Humanitarian hacking: Merging refugee aid and digital capitalism

Sofie Henriksen

doi:10.1093/jrs/feae017

Humanitarian hacking: Merging refugee aid and digital capitalism

Sofie Henriksen

Publikation: Artikler: Tidsskrift og avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Hackathons er blevet populære til at hjælpe flygtninge blandt NGO'er, frivillige og virksomheder, men deres effekt har været begrænset. Denne artikel udforsker to Techfugees hackathons i København, arrangeret med støtte fra Google. Ved at undersøge deltagernes forsøg på at 'hacke flygtningekrisen', konceptualiserer artiklen humanitær hacking som en praksis, hvor flygtningehjælp møder digital kapitalisme. I stedet for at levere nye digitale løsninger reproducerer hackathons eksisterende forestillinger, der fremstiller digitale teknologier som effektive quick-fix løsninger; teknologivirksomheder som innovations eksperter og humanitære aktører; og flygtninge som iværksættersubjekter, der ikke har brug for hjælp, men for platforme og markedsmuligheder. Således producerer humanitær hacking begrænset værdi for de tiltænkte modtagere, men derimod værdi for hackathon-deltagerne og sponsororganisationerne.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Journal of Refugee Studies
Antal sider	19
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feae017
Status	Udgivet - 19 mar. 2024

Emneord

Hackathon
Digital humanitarisme
Digital kapitalisme
Flygtninge
Tech virksomheder
Humanitær Innovation

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1093/jrs/feae017

DIIS Tech Group
Fejerskov, A. M. (CoPI), Berling, T. V. (CoPI), Lang, J. (CoPI), van Munster, R. (CoPI), Lund Petersen, K. (CoPI), Henriksen, S. (CoPI), Seddig, S. (CoPI), Kleist, N. (CoPI), Kolling, M. (CoPI), Clausen, M.-L. (CoPI), Schouten, P. (CoPI), Schott, R. M. (CoPI), Patey, L. (CoPI), Malmvig, H. (CoPI), Surwillo, I. (CoPI) & Norman, J. (CoPI)
01/06/2021 → 01/06/2024
Projekter: Projekt › Forskning
Corporate-Humanitarian Aid in the Migration Crisis
Henriksen, S. (PI)
02/09/2019 → 30/11/2022
Projekter: Projekt › Forskning

De er ivrige efter at komme ind på markedet for humanitær hjælp. Det ser nemlig godt ud
Henriksen, S.
30/05/2024
1 Mediebidrag
Presse/medie

Citationsformater

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title = "Humanitarian hacking: Merging refugee aid and digital capitalism",

abstract = "Hackathons have become popular for helping refugees, among NGOs, volunteers, and corporations but their material impact has been limited. This article explores two Techfugees hackathons in Copenhagen organized with support from Google. The article conceptualizes humanitarian hacking as a space where refugee aid meets digital capitalism by examining the practices of {\textquoteleft}hacking the refugee crisis{\textquoteright} within the analytical framework of critical refugee and humanitarian innovation literature. Rather than providing novel digital solutions, hackathons reproduce existing imaginaries that cast digital technologies as effective, quick-fix solutions; tech companies as innovation experts and humanitarian actors; and refugees as entrepreneurial subjects not in need of aid but of platforms and market opportunities. Thus, while humanitarian hacking has limited impact for the intended beneficiaries, it produces value for hackathon participants and the sponsor organizations. Crucially, humanitarian hacking places tech companies at the forefront of humanitarian aid for refugees and reaffirms humanitarian innovation policy narratives and Silicon Valley corporate humanitarianism.",

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doi = "10.1093/jrs/feae017",

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N2 - Hackathons have become popular for helping refugees, among NGOs, volunteers, and corporations but their material impact has been limited. This article explores two Techfugees hackathons in Copenhagen organized with support from Google. The article conceptualizes humanitarian hacking as a space where refugee aid meets digital capitalism by examining the practices of ‘hacking the refugee crisis’ within the analytical framework of critical refugee and humanitarian innovation literature. Rather than providing novel digital solutions, hackathons reproduce existing imaginaries that cast digital technologies as effective, quick-fix solutions; tech companies as innovation experts and humanitarian actors; and refugees as entrepreneurial subjects not in need of aid but of platforms and market opportunities. Thus, while humanitarian hacking has limited impact for the intended beneficiaries, it produces value for hackathon participants and the sponsor organizations. Crucially, humanitarian hacking places tech companies at the forefront of humanitarian aid for refugees and reaffirms humanitarian innovation policy narratives and Silicon Valley corporate humanitarianism.

AB - Hackathons have become popular for helping refugees, among NGOs, volunteers, and corporations but their material impact has been limited. This article explores two Techfugees hackathons in Copenhagen organized with support from Google. The article conceptualizes humanitarian hacking as a space where refugee aid meets digital capitalism by examining the practices of ‘hacking the refugee crisis’ within the analytical framework of critical refugee and humanitarian innovation literature. Rather than providing novel digital solutions, hackathons reproduce existing imaginaries that cast digital technologies as effective, quick-fix solutions; tech companies as innovation experts and humanitarian actors; and refugees as entrepreneurial subjects not in need of aid but of platforms and market opportunities. Thus, while humanitarian hacking has limited impact for the intended beneficiaries, it produces value for hackathon participants and the sponsor organizations. Crucially, humanitarian hacking places tech companies at the forefront of humanitarian aid for refugees and reaffirms humanitarian innovation policy narratives and Silicon Valley corporate humanitarianism.

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KW - Digital kapitalisme

KW - Flygtninge

KW - Tech virksomheder

KW - Humanitær Innovation

KW - Hackathons

KW - Digital Humanitarianism

KW - Digital Capitalism

KW - Refugees

KW - Technology corporations

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Humanitarian hacking: Merging refugee aid and digital capitalism

Abstract

Emneord

Adgang til dokumentet

Projekter

DIIS Tech Group

Corporate-Humanitarian Aid in the Migration Crisis

Presse/Medier

De er ivrige efter at komme ind på markedet for humanitær hjælp. Det ser nemlig godt ud

Citationsformater