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In its eighth year, Call for Code presents a series of SDG-focused hackathons throughout the year, kicking off with a competition to build AI agents

Winning teams from Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Persistent, and independent consultants developed AI-powered solutions to help improve equitable access to essential resources and opportunities

Khatia Buniatishvili, Felukah and Fally Ipupa performed intimate concert at the Recording Academy's New York Townhouse to help raise awareness for climate action

Celebrities Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, and more unite with United Nations Human Rights and leading universities to support upcoming global climate justice summit and call world attention to the human rights implications of the climate crisis.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Neil Young , Annie Lennox and Carole King are among the stars who have joined a 24-hour social media campaign to amplify climate change awareness.

Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert hosted by UN Human Rights and Recording Academy

Green Day have been selected as the headliner and international honorees of the ecologically driven concert, which aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

The intimate event, which is co-hosted by the Recording Academy, aims to bring attention to the inequalities exacerbated by climate change.

Now in its seventh year, Call for Code challenges developers and university students worldwide to build AI-powered solutions to help historically underserved and vulnerable people access essential needs 

Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, Carole King, Laura Pausini, Rob Thomas, Jeff Bridges and More Ignite COP28 Right Here, Right Now Campaign

Photography 4 Humanity calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images.

Today, Call for Code Creator, David Clark Cause, Founding Partner IBM, Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights, and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation announced the winners of the sixth annual Call for Code Global Challenge.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance is rallying artists to urge leaders at the COP28 climate summit to support climate justice goals.

Angélique Kidjo and JP Saxe performed an intimate set at the Recording Academy New York Office ahead of the international Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts.

The expanding Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert series will elevate awareness of climate justice.

The first activation of the Recording Academy's collaboration with United Nations Human Rights featured impassioned speeches about climate change and unforgettable performances from the Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz and special guest Yola.

The Recording Academy has announced it is teaming up with several United Nations Human Rights-supported global initiatives.

On Wednesday (April 5), the organization announced a new partnership with several United Nations Human Rights-supported global initiatives.

Picture Climate Justice is a global initiative created by United Nations Human Rights supported Photography 4 Humanity and Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, to empower people around the world at a grassroots level to capture images of people and the planet being impacted by climate change - then instantly upload them to a platform where they will be on display for the world to see.

The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge, an annual initiative that encourages developers to create projects that combat climate change with AI-powered technology, officially kicked off this week.

Entering its sixth year, Call for Code introduces multiple challenges for global community of developers and students, and launches new initiative for startups and ISVs

A team of four Augustana University students has been named the grand prize winner in a global coding competition.

This past weekend, experts and activists from around the world shared knowledge and stories about the devastating impacts of climate change on fundamental human rights, the obligations governments, corporations and individuals have to address the crisis, and solutions needed for a sustainable future.

Call for Code founding partner IBM (NYSE: IBM), creator, David Clark Cause, charitable partner United Nations Human Rights, and program affiliate, the Linux Foundation announced the winner of the fifth annual Call for Code Global Challenge

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, chair of The Elders and former U.N. special envoy on climate change, left, provides the keynote speech to a nearly full house on the second day of the Right Here Right Now Climate Summit

The University of Colorado Boulder and the United Nations Human Rights cohosted the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on Dec. 1-4, a conference highlighting the relationship between climate change and human rights. Panelists from all over the world spoke about the impacts of climate change and potential solutions.

On the second day of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, keynote speaker and former Irish President Mary Robinson posed a question about a pretty, yellow plant we all know but might not love: the dandelion.

Nearly 4,000 people from 90 countries convened at CU Boulder, either virtually or in-person Friday, for a day-long, candid exploration of something speakers contend isn’t talked about enough: how climate change impacts people’s lives right now.

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance Founder and CEO David Clark launches the 2022 Summit at The Boulder Theater

Photography 4 Humanity, in partnership with United Nations Human Rights and CU Boulder, has announced the winning photograph of the 2022 Photography 4 Humanity Global Challenge.

Artists including The Lumineers are taking part in a new climate change campaign coinciding with the start of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, which began this week in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Artists including Dead & Company, Bob Weir and newly-minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Annie Lennox are taking part in a new climate change social media campaign

Leonardo DiCaprio and the Right Here, Right Now Celebrity Coalition are backing United Nations Human Rights goals in an urgent message to world leaders via a social media blitz.

The Human Rights Climate Commitments framework will be shepherded by University of Colorado Boulder and unveiled at COP 28 in Dubai.

Organizers of the fifth annual Call for Code Global Challenge have launched their annual invitation to software developers from around the world to create open-source solutions that accelerate sustainability and combat climate change.

David Clark Cause, IBM, United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation today officially launched the 2022 Call For Code.

David Clark Cause, IBM, United Nations Human Rights, the Linux Foundation and more to support Call for Code developers from 180 nations with open source-powered hybrid cloud and AI solutions

Mary Robinson will visit CU Boulder in December to present a keynote speech at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit.

The University of Colorado Boulder will host a global climate summit in partnership with UN Human Rights. Thought leaders attending the gathering will examine climate change as a human rights crisis.

The University of Colorado Boulder’s annual Chancellor Summit held Wednesday evening in Denver focused on building a sustainable and equitable future

U niversity of Colorado Boulder and United Nations Human Rights to host Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit December 1-4, 2022

Created to combat water quality-related deaths, the Saaf Water sensor and analytics platform for rural localities wins 2021 Call for Code Global Challenge

Social media campaign aims to push world leaders to accelerate goals of Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

Over thirty celebrities have partnered with a UN-backed campaign to urge leaders gathered at COP26 in Glasgow to accelerate the goals of the Paris climate accord. Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Ellen DeGeneres and Pitbull have taken to their social media channels to alert their followers to the climate crisis. The campaign aims to reach the celebrity’s 620 million-strong social media following, and highlight climate change as a human rights issue. The Right Here, Right Now climate alliance is backed by United Nations Human Rights and works with policymakers, NGOs and entertainers to promote climate advocacy. DiCaprio, the Oscar-winning actor and environmental advocate, was the first to post on his Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts about the campaign. “Homes, lands, health, and lives of those most affected by climate change are at risk,” he wrote in the caption.

University of Colorado Boulder and United Nations Human Rights will co-host the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on campus next fall, bringing international leaders together in Boulder to address climate change as a human rights crisis. While many details have yet to be announced, the four-day summit is set for late fall and will focus on measurable outcomes and accountability on issues of climate change, said Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance founder David Clark, “not just holding a summit for the sake of holding a summit.” While Clark has worked with the United Nations for more than 20 years, the alliance was launched this year to partner with UN Human Rights to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement through advocacy and events. Clark was looking at host universities around the world when he saw Chancellor Phil DiStefano’s Earth Day call to action. Clark, a CU Boulder alumnus, dived deeper into the campus’ history with climate science, human rights and international law. “Knowing the city, I had this instinct that Boulder could be the Davos of climate change,” Clark said, referring to the Swiss town. “You’ve got an amazing citizenry here that’s very concerned about climate change, very concerned about human rights, and with all of the national labs — Boulder has the heft to host a global summit every year on the scale of the Global Economic Forum.” Chancellor Phil DiStefano said the university’s 50-year history of climate and energy research, along with environmental studies and human rights programs, make CU Boulder a natural fit to co-host the summit. “This summit is going to really multiply the efforts happening on campus and around the world on climate change,” DiStefano said. “I believe that what we’re doing and what we can do in the future, especially in the area of research, will be enhanced by having the summit here on campus.” The summit’s emphasis will be on climate change’s impact on humanity, Clark said. “The unique nature of this is that the world is actually recognizing that real people get hurt when climate change happens, so it’s important to view the climate crisis through the human rights lens,” Clark said. “Yes, we need to focus on data and science, that tells us the what. The human element is the why, and it’s usually the people contributing least to the problem who are going to get hurt the most.” The summit will bring people together from across disciplines, cultures and experiences to address climate change as a human rights crisis, said Benjamin Schachter, team leader for environment and climate change at the United Nations Human Rights Office. “By working together to advance human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, people from all walks of life can help develop innovative and ambitious climate solutions, put a human face on climate change related loss and damage, and build the political will and momentum needed to survive the climate crisis and emerge from the other side with more just, inclusive and sustainable societies,” Schachter said in a statement.

As the world’s biggest climate change conference (COP26) begins in Glasgow, Scotland, CU Boulder and UN Human Rights are announcing plans to co-host the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. The summit, expected to be held in late fall 2022, is designed to engage human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders to commit to specific goals that will help to slow climate change and address its adverse effects on human rights. The summit couldn’t come at a more important time: The Earth is about 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in the late 1800s. The last decade (2011–20) was the warmest on record. A heating climate is already affecting human rights for countless people and communities, and the situation will only get worse as temperatures continue to rise. “With impacts like rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, floods and heat waves, climate change is a humanitarian crisis,” Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. “We are convening global experts to help inform how society can and must mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing global climate.” The summit will be a cornerstone of efforts by the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance to advance rights-based climate action. “Through its plans to bring together people and institutions around the world who are committed to the environment and human rights for inclusive and action-oriented dialogue, the Global Climate Alliance promises to advance U.N. Human Rights’ key priorities and catalyze ambitious, rights-based climate action for people and planet,” U.N. Human Rights Officer and Environment Team Leader Ben Schachter said. The Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit will focus on specific actions aligned with local, national and international efforts to address climate change, including those of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. For more than half a century, CU Boulder has been a leader in climate and energy research, interdisciplinary environmental studies and human rights programs, and has engaged in sustainability practices on campus and beyond. CU Boulder is co-hosting the event as part of its comprehensive public research mission and global leadership in research related to the environment, behavioral sciences and issues related to human rights. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and protect human rights around the world. The office: Works with and assists governments in fulfilling their human rights obligations Speaks out in the face of human rights violations worldwide Identifies and responds to today's most pressing human rights challenges Leads human rights research, education, public information and advocacy activities Engages with a wide range of partners to advance human rights

Green NFT platform built on energy efficient Tezos blockchain launches initiative to support causes addressing the threat of climate change.

The Whitney Houston estate, Doja Cat, John Legend and more have committed to the platform that claims to be ‘greener’ than Ethereum and blockchain competitors and will work with U.N. climate efforts

OneOf, the Green NFT platform built for the music community backed by music legend Quincy Jones, has been selected as the preferred NFT partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

With the backing of the Clinton Global Initiative, the partners are calling on the open-source community to help the Caribbean island implement economically friendly EEW systems.

Carole King, Rod Stewart, Melissa Etheridge, Sia, Kesha also join call for developers to create solutions to climate change issues

Together with Call for Code Creator David Clark Cause, Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation, IBM today announced the launch of the 2021 Call for Code Global Challenge.

The tech company and “GMA” sponsor is creating a better world by using big ideas and breakthrough technology to improve lives.

The 2021 Call for Code Global Challenge, an initiative to combat climate change with open-source-powered technology, is officially underway.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, United Nations Human Rights and David Clark Cause are launching an international initiative in support of gender equality.

Celine Dion, Cher, Becky G, Cyndi Lauper and many more stars have teamed with United Nations Human Rights on International Women's Day (March 8) for the "We All Rise" campaign.

United Nations Human Rights and David Clark Cause have launched We All Rise, a global initiative aimed at improving gender equality during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

The United Nations supported initiative, Photography 4 Humanity is dynamically bringing to life the power of human rights through compelling photography as a tool to ignite real change.

To celebrate United Nations Human Rights Day on Thursday (Dec. 10), John Legend received the prestigious High Note Global Prize for social justice, presented by United Nations Human Rights, partner of the High Note Global Initiative and David Clark Cause.

On United Nations Human Rights Day (December 10), singer-songwriter-activist John Legend has been named recipient of the High Note Global Prize for social justice, presented by United Nations Human Rights, Partner of the High Note Global Initiative, and David Clark Cause, the organizations announced.

John Legend has been awarded a human rights prize by the United Nations’ human rights arm in recognition of his social justice advocacy work.

United Nations Human Rights has awarded John Legend its second annual High Note Global Prize in recognition of his career as a musician and activist fighting for social justice.

On Wednesday, for the first time, New York's annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit boasting a lineup of some of the biggest names in music and comedy will be held virtually. The benefit show is presented by both The Bob Woodruff Foundation and The New York Comedy Festival. It raises both money and awareness for the foundation. The Bob Woodruff Foundation's mission is "to help veterans and military families thrive" is especially vital as veterans face increased challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic," according to its website. As per usual, former Daily Show anchor Jon Stewart will host the event. The 2020 edition will feature the comedians Iliza Shlesinger, Ronny Chieng, Tiffany Haddish, and Nate Bargatze. It will also feature musicians Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and Mickey Guyton. The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, author Jeannie Gaffigan, and comedian Ray Romano will also make appearances as special guests. "We're doing it virtual this year, but that doesn't mean that Stand Up for Heroes isn't gonna have amazing performances," Stewart said in a promo clip for the show. Besides performers, the show will also pay tribute to those the fundraiser is for. "The event will also highlight inspiring moments, memorable surprises, and stories of resilience while recognizing the men and women who have served in our nation's military," a press release stated. "For the last 14 years, the Stand Up for Heroes event has continued to inspire our nation and serves as a reminder of all of the brave individuals that have defended our country selflessly in our military," ABC News correspondent and the organization's founder Bob Woodruff said in a press release received by Newsweek. "This year, it is especially important that we unite to show support for their sacrifices as we come together virtually to stand up for our heroes." Since it first began in 2007, Stand Up For Heroes has raised over $55 million for veterans. Past installments have featured performances by the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, John Mayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more. Past live shows have been held at iconic New York City venues: Town Hall, the Beacon Theater, and the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The event will begin at 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday November 18. The event will air on ABC News Live. It will also stream on TikTok, Facebook, Cheddar, Twitch, the Armed Forces Network, and YouTube. Executive producers include David Clark, Jesse Collins, Anne Marie Dougherty, Andrew Fox, Dionne Harmon, Caroline Hirsch, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, Chantel Sausedo and Bob Woodruff.

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up for Heroes (SUFH), New York's highly anticipated night of hope, healing and laughter honoring our nation's veterans and their families, is going virtual for the first time in its 14 year history, and will air on ABC News Live, TikTok, Facebook, Cheddar, Twitch and Armed Forces Network on Wednesday, November 18th at 9:00 p.m. EST. The event will raise awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose mission to help veterans and military families thrive is especially vital as veterans face increased challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stand Up for Heroes is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival and is brought to you by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Veterans on Wall Street, led by Citi, HSBC Bank, and Wells Fargo, and supported by Vehicles for Veterans. Hosted by Jon Stewart, SUFH will feature performances by comedians and musicians including Nate Bargatze, Ronny Chieng, Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton, Tiffany Haddish, Brad Paisley, Patti Scialfa, Iliza Shlesinger, and Bruce Springsteen, with special guests including Jeannie Gaffigan, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Ray Romano, and more. The event will also highlight inspiring moments, memorable surprises, and stories of resilience while recognizing the men and women who have served in our nation's military. "For the last 14 years, the Stand Up for Heroes event has continued to inspire our nation and serves as a reminder of all of the brave individuals that have defended our country selflessly in our military," said Bob Woodruff, ABC News correspondent and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. "This year, it is especially important that we unite to show support for their sacrifices as we come together virtually to stand up for our heroes." "We're extremely honored and proud to continue our partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to present Stand Up for Heroes," said Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of the New York Comedy Festival and Carolines on Broadway. "We owe so much to our brave military veterans and their families for the service and sacrifice to our country; it's very humbling to have the opportunity to honor them over the last 14 years through this great event." For over a decade, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has been a change-maker in the veteran space, forging partnerships and uniting leaders at the highest levels of government, military, business and philanthropy. Since its start, BWF has invested more than $75 million to find, fund and shape the most innovative programs supporting our heroes, touching the lives of veterans and their families across the country. In 2020, the foundation awarded over $6 million in grants to best-in-class programs nationwide. "Every year, Stand Up for Heroes is an awesome night of music, laughter and inspiration, all to celebrate and support the veteran community. This year, we're thrilled that we can share this incredible evening with the entire world," said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. "Our foundation is dedicated to making sure veterans and their families have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive after military service, and we're excited to share their stories and our mission along with a big dose of the joy and laughter we all need these days." SUFH has seen immense talent over the past 14 years, including comedians and performers such as Tony Bennett, Jimmy Carr, Ronnie Chieng, Eric Church, Stephen Colbert, Sheryl Crow, Jim Gaffigan, Ricky Gervais, Whoopi Goldberg, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, Hasan Minhaj, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Conan O'Brien, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano and Robin Williams. The 14th annual Stand Up for Heroes event airs on Wednesday, November 18 at 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC News Live, TikTok, Facebook, Cheddar, Twitch and Armed Forces Network. Please visit www.BobWoodruffFoundation.org/StandUp for more information. This year's event is produced by Chantel Sausedo along with Jesse Collins Entertainment, known for producing television's most memorable performances in music entertainment like the BET Awards and specials including John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Farewell, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today and the upcoming 2021 Super Bowl Halftime show. Executive producers include David Clark, Jesse Collins, Anne Marie Dougherty, Andrew Fox, Dionne Harmon, Caroline Hirsch, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Bob Woodruff. The event is made possible by its partners: Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Veterans on Wall Street led by Citi, HSBC Bank, and Wells Fargo, Vehicles for Veterans, Phillip Morris International, The Steven & Alexandria Cohen Foundation, Toyota, Barclays, PayPal, Salesforce, The Embassy of The State of Qatar, Bank of The West, BNP Paribas, BlackRock, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Citadel, Prudential, The Barbara Bradley Baekgaard Family Foundation, UFC, Wells Fargo Foundation, Academy Securities, AmeriVet Securities, BASF, Capitolis, Eurex, Intercontinental Exchange, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Macquarie Group, MetLife, PGIM FIXED INCOME, Roberts & Ryan, Santander Bank, Senator, TD Ameritrade, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), and Tudor Investment Corporation.

When IBM and the organizers of the Call for Code Global Challenge announced the grand prize winner last week (our coverage here) of its third annual international tech-for-good competition, they also unveiled a new Call for Code initiative: Call for Code for Racial Justice, which IBM is describing as "a vital initiative that brings together technology and a powerful ecosystem to combat one of the greatest challenges of our time: racial injustice." Just as the original Call for Code Challenge urged developers around the world to use their skills to address climate change, and then both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Call for Code for Racial Justice expands the admonition further, calling on the international community of hundreds of thousands of developers to contribute to solutions to confront racial inequalities. Call for Code for Racial Justice encourages the adoption and innovation of open source projects to drive progress in three key areas: Police and Judicial Reform and Accountability; Diverse Representation; and Policy and Legislation Reform. The new initiative emerged from an internal IBM program called the Call for Code Emb(race) Challenge. It was started by Black IBMers who, along with Red Hatters and IBM allies, applied their ingenuity and expertise to design and develop technology solutions to address the problem of systemic racism. These solutions are now being opened up to the world as open source projects through the Call for Code tech-for-good platform. The organizers are partnering with a number of organizations, including: Black Girls Code, Collab Capital, Dream Corps, The United Way Worldwide, American Airlines, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, and Red Hat. "Black Girls Code was created to introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders," said Anesha Grant, director of alumnae and educational programs at Black Girls Code, in a statement, "and we believe that a new generation of coders will shape our futures. We're excited to participate in Call for Code for Racial Justice and to spark meaningful change." The Call for Code for Racial Justice launched officially this week at the virtual All Things Open. The IBM Call for Code for Racial Justice team kicked off the competition by contributing "solution starters" to the open source community. These projects were built using technologies such as Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Cloud, IBM Watson, Blockchain ledger, Node.js, Vu.js, Docker, Kubernetes and Tekton, said Evaristus Mainsah, General Manager, IBM Hybrid Cloud and Edge Ecosystem and co-chair of IBM's Black Executive Council, and Willie Tejada, General Manager, IBM Developer Ecosystems Group and Chief Developer Advocate, in a joint blog post. "We're asking developers and ecosystem partners to join us in combatting racial injustice by testing, extending and implementing these open source solutions, and contributing their own diverse perspectives and expertise to make them even stronger," they said. The list of solution starters includes: Five Fifths Voter: This web application empowers Black people and other minorities to ensure their voices are heard by exercising their right to vote. It is a virtual one-stop-shop to help determine optimal voting strategies for each individual and limit the impact of previous suppression issues. Legit-info: Local legislation and policies can have significant impact on areas as far-reaching as jobs, the environment and safety. Legit-info helps individuals understand in their own language the legislation that shapes their lives. Incident Accuracy Reporting System : This platform for police incident reporting allows witnesses and victims to corroborate evidence from multiple sources and assess against an official police report. The system creates a more reliable record of all accounts of the incident. Open Sentencing: To help public defenders better serve their clients, Open Sentencing identifies racial bias in data such as demographics that can help make a stronger case. Truth Loop: This app helps communities simply understand the policies, regulations and legislation that will impact them the most. "Each year I'm amazed by how this global community of developers comes together to help solve some of the world's most pressing issues, and this year is no different," said Call for Code creator David Clark, in a statement. "Through the support of UN Human Rights, IBM, The Linux Foundation, the Call for Code ecosystem, world leaders, tech icons, celebrities, and the amazing developers that drive innovation, Call for Code has become the defining tech for good platform the world turns to for results."

From CNET: New technology like instant Wi-Fi networks and body monitoring sensors are helping first responders in the field save lives.

Agrolly, a platform built to help farmers in emerging markets, was chosen as the winner of IBM's 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge. Agrolly provides farmers with a bevy of information about weather patterns and crop characteristics, giving them advice on what would be the best thing to plant during certain times of the year. The platform also has ways for farmers to connect with experts as well as ways for them to share information and tools with each other. During the virtual "2020 Call for Code Awards: A Global Celebration of Tech for Good" event, Agrolly was announced as the winner of the annual competition, which brings together the world's brightest minds to create solutions to pertinent problems. This year's task was to develop solutions to problems related to climate change and COVID-19. "Climate change is making it worse for farmers in developing countries and they are losing yield production because of the changes. When you come to emerging markets and you look at these farmers, they don't have the resources, they don't know what to plant, they don't know what the weather will be, and they don't have advantages," said Manoela Morais, CEO of Agrolly.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source. "We want to change the farming industry in the long run by listening to these small farmers in emerging markets, giving them a voice, and empowering them with the latest tech available. We wanted to create an ecosystem where they can contact each other, solve their problems and build a system that is better in the long run for everyone." A panel of judges gave Agrolly and its founders $200,000, tools to test and build out their platform, as well as support from IBM Service Corps and other technical experts. According to IBM, Agrolly will also get help from the Linux Foundation in making its platform open source, which will give developers around the world the chance to help improve it. Since it began in 2018, the Call for Code competition has brought together hundreds of thousands of developers and creators to solve the world's biggest problems, and dozens of unique ideas have been put together through the yearly event. IBM said more than 400,000 developers across 179 nations have participated, taking advantage of IBM tools like Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Cloud, IBM Watson, IBM Blockchain, and data from the Weather Company. There are already multiple studies showing that climate change is already having a drastic effect on the world's food supply and is leading to reduced crop yields among the top 10 global crops, namely barley, cassava, maize, oil palm, rapeseed, rice, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane, and wheat. Agrolly itself uses many of these tools, particularly data from the Weather Company, which provides farmers with daily, weekly, and yearly forecasts so they know what crops to plant at which time of the year. The Agrolly team is made up of researchers, coders, and developers from Brazil, India, Mongolia, and Taiwan who met at Pace University in New York City. Morais told TechRepublic in an interview that she and the team could only start work on the project once they had all finished their final exams. Backed by IBM Cloud Object Storage, IBM Watson Studio, and IBM Watson Assistant, Agrolly was created in the hopes that it would provide struggling farmers with the kind of information they need to make better decisions and improve financially. Ajinkya Datalkar, CTO of Agrolly, explained that the platform gives farmers information that is tailored to their specific location, the kind of crops they want to plant, and the season they want to grow it. Datalkar said he was inspired to help build Agrolly because, in his home country of India, the suicide rate for farmers is becoming higher each year due to the financial crunch many face with a newly uneven climate. The app, he said is currently split into four sections: The forum, the weather, the crop management, and the expert advice. Farmers can speak to one another in the forum, get detailed weather advice from NASA and the Weather Company, receive in-depth information about crops, and call on help from experts. He also noted that the app works on a wide variety of devices. "We kept this in mind while developing this. The farmers may use old cell phones and they may use iPhone 5s, so while developing the app we decided we would also be targeting devices that support Android 4.4, which is pretty much all Androids," Datalkar said. The app is already available in the Google store and is in use in a number of countries. IBM's chief technology officer for Call for Code, Daniel Krook, said the Agrolly team was chosen not just for their innovative idea but because of how they initially came up with it. "What really stands out to me about this particular solution is that I like that from the ground up since May, they have been talking to their end-users. What they created was something based on those conversations in Mongolia and Brazil," Krook said. "They didn't just conceive of a solution to an imaginary problem. I saw that they were deeply involved and worked very closely with their end-users and I think the ecosystem will grow no matter what happens. They really have a great road map, not only of where they've gotten to right now but also where they're thinking of going from a business point of view." Agrolly was one of the five finalists chosen by the Call for Code judges. The other groups involved included OffShip, another potential solution to the effects of climate change, and three other platforms that revolved around efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The second-place prize went to Business Buddy, which will receive $25,000 and the third-place prize went to Safe Queue, which is already being used by stores to create digital replacements for physical lines. SchoolListIt was awarded fourth place and $10,000. "Each year I'm amazed by how this global community of developers comes together to help solve some of the world's most pressing issues, and this year is no different," said Call for Code creator David Clark. "Through the support of UN Human Rights, IBM, the Linux Foundation, the Call for Code ecosystem, world leaders, tech icons, celebrities, and the amazing developers that drive innovation, Call for Code has become the defining tech for good platform the world turns to for results."

2020 Call for Code Awards

Technology can serve any purpose, including the greater good. That inspired entrepreneur David Clark to start an annual competition, the Call for Code Global Challenge. “The basic idea was to create this ‘Justice League’ for good,” he says, “where we would encourage developers around the world to solve social challenges with tech solutions and really create what would be akin to the Nobel Prize for developers.” Co-founded with IBM and in partnership with the UN, the contest offers cash prizes and helps bring promising ideas to market. It issues a different challenge each year. Last year’s competition focused on preparing for natural disasters, which are becoming more common as climate change causes more extreme weather. “The innovations that came out of it quite frankly were amazing and are actually being deployed right now,” Clark says. For example, the winning team was led by a firefighter who lost a friend to smoke inhalation. He created a wearable device that monitors air quality and firefighters’ vital signs. This year, the Call for Code is seeking solutions for two of the world’s most pressing problems: COVID-19 and climate change. So soon, the world may see other winning ideas moving to the front lines. Reporting credit: Stephanie Manuzak/ChavoBart Digital Media.

NEW YORK (May 28, 2020) – Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Michael Bublé, Jeff Bridges, Jonas Brothers, Carole King, Rod Stewart, Gigi Hadid, Misty Copeland, Pitbull, Pierce Brosnan, Kristen Bell, and more are among the major celebrities joining United Nations Human Rights on May 27, 2020 to launch the Call for Code awareness campaign and advocate for new tech solutions to help people suffering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. Over fifty of the biggest names in entertainment, sports, and fashion are lending their voice to ignite the Call for Code ‘Cause Flash,’ a global social media campaign to encourage developers and innovators to make a difference and create solutions to help the world’s most vulnerable people. The celebrity coalition has a combined social media reach of over 1 billion followers. Participants also include Aloe Blacc, Andra Day, Austin Mahone, Bazzi, Cara Delevingne, Carlos Vives, Cyndi Lauper, Fall Out Boy, Fergie, Gloria Estefan, Jason Mraz, One Republic, Pentatonix, Rev Run, Ricky Martin, Ryan Tedder, Rob Thomas, Rita Wilson, Toby Keith, and Wiz Khalifa, as well as Olympic champions Lindsay Vonn and Laurie Hernandez, actors Nina Dobrev, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, and comedienne Margaret Cho, among many others. Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges, the first celebrity out the gate to speak out for Call for Code on his popular Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook accounts posted a poignant photo of a frontline health care worker with his message, "Let's fight back against #COVID19 & #ClimateChange. I encourage developers & innovators to make a difference. Join @CallforCode & its partner @UNHumanRights to help create solutions for the world's most vulnerable people. Visit: http://CallforCode.org #TechForGood." Since Lady Gaga made a personal video appeal in March urging ‘tech rock stars’ to commit to the cause, hundreds of thousands of developers from 165 countries have already signed up for the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge , which has become the largest tech for social good initiative in history. The top tech innovations to be funded and deployed will be selected by a jury, which includes Former President Bill Clinton, Mark Cuban, American tech entrepreneur and co-host of ABC TV’s “Shark Tank,” Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director of National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Dr. Mickey Chopra, Global Solutions Lead for Service Delivery in the Health Nutrition and Population of the World Bank, Mami Mizutori, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Brian A. Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, and David Miliband, President and CEO of International Rescue Committee. United Nations Human Rights is Global Partner of Call for Code, a multi-year initiative created in 2018 by David Clark, CEO of David Clark Cause, with Founding Partner IBM, and Affiliate Partner The Linux Foundation. In addition to IBM’s initial 5-year $30 million pledge of support Call for Code, and additional $25 million pledged to help deploy the top tech solutions, Call for Code is supported by major corporations including Verizon, Arrow Electronics and Persistent Systems. “We are so grateful for the generous support from these renowned celebrities, our jury, partner organizations, and sponsors, and sincerely thank Lady Gaga for inspiring developers and innovators to answer the call,” said David Clark. “Call for Code would not be possible without United Nation Human Rights, which has helped guide our effort while they continue to work with the 193 member states to address the unfolding human rights crisis posed by Covid-19 and climate change. I also want to extend our utmost gratitude to IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and the entire IBM family for their unparalleled leadership in galvanizing the global tech community. As the most trusted technology partner there is, we’re grateful IBM answered the call to be the Founding Partner of Call for Code.”

The United Nations Human Rights group will launch this year’s Call for Code campaign on May 27th as part of the organization’s annual call for new tech solutions to global issues. The focus of the 2020 campaign will be on the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Michael Bublé, Jeff Bridges, the Jonas Brothers, Carole King, Rod Stewart, Gigi Hadid, Misty Copeland, Pitbull, Pierce Brosnan and Kristen Bell are among the announced celebrities joining the campaign on Wednesday. Participants also include Cara Delevingne, Cyndi Lauper, Fall Out Boy, Fergie, Gloria Estefan, Jason Mraz, One Republic, Ricky Martin, Rob Thomas, Rita Wilson, Toby Keith and Wiz Khalifa — as well as Olympic champions Lindsay Vonn and Laurie Hernandez; actors Nina Dobrev, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth; and comedian Margaret Cho. Lady Gaga created a personal video for Call for Code back in March, asking the world’s 24 million tech developers to work toward solutions to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Now is the time to fight back against this coronavirus, to use open source technology, to solve problems at scale and to save lives,” she said. “A great technology solution can span the globe and help so many others. I know you know this. I know this is why you do what you do.” Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and entrepreneur Mark Cuban are among those serving on the Call for Code Eminent Jury and will select the winning 2020 solutions that address both COVID-19 and climate change.

Celine Dion, Cher, Michael Bublé and Rod Stewart have teamed up with more than 50 other celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, sports and fashion in support of a climate change and COVID-19 awareness campaign called Call for Code. The initiative is designed to advocate for "new tech solutions to help people suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change." Other music artists participating in the social media awareness campaign include Barbra Streisand, Jonas Brothers, Carole King, OneRepublic, Rob Thomas, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper, Pentatonix and Jason Mraz. Artists participating are using their socials to share messages like, "Let's fight back against #COVID19 & #ClimateChange. Join @CallforCode & its partner @UNHumanRights to help create solutions for the world's most vulnerable people." Last month, Lady Gaga issued a call to “tech rock stars” on behalf of the cause. Since then, hundreds of thousands of tech innovators and developers from 165 countries have signed up for the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge. For more info, visit CallforCode.org .

With concerts, sports, movie productions, Broadway shows, and nearly all forms of entertainment currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world’s celebrities are uniting to ask tech leaders to find solutions.

Last month, the sponsors of this year's Call for Code Global Challenge expanded the scope of the event beyond its original focus on solutions that address the impact of climate change to include solutions that mitigate the impact of global pandemics. Last week, they threw a spotlight on three promising front runners on this new second track with solutions that have the potential to contribute to the COVID-19 response efforts. The 2020 Challenge also includes a dedicated University Edition through a partnership that began last year with the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U). More than 10,000 students participated last year. IBM senior vice president Bob Lord and Chelsea Clinton, chair of the Clinton Foundation, featured the current three top solutions in a video presentation during last week's IBM Think 2020 online conference. "We really do need reasons for optimism right now," Clinton said. "And these are just extraordinary reasons to be optimistic about our resilience and what we can prove to be possible, while still recognizing the deep and painful challenges that we're in." The solutions highlighted during the presentation included: Are you Well? This mobile app was developed by a team from India-based Altran to relieve overtaxed medical systems by helping individuals evaluate their own symptoms before they get to the hospital. The mobile app combines a smart phone with IBM's Watson Assistant and connects to a global dashboard, which then assigns cases high-, medium-, or low-risk levels (based on thresholds set by the healthcare provider), and then connect them with medical professionals. Covid Impact This solution was designed to reduce the financial impact of COVID-19 on small businesses. Created by a team of University of British Columbia graduates from Canada, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, and Mexico, CovidImpact combines IBM Watson Tone Analyzer with IBM ILOG CPLEX to provide a predictive assessment that forecasts risk levels for a business and curates personalized programs and tips to reduce oncoming financial threats. It also projects a real-time list of sentiment analysis-parsed news articles relevant to small business owners from all major outlets. Safe Queue Safe Queue, created by Dave Chura, a developer in Los Angeles, is a community-driven mobile app that aims to replace physical lines at shopping centers, small businesses, and polling places with on-demand virtual lines. The idea is to enable a safer way to manage entry during the pandemic. The solution uses GPS location data to create a virtual queue of those within 1,000 feet of a location, which allows employees to control the queue digitally and validate entry with a randomly generated QR code for each customer. This solution builds on IBM Cloud Foundry for Web app hosting, HERE technologies for geolocation, and IBM Cloudant to store data. Created by David Clark Cause with Founding Partner IBM, and in partnership with the United Nations Human Rights and The Linux Foundation, Call for Code is among the largest "tech-for-good" challenges of its kind. In 2019, more than 180,000 participants from 165 countries responded to the call, creating more than 5,000 applications focused on natural disaster preparedness and relief, the company says. This year more than 300,000 developers and problem solvers across 168 countries signed up for the Challenge. Health insurance provider Anthem became a Challenge supporter this year, committing to jointly deploying one of the top solutions from the COVID challenge track. "After we expanded the focus of this year's competition to include COVID-19, the response has been tremendous," said Dennis Bly, global offering manager for academic developers at IBM, who leads IBM's global university engagement for Call for Code, in an earlier interview "In just under a month, we already have 45,000 participants from 146 countries and growing, who are actively working on solutions to help address the COVID-19 response and climate change." Challenge participants are building applications on open source software provided by IBM, including Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Cloud, IBM Watson, IBM Blockchain, and data from The Weather Company. The grand prize for this year's Global Call for Code Challenge is $200,000, plus solution implementation through Code and Response and an opportunity for mentorship and investment in the solution. First and second runners up receive $25,000; third and fourth receive $10,000. The University Edition grand prize is $10,000 dispersed equally across the team, and each student team member will have the opportunity to interview for a potential job at IBM. The runners up also get an interview. Submissions are being accepted through July 31st. By John Waters. Link: https://adtmag.com/articles/2020/05/11/call-for-code-2020.aspx

As part of its expanded 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge focusing on COVID-19, IBM on Tuesday announced three initial top efforts from developers. In a blog post, Bob Lord, SVP of cognitive applications, blockchain, and ecosystems, IBM, noted the solutions "have the potential to change the way we react to the pandemic." In March, IBM challenged developers to fight COVID-19 by saying: "Answer the call. Build solutions that fight back." IBM is live streaming the top initial solutions starting at 3 p.m. ET May 5, with Lord joined by Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, introducing the teams at the IBM Think Virtual Conference. Here is IBM's description of the efforts: Safe Queue was created by a single developer in Los Angeles, who was inspired to join Call for Code after seeing Lady Gaga's video about the global challenge on the local news. Safe Queue is an app to help tackle those long lines we've all seen during COVID-19 at shopping centers, small businesses, and even polling places. The app replaces physical lines with on-demand virtual lines, creating a safer way to manage entry during COVID-19. The developer used one of our starter kits–the Call for Code Community Cooperation starter kit–to create this solution, as well as IBM Cloud Foundry for web app hosting, HERE technologies for geolocation, and IBM Cloudant to store data. CovidImpact is a solution to help small businesses during this uncertain time. It was created by a global team that came together at the University of British Columbia, hailing from Canada, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Mexico. Their solution reduces the financial impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, by keeping them updated on the latest relevant news and available grants. CovidImpact uses IBM Watson Tone Analyzer linguistic analysis and other technologies to help forecast businesses' financial risk. Are You Well? was created by a team from Altran in India and will help reduce the strain on busy healthcare systems. The app helps people evaluate their symptoms, with the help of IBM Watson Assistant. A global dashboard assigns cases a high, medium, or low level of risk based on thresholds set by healthcare providers. The solution then connects people with medical professionals who use the data to prioritize cases and offer care in a safer manner. In his blog post, Lord wrote, "We are excited to work quickly in partnership with the Linux Foundation, Anthem, and these teams to get their innovations deployed in communities where they're needed most to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19." The company put out its 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge in February, with the United Nations Human Rights and the Linux Foundation to tackle climate change. In March, IBM expanded the challenge, noting: "In a very short period of time, COVID-19 has brought modern life to a screeching halt, disrupting our healthcare, education, and economic systems. But we can fight back–with technology." IBM is accepting submissions for both climate change and COVID-19 through July 31, and plans to announce the global challenge winners in October. The company said it is offering participants exclusive access to a new disease tracker API from The Weather Company. Since 2018, IBM said, this movement has grown to over 300,000 developers and problem solvers across 168 countries who have answered the call. Last year's winning team, Prometeo, created a wearable device that measures carbon monoxide, smoke concentration, humidity, and temperature to monitor firefighter safety in real time as well as to help improve their health outcomes in the long term. The company said through Code and Response, it brings open source solutions to life through real-world deployments to help first responders in their efforts to save lives. In the past 18 months, this has included deployments of Project Owl and DroneAid in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, and Prometeo in areas of Spain prone to wildfires, IBM said. In his post, Lord wrote: "Medical professionals, first responders, and essential workers are rising to the challenges we're faced with today and are leading the way. IBM and David Clark Cause have led a broad ecosystem including the Linux Foundation, UNHR, Verizon, Persistent Systems, Arrow Electronics, Ingram Micro, Cognizant, ICBC, Altran, and celebrities to do our part. President Bill Clinton announced our partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative University for the second year, with a dedicated University Edition within Call for Code." "Even Lady Gaga recognized the scope and urgency of the issues we're facing and urged "tech rock stars" to lend their time and talent to the cause," he added. "In fact, the developer who created Safe Queue joined Call for Code after seeing her shout-out on a local broadcast." Tech Republic: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ibm-highlights-three-call-for-code-global-challenge-responses-to-fight-covid-19/

Last month, IBM expanded this year’s Call for Code Global Challenge from climate change to help develop solutions for COVID-19, and on Tuesday, IBM announced three initial top solutions that have the potential to make a real difference in the world and contribute to the COVID-19 response efforts. The solutions have come from teams around the world and they address issues like helping small businesses, keeping people safe when they need to go to public places, and people’s well-being. Call for Code is more than a hackathon. The winning solutions are successfully developed, field-tested and deployed in communities that need them most. Our goal is to work quickly to partner with three teams to get their innovations out in the field where they can quickly make an impact. We’ve seen overwhelming enthusiasm pour in from the developer community. Word about Call for Code is spreading, too – you may have even seen the video of Lady Gaga encouraging developers, technologists and problem solvers around the world to take on COVID-19 by building innovative technology solutions. In fact, one of the developers whose solution was chosen as a top submission joined the Challenge after seeing the Lady Gaga video on a local broadcast. IBM launched the Call for Code Global Challenge to take on society’s most pressing issues. Since 2018, this movement has grown to over 300,000 developers and problem solvers across 168 countries who have answered the call. On Tuesday, IBM announced three initial top solutions that have the potential to make a real difference in the world and contribute to the COVID-19 response efforts. The three top solutions announced Tuesday: -Safe Queue was created by a single developer in Los Angeles, who was inspired to join Call for Code after seeing Lady Gaga’s video about the global challenge on the local news. Safe Queue is an app to help tackle those long lines we’ve all seen during COVID-19 at shopping centers, small businesses and even polling places. The app replaces physical lines with on-demand virtual lines, creating a safer way to manage entry during COVID-19. The developer used one of our starter kits – the Call for Code Community Cooperation starter kit – to create this solution, as well as IBM Cloud Foundry for web app hosting, HERE technologies for geolocation, and IBM Cloudant to store data. -COVID Impact is a solution to help small businesses during this uncertain time. It was created by a global team that came together at the University of British Columbia, hailing from Canada, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Mexico. Their solution reduces the financial impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, by keeping them updated on the latest relevant news and available grants. COVID Impact uses IBM Watson Tone Analyzer linguistic analysis and other technologies to help forecasts businesses’ financial risk. -The "Are You Well?" app, created by a team from Altran in India, will help reduce the strain on busy healthcare systems. Their app helps people evaluate their symptoms, with the help of IBM Watson Assistant. A global dashboard assigns cases a high, medium or low level of risk based on thresholds set by healthcare providers. The solution then connects people with medical professionals who use the data to prioritize cases and offer care in a safer manner. "The response for the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge has been tremendous," said Bob Lord, Senior Vice President, Cognitive Applications at IBM. There is still an opportunity to join the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge. Register and get all the resources you need here, including exclusive access to a new disease tracker API from The Weather Company. We’ll continue to accept submissions for both climate change and COVID-19 through July 31, and plan to announce our global challenge winners in October. The Weather Company: https://weather.com/news/news/2020-05-05-ibm-call-for-code-global-challenge

Lady Gaga has called for the world’s 24 million tech developers to work toward solutions to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Lady Gaga is calling on tech developers to come together and build a solution to shut down COVID-19.

The annual challenge aims to address society’s most pressing issues; which is why this year, IBM is asking developers, data scientists and problem solvers to address two urgent crises that have the power to compromise our health, our planet and our survival. On February 27, IBM and the David Clark Cause, in partnership with United Nations Human Rights and the Linux Foundation, launched the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge — an annual competition that invites developers and activists to help save lives by building applications fueled by data and open source technology including AI, cloud, blockchain and IoT. IBM works with the winning team to fortify, test and deploy its solution through IBM’s Code and Response initiative. Last year, over 180,000 developers from 165 nations participated in Code and Response and Call for Code and they created more than 5,000 applications focused on natural disaster preparedness and relief. The theme of this year’s Call is climate change. But, as we all know, life as we know it has rapidly changed in the past month with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic — revealing the limits of many of the systems we take for granted. So, IBM quickly saw the need to expand the Call to include COVID-19 and is now asking problem-solvers around the world to think about open-source technology solutions to this crisis, as well — specifically in the areas of crisis communication, ways to improve remote learning, and how to inspire cooperative local communities. Previous winners — including Prometeo (2019) and Project Owl (2018) — along with other applications from these programs continue to be supported by IBM developer teams and partners throughout their testing, scaling, and deployments across communities in need. Prometeo just field-tested its health-monitoring technology in Barcelona, with wildfire firefighters during a controlled burn; and Project Owl, which re-establishes network connectivity in the wake of disasters, has already been deployed in hurricane-hit areas of Puerto Rico. Learn more about this year's Challenge here . Originally posted: https://sustainablebrands.com/read/defining-the-next-economy/ibm-s-2020-call-for-code-challenge-takes-on-both-climate-change-and-covid-19

The theme of the recently announced 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge has been expanded to include the growing threat of Coronavirus pandemic. Set up as a five-year, $30 million global initiative, Call for Code was launched two years ago by the David Clark Cause in partnership with IBM, as well as United Nations Human Rights and the Linux Foundation. Its stated aim is to encourage developers to use their skills and mastery of the latest technologies, and to create new ones, to develop practical open source applications that will drive positive and long-lasting change across the world. The 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge was initially focused on fighting climate change, which the organisers categorised as “the single most pressing issue facing the world today”. That was just three weeks ago. Announcing the expanded theme at the weekend, the Call for Code organisers stated: “In a brief period, much has changed. COVID-19 has spread across the world with unprecedented effect and now has the potential to become the greatest crisis of modern times. From its inception, Call for Code was created to take on society’s most pressing issues, which is why we are expanding this year’s Challenge to address both climate change and COVID-19.” They have made tools available to assist developers to build open source technology solutions that address three main COVID-19 areas: 1. Crisis communication During an emergency because, communications systems are among the first to become overwhelmed, yet they play a critical role in helping communities understand everything they need to know as quickly as possible. 2. Remote education Ways are needed to improve remote learning because, with self-isolation, children are being stuck indoors for long periods and need to be kept engaged, entertained and on top of their education. 3. Community cooperation Self-isolation and the challenges this brings require an understanding not only of what is happening in one’s community, but also how individuals can help others. Technology can be used to promote, inspire and facilitate cooperative communities. “Together, we have the power to use the latest technology in ways that make an immediate and lasting humanitarian impact in local communities and across the globe. Thank you for answering the call in this unprecedented time in our history,” IBM said in a statement. Submissions opened on March 22nd and close on July 31st, 2020. Winners will receive $200,000 in cash.

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Kesha will present the award on global Human Rights Day, Dec. 10. By Tatiana Cirisano / BILLBOARD   Pop icon and human rights activist Cyndi Lauper will receive the High Note Award.

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The winning solution, Prometeo, will be deployed through a companion IBM program that is dedicated to tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges.

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The intersection of tech, humanitarian aid and celebrity voices combine in this unique initiative A Global Code Challenge to help mitigate suffering caused by natural disasters.

People Magazine / Jason Hahn The world witnessed a slew of natural disasters over the course of 2018.

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World Humanitarian Day - Justin Bieber, Pierce Brosnan, Trevor Noah, Ryan Seacrest, Alyssa Milano, Cody Simpson, Logan Henderson, Cyndi Lauper, Marcia Gay Harden, Kesha, Pentatonix and many others to lend their social voices to support United Nations Human Rights, the American Red Cross and First Responders give back in a special way.

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IBM is committing $30 million over five years to a global initiative aimed at addressing social challenges.

IBM is holding a competition to decide which team will come up with the best solution for natural disaster relief, with David Clark Cause.

IBM is calling on the global public and private sectors, including the United Nations and the Linux Foundation, to unite in finding ways of using advanced technology as a means of combating natural disasters as well as humanitarian issues. Partnered with David Clark Cause.

$30 million, 5-year IBM investment unites developers to solve pressing social issues; benefits UN Human Rights Office and Red Cross in partnership with Linux Foundation and David Clark Cause

Pitbull will serve as Global Ambassador to Clean Water Here campaign, releases speech after canceling U.N. appearance due to snowstorm Rolling Stone. David Clark Cause.

Pitbull To Address United Nations Delegates as Clean Water Here Global Ambassador and Launch the Water Action Decade on World Water Day, March 22, 2018. Davi Clark Cause.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) announced today that the Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform at this year’s Stand Up for Heroes concert at Madison Square Garden. David Clark Cause.

Clean Water Here Global Photography Exhibit will open at the United Nations in NYC on World Water Day

The Clean Water Here social-media initiative to promote safe drinking water was launched today in celebration of UN Water World Water Day. The overall social-media voice of the campaign exceeded 790 million people.

Driving Force Behind UN World Water Day Garners Impressive List of Celebrities to Lend Voice to Promote Access to Safe Drinking Water

David Clark recalls the day in 1997 that The Artist met The Greatest.

About the day Cause Flash founder David Clark introduced Prince to Muhammad Ali.

Social media voice tops 753 million people in support of UN World Water Day to provide clean water to those in need. Supporters include Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Ryan Seacrest, Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber and more.

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Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Pitbull, Britney Spears, Fergie, One Direction, Sia, Justin Bieber, Sesame Street and more lend Social Media Voices to Promote Clean Water.

Water Now, a cause brand created by leading philanthropic producer David Clark, today exceeded a social media voice of 800 million.

Water Now, a cause brand created by leading philanthropic producer David Clark today announced the launch of a global initiative.

For women who have survived breast cancer, breast or nipple reconstruction can be a first step toward looking like their old selves. A Colorado organization is helping some of those women, and others who don’t choose reconstruction, in their emotional healing — through tattoos to help conceal their scars.

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan & more raise $6M at 8th Annual Stand Up For Heroes at Madison Square Garden.

Cause Flash is Proud to join Bruce Springsteen, Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, John Oliver, Jon Stewart and General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as they Honor and Support the Men and Women of the US Armed Forces via the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

David Clark Announced a New Digital Platform Designed to Rally Millions of People Around Worthy Causes by Harnessing the Power of Social Networking

Cause Flash, a digital company founded and led by philanthropic producer David Clark, today announced the launch of “Water Now”.

David Clark launches Cause Flash, a digital platform designed to rally hundreds of millions of people around worthy causes by harnessing the power of social media.

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Personal INK (P.INK): Tattoos Transform Mastectomy Scars into Beauty

Flash Flood For Good, A Social Media Movement Raising Awareness and Funds for Global Clean Water Launches at The 2013 Clinton Global Initiative

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Senator Mark Udall, Senator Michael Bennet and Governor John Hickenlooper Salute Colorado Firefighters at Firefighter Appreciation Week & Fight Fire With Beer Festival

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1st Smoke Alarm to Reach over 200 Million   NEW YORK, NY (September 24, 2012) – P&G BUSINESS WIRE President Bill Clinton announced today at the […] The post President Bill Clinton Announces Smoke Alarm: Smokey Robinson Aggregates Social-Media for Clean Water appeared first on David Clark Cause.

American icon Smokey Robinson and David Clark, the global leader in creating cause-related brands and initiatives, have teamed up with Ad Agency leader Crispin Porter + Bogusky to announce a new global digital platform, “Cause Swarm,” to address social issues via “Smoke Alarms.”

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The American Thunder Music Festival, a benefit concert for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, was held this past weekend (August 13) in front of an audience of 50,000 fans.

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All-Star Concert Will Benefit the Bob Woodruff Foundation, in Celebration of the Men and Women of the United States Military and Their Families

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A cadre of heroes joined with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to honor and celebrate the American spirit of selfless service March 25.

46664 Concert Honoring Nelson Mandela at 90

Above & Beyond Citizen Honor. The honors are unique, because they are personally presented to unsung heroes by our nations most honored heroes, the 109 living Medal of Honor recipients themselves.

The first annual J.A.M. Awards took place last night at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, with multiple artists paying tribute to the late Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C.

Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Jim Jones, Papoose, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg assembled for a peaceful cause: the J.A.M. Awards, a tribute to the late Jam Master Jay’s vision of Justice, Arts & Music.

J.A.M. Awards & Concert – Promoting Jam Master Jay’s Vision Of Justice, Arts & Music (J.A.M.)–Announce Nominees For Awards

President Clinton Joins President George H.W. Bush and General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) as Honorary Co-Chair to call upon American Public to Nominate Fellow Citizens for Nation’s Most Prestigious Civilian Awards For Service;

Medal Of Honor Recipients & Members Of Congress Call Upon American Public To Celebrate ‘Service Before Self’ And Nominate Fellow Citizens For Our Nation’s Most Prestigious Civilian Awards “Above & Beyond Citizen Honors”

In an historic effort to mobilize activism around the human rights atrocities occurring in Darfur, Sudan, more than 50 international recording artists and over 30 record labels have united behind “Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.” The collection features iconic songs by legendary musician and peace activist John Lennon recorded by an array of best-selling artists and will be available for purchase both on CD and as digital downloads via online retailers.

“Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur,” the new global “Make Some Noise” project from Amnesty International, seeks to mobilize millions around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, Sudan. It combines the power of John Lennon’s music recorded by some of the world’s best-known artists, together with cutting-edge forms of instant activism enabled by Internet and mobile technologies.

Just one day after awarding the Medal of Honor to Bruce Crandall, a veteran of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Congress has acted to recommend creation of a national “Medal of Honor Day.”

NEW YORK, NY (February 18, 2007) Ono News Yoko Ono’s generous gift to Amnesty International — the right to have leading international musical artists record new […] The post Yoko Ono’s Gift of Lennonʼs Songbook Supports Amnesty Internationalʼs Global Darfur Campaign appeared first on David Clark Cause.

Band Boston to Perform with Keith Lockhart and Boston Pops pays Tribute to Hometown Hero, Doug Flutie

Mississippi native Faith Hill and her Louisiana-raised husband, Tim McGraw, have plan to donate proceeds from their summer concert in New Orleans to benefit the Gulf Coast’s Hurricane Katrina relief.

100% of Net Proceeds from Concert to be Contributed to Katrina Relief Efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi Concert Marks Official Launch Of Tim and Faith’s Neighbors Keeper Foundation

The 2005 Red White & Blue Award was presented to NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who was honored for his unwavering support of Cincinnati for over four decades. An Olympic Champion, Oscar is one of the most enduringly popular and respected athletes in the history of sports.

Yoko Ono Promotes Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in General Assembly of the UN

Mayor Akiba of Hiroshima and President of the Mayors for Peace, who consist of 730 Mayors from 110 countries representing half a billion people, announce landmark arts initiative to eliminate Nuclear weapons by the year 2020.

To commemorate the 60 th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Yoko Ono, along the Mayors for Peace alliance, launches unprecedented arts initiative to eliminate nuclear weapons by the year 2020.

Famed Playwright Arthur Miller was slated to receive ‘The Anne Frank Human Writes Award’ at The Anne Frank 75th Birthday Tribute

The Anne Frank Center in partnership with David Clark, announced today a global commemoration to celebrate the life and legacy of Anne Frank, on her 75th birthday. Miep Gies has agreed to serve as an Honorary Chairperson for the landmark event. Unknown to many, Miep Gies, 94, is the woman who hid Anne and her family for two years during the Nazi occupation of Holland, and later found Anne’s Diary.

The inaugural 4 th of July Red White & Blue Award was presented to New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen for his unyielding support of Asbury Park for over three decades.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) -- Bono, The Corrs, Beyonce Knowles and other international stars answered Nelson Mandela's call to help fight the scourge of AIDS on Saturday, putting on a musical extravaganza broadcast across the world on the Internet. Mandela, 85, joined 40,000 fans of all races who packed into the Green Point stadium in South Africa's tourist mecca Cape Town under a cloudless sky for the fund-raising concert. "AIDS has ceased to be something to be ashamed of. It's just another medical condition," pop singer Bob Geldof, who organized the hugely successful Live Aid concert in London in the 1980s to help Ethiopian famine victims, told the crowd. The disease has hit South Africa harder than any other country, with more than five million of its 45 million people infected, and is seen corroding an already fragile social fabric as it leaves an army of orphans in its wake. The concert was part of Mandela's 46664 campaign -- named after his prison number when he was jailed during South Africa's apartheid era -- to mobilize governments to declare HIV/AIDS a global emergency and to get millions infected with the disease on life-prolonging anti-retrovirals. The South African Broadcasting Corporation televised the concert live on its Africa channel. A live webcast was put out on the Internet on www.46664.com, organizers said. Mandela, who stepped down as South Africa's first black president in 1999, has become one of the world's leading AIDS campaigners. AIDS was a threat to humanity, but like apartheid it would be beaten, Mandela told reporters on Friday. "South Africans fought a noble struggle against the evils of apartheid... today we find ourselves facing an even greater threat. It threatens our future on a scale that could not have been imagined," he said. The concert will be screened globally by MTV on World AIDS Day on December 1. The music channel has offered a 90-minute concert version to broadcasters rights-free and estimates the event could reach more than two billion viewers. Earlier this month, the South African government approved a national drug treatment programme to tackle AIDS, bowing to huge domestic and international pressure to act against the epidemic that is killing an estimated 600 South Africans each day. President Thabo Mbeki's cabinet had long resisted calls for free drug treatment for infected people, but in August it ordered officials to draw up a national treatment plan. The question of treatment had threatened to dominate the run-up to next year's general election marking 10 years since the end of apartheid. Mbeki himself long backed so-called "AIDS dissident" scientists who questioned the link between AIDS and HIV. He has since withdrawn from public discussion over the disease. The United Nations says more than three million people died from AIDS in 2003.

Beyonce Knowles and Bono were among global stars who performed at Nelson Mandela’s South Africa gig to boost the fight against Aids.

Clash star Joe Strummer, one of the pioneers of punk rock, has died aged 50.

David Clark uses barbed wire from the notorious prison on Robben Island where President Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years as inspiration to create the Global Human Rights logo.

At a launch event today at the National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela – joined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Oprah Winfrey, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and event creator David Clark – announced that he is to host his very first concert.

Before brain cancer left him unable to perform live, George Harrison was planning a final concert; a follow-up to the Concert for Bangladesh he organized at Madison Square Garden in New York 30 years ago.

Unfinished Sympathy: George Harrison’s Final, Unfinished Product May See Fruition After All.

Muhammad Ali and Thomas Hauser Synopsis: “Muhammad Ali is the most loved person in the world.

WASHINGTON DC (June 24, 1997) – Boxing great Muhammad Ali and the Artist  (aka Prince), met for the first time today in our nation’s capital to […] The post The day Prince met his hero – Muhammad Ali appeared first on David Clark Cause.

Ali Urges Tolerance