Tag: UNESCO

UNESCO launches CodeTheCurve Hackathon to develop digital solutions in response to COVID-19

Stuart Mitchell

UNESCO, in partnership with IBM and SAP, has launched the CodeTheCurve Hackathon to support young innovators, data scientists and designers across the world to develop digital solutions to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from its terrible impact on the health of thousands so far, the COVID-19 crisis is having profound effects on societies, from reliable information sharing to education, with school closures currently affecting more than 1.5 billion students across the planet. “Solving this unprecedented global crisis will require the collective expertise and imagination of all of us,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General…

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UNESCO Launches the first Call for the Global Media Defence Fund

Stuart Mitchell

UNESCO seeks partners in promoting media freedom, to be supported under the Global Media Defence Fund, established thanks to the initiative of the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, within the framework of their Global Campaign for Media Freedom. Under this first call for partnerships, half million USD will be distributed in small grants to relevant not-for-profit organizations. Until Sunday 10 May 2020, UNESCO will be accepting proposals for innovative projects that will enhance journalists’ legal protection and their access to legal assistance, as well support investigative journalism contributing…

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#DontGoViral: UNESCO and i4Policy launch a campaign to crowdsource local content to combat the Infodemic in Africa

Stuart Mitchell

The COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by an Infodemic, a spread of disinformation and misinformation making it difficult for people to find accurate information. To contribute to tackling this issue, UNESCO, in partnership with the Innovation for Policy Foundation (i4Policy), is launching an online campaign to crowdsource local openly licensed content to inform communities across Africa about COVID-19. “This crisis tells us the importance of the flow of quality, reliable information at a time when misinformation and rumors are flourishing,” said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay.  The campaign will address the…

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UNESCO convenes an emergency meeting of the Principals of Multilateral Education Partners to join hands in education response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Stuart Mitchell

Twelve multilateral organizations met virtually on 24 March 2020 at UNESCO’s call to an emergency meeting of the Multilateral Education Platform (MEP) on COVID-19 education response. The MEP was launched in July 2019 in the face of the global learning crisis and the urgency to accelerate progress towards SDG4. In welcoming the MEP members, Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, recalled the unprecedented educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 138 countries forced to close schools and universities, affecting 1.37 billion children and youth–or 80% of the world’s student…

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UNESCO launches global coalition to accelerate deployment of remote learning solutions

Stuart Mitchell

Over 850 million children and youth – roughly half of the world’s student population – had to stay away from schools and universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide closures are in force in 102 countries and local shut-downs in 11 others. This represents more than a doubling in the number of learners prevented from attending educational institutions, with further increases expected. The scale and speed of the school and university closures represents an unprecedented challenge for the education sector. Countries around the world are racing to fill the void…

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