative solutions to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) created by the United Nations, namely:
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, created by the United Nations and adopted by all its members in the year 2015, focuses on peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its core, there are 17 SDGs which is an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
The #WorldInnovation Hack 2021 focuses on three of the 17 SDGs. Hackmakers urges the participants to focus on the three challenges and encourage them to use their creativity to generate ideas, be open to new decisions, and take new actions to provide a meaningful contribution to the same.
1. Sustainable Development Goal #3
Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well - Being for all at all ages
The pandemic has devastated the healthcare systems globally and threatens health outcomes that have already been achieved. The progress in many areas of health and well being is evident but the rate of improvement has slowed and will not be sufficient to meet most of the Goal 3 targets. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the healthcare system and reversed decades of progress. The targets set by SDG #3 focuses on a healthy life and lifestyle. It aims to achieve universal health coverage and access to proper healthcare services for all, irrespective of their age. Kaiser Permanente, one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans, has pledged to invest in healthy communities by buying all of its food locally or from farms and producers that use sustainable practices. Kaiser pledges bold environmental performance by the year 2025 by setting targets that would help it achieve the goal. |  |
2. Sustainable Development Goal #4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
With an estimate of over 200 million students out of school by 2030, and the inequalities of education exacerbated by Covid-19, remote learning remains out of reach for at least 500 million students. Although the pandemic has forced students to diverge towards the path of digital learning, it still remains out of reach for those in the disadvantaged communities. The digital divide has widened the existing gaps in equality with regards to education SDG 4 aims to provide children and young people with quality and easily accessible education plus other learning opportunities. A major component in acquiring knowledge and valuable skills is the learning environment. Hence, the urgent need to build more educational facilities and also upgrade the present ones to provide safe, inclusive and effective learning environments for all. The famous toy production company LEGO believes in how a child’s play can be a transformative power in education and early childhood development. To make an effort to support SDG #4, LEGO provides its famous bricks in schools, educational facilities and projects worldwide to promote play in the classroom. |  |
3. Sustainable Development Goal #8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
The progress report for SDG #8 published in 2020 states that, ‘Even before the current crises led by the pandemic, the global economy was growing at a slower rate than in previous years notwithstanding improvements in labour productivity and unemployment. The pandemic abruptly and profoundly disrupted it, pushing the world into a recession.[1] SDG #8 talks about ensuring that the economic sector of every country provides their individuals with productive employment opportunities with decent work, it also promises for the economic growth of the country which would eventually provide the necessary needs for its citizens to have a good life. The software behemoth, Microsoft, introduced a programme called Youthspark which aims at empowering young adults. The project provides training in vocational and digital literacy skills to unemployed youth, marginalized women, and rural communities, in its dedicated training centres. It has been at the forefront in achieving Microsoft’s vision of helping India realize its potential since 2004. |  |
A Word For Our Sponsors
Last but not least, we at Hackmakers would like to thank our sponsors for making the #worldinnovationday hack 2021 a reality. The event and the innovative solutions showcased by our enthusiastic participants would surely be a huge contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
In Collaboratio
In Collaboration with, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Oracle, Lead Sponsor
Minderoo, Sponsor
ITIC Systems, Sponsor
Slack, Sponsor
GHD Digital, Sponsor