During the November elections, organizers around New York State fought to inspire and mobilize the communities with the most at stake: immigrant, low income, and communities of color facing economic hardship and discrimination.
Over time, grassroots organizations have made great strides in integrating technology, analysis, and tools into their efforts. But for these organizers, technology continues to be a struggle. Many of the existing tools that organizers rely on to effectively mobilize communities are not necessarily designed with the unique needs of organizers working year round to build power with communities in mind.
This year, well attempt to make a difference.
From December 9-10, Build for Justice, a new collaboration between ThoughtWorks, Thicket Labs, and the New York Civic Engagement Table, a coalition of over 40 community rights organizations, will assemble civic engagement organizations and technologists who care about them to crack some of the technological problems blocking New York voter empowerment.
On Friday, December 9, the leaders of over 30 organizations, including Make the Road NY, Community Voices Heard, and the Hispanic Federation, will convene in ThoughtWorks Manhattan offices for a facilitated conversation about their experiences during the 2016 election cycle -- the challenges faced and lessons learned. Using Thicket Labs new Possibility Engine, a network mapping software, the organizations will identify their key roadblocks and common challenges that technology might improve.
The next day, Saturday, December 10, organizers from these same organizations will reconvene at ThoughtWorks, this time with dozens of technologists, designers, and project managers, to tackle the challenges identified the previous day. Part hackathon, part conference, part strategic planning session, the event will attempt to build the seeds of tech solutions while laying the groundwork for sustainable, long-term collaborations between the attendees.
Come join us! We're looking for developers, designers, and project managers to participate in the ideation session on Saturday, December 10.
Register here: https://goo.gl/forms/soPvUoHamv9yBG2o1
Questions? Contact Duncan Wall at duncan.wall@thoughtworks.com
The goal isn't to build tech solutions. Its to build relationships and understanding between the organizers and the tech community -- a sustainable platform of collaboration.
SCHEDULE (Saturday, December 10)
11:00 - 11:30 am : Arrival & Bagel
11:30 am - 12:30 pm : Introductions & Relationship Building
12:30 - 2:00pm : Hack Session 1
2:00 - 3:00 : Workshop 1
3:00 - 4:00 : Hack Session 2
4:00 - 5:00 : Workshop 2
5:00 - 6:00 : Hack Session 3
6:00 - 7:00 : Dinner
7:00 - 8:00 : Future Planning (Sustained collaboration models? Next event?)
For each Hack Session, teams will break up to address particular either unique challenges or particular aspects of one challenge.
WORKSHOP SUBJECTS (to be confirmed)
Communicating with Non-Profits / Organizers
Communicating with Technologists
What is Data?
Why Organizing is so Tough
Running Successful Volunteer Projects
Open Source 101
About ThoughtWorks
ThoughtWorks is a community of passionate individuals whose purpose is to revolutionize software design, creation and delivery, while advocating for positive social change.
About Civic Engagement Table
Civic Engagement Table is a coalition of over 40 New York organizations working to elevate the voices of low income and working people and empower our communities to have a voice in decisions that impact their lives.
About Thicket Labs
Thicket Labs is a technology and learning company. Our technology solutions and training programs help people use data more effectively to improve how they collaborate in teams.
