Activist Developer: The Growing Movement

The Growing Influence of Technology and Civic Engagement

Recent events have brought the role of technology in society, particularly within the United States, into sharp focus.

The Need for Ethical Tech and Developer Activism

A comprehensive discussion regarding the fair and ethical application of technology is essential, as is addressing the proliferation of misinformation. However, it’s important that this dialogue doesn’t diminish the positive trend of the past year: the emergence of developer activists utilizing technology for beneficial purposes.

Developers Stepping Up to Address Global Challenges

These individuals have proactively addressed numerous worldwide issues, demonstrating both a capacity for tackling complex problems and the ability to implement solutions effectively and at a significant scale.

Empowering a New Generation of Problem Solvers

It is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to empower this community, fostering their entrepreneurial spirit and ensuring broader access to opportunities for building a sustainable future. A call to action is being issued to colleagues, industry leaders, governments, and others to support this new wave of developer-led activism and to prioritize closing the existing skills gap.

Technology's Role in Navigating a Volatile World

From the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change and racial injustice, developers are instrumental in creating innovative technologies to assist individuals in navigating today’s challenging environment. Many are dedicating their personal time to addressing social issues, leveraging open-source software for global sharing.

Open-Source Collaboration and Rapid Response

The international research community swiftly shared data and genetic sequences through open-source projects, accelerating the initial understanding of the coronavirus and facilitating a coordinated response. The capacity to monitor genetic codes globally in near real-time proved vital.

Real-World Examples of Developer Impact

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital successfully digitized its contract signature process within a mere ten days during a critical period. A team of developers from Taiwan, Brazil, Mongolia, and India assisted farmers in adapting to climate change by utilizing weather data for improved crop management.

A Legacy of People-Powered Action

Drawing inspiration from the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1950s and 1960s, and more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement, individuals have historically employed passion and protest to shape conversations leading to positive change. This tradition now benefits from a powerful new toolkit: data, software, and technological expertise.

Developers as Modern-Day Civil Engineers

Contemporary software developers can be likened to the civil engineers of the mid-20th century, who designed essential infrastructure – bridges and roads – that facilitated widespread progress.

The Power of Open-Source and Collective Innovation

The open-source community thrives on collaboration and sharing, generating innovations accessible to all, prioritizing advancement over perfection. When faced with a local crisis, such as an impending hurricane, individuals should not only prepare physically but also leverage open-source technologies to assist their community and scale solutions for broader impact.

DroneAID: An Example of Open-Source in Action

DroneAID, for instance, is an open-source tool utilizing visual recognition to identify and count SOS signals from drones, automatically mapping emergency needs for first responders.

Growth in Open-Source Project Creation

A recent GitHub study indicates a 25% increase in open-source project creation since April of the previous year. Developers are actively contributing to open-source communities and participating in virtual hackathons during their free time, applying their skills to create a more sustainable world.

Call for Code: Empowering the Global Developer Community

In 2018, the Call for Code initiative was founded with IBM, David Clark Cause, and the United Nations Human Rights, aiming to empower developers globally. A key objective was to establish the infrastructure necessary to translate innovative concepts into tangible real-world deployments.

IBM's Commitment to Developer Support

IBM provides its 24-million-person developer community access to the same advanced technologies utilized by its enterprise clients, including its open hybrid cloud platform, AI, blockchain, and quantum computing.

Prometeo: Protecting Firefighters with AI

Prometeo, a winning project, developed by a team including a firefighter, nurse, and developers, employs artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to enhance firefighter safety during blazes, and has undergone testing in various regions of Spain.

Diverse Applications of Developer Skills

Developers have assisted teachers in sharing virtual learning materials, measured the carbon footprint of consumer choices, updated small businesses with COVID-19 protocols, aided farmers in adapting to climate change, and improved queue management systems during the pandemic.

Collaborative Initiatives for Social Good

Last year, Devpost partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to challenge developers to create COVID-19 mitigation solutions in areas such as health, vulnerable populations, and education. The Ford Foundation and Mozilla launched a fellowship program connecting technologists, activists, journalists, and scientists to strengthen organizations working at the intersection of technology and social justice. The U.S. Digital Response (USDR) facilitated pro-bono technologists’ collaboration with government and organizations responding to crises.

Breaking Down Complex Problems into Solvable Tech Challenges

The most pressing global and societal issues can be deconstructed into smaller, manageable technological challenges. However, solving these complex problems requires the collective intelligence of individuals from every nation, social class, and gender. The global skills gap necessitates equipping the next generation of problem solvers with the training and resources needed to transform innovative ideas into impactful solutions.

A Renewed Community of Developer Activists

This year promises a revitalized community of developers collaborating across organizational, state, and national boundaries to address the world’s most significant challenges.

The Need for Support and Collaboration

However, they cannot succeed in isolation. These developer activists require our support, encouragement, and assistance in identifying the most critical problems to address, as well as the tools necessary to deploy solutions worldwide.

The Power of Technology for Positive Change

The true potential of technology resides with those who are committed to making a positive impact on the world. To ensure that anyone with a desire for change has the necessary tools, resources, and skills, we must prioritize closing the skills gap and addressing systemic inequalities.

The Future Depends on Our Actions

Our collective future hinges on our ability to achieve this.