Civic Tech Field Guide

Refugees Welcome International

European Union (EU)

The Refugees Welcome International network is united by its shared mission to provide private accommodations for refugees all over the world, with the aims of fostering exchange between refugees and locals, combatting discrimination and prejudice, and supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the establishment of local social networks.

Hababy

European Union (EU)

Hababy is a web app for prenatal, and postnatal care for refugee women.

Watch The Med

European Union (EU)

Watch The Med is an online mapping platform to monitor the deaths and violations of migrants’ rights at the maritime borders of the EU. The WatchTheMed project was initiated as part of the 2012 Boats4People campaign in the Central Mediterranean. Today the project further involves a wide network of organisations, activists and researchers. Through the transnational cooperation with migrants’ rights organisations, activists, researchers, migrants, seafarers active in, around and beyond the Mediterranean and the use of new mapping technologies, WatchTheMed aims to document the deaths and violations that are the structural product of the militarized Southern European border regime. The online map allows to spatialise incidents across the complex legal and political geography of the Mediterranean Sea. Through the accounts of survivors and witnesses, but also the analysis of ocean currents, winds, mobile phone data and satellite imagery, it is possible to determine in which Search and Rescue zone, jurisdictions and operational areas an incident occurred – as well as showing other boats who were in the vicinity of those in distress. Spatialising such information is essential to determine responsibility for violations at sea. Apart from reconstructing past events, the participatory nature of the platform allows many different actors to to indicate ongoing situations of distress. The documentation generated by WatchTheMed seeks to support the work of organisations that defend migrants’ rights, inform migrants of their rights and security at sea, pressure authorities into respecting their obligations at sea, support the ongoing campaigns by the relatives of the dead and disappeared at sea, and support legal proceedings against those who violated the rights of migrants.

Phone Credits for Refugees (PC4R)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

PC4R was set up in February 2016 by James Pearce as a way to provide phone credits to people in refugee camps.

Disaster response and humanitarian tech

pardesi.org.np

South Asia

An information portal for Nepalese migrants to bridge the gap in their access to information.

Community Engagement Center

Sacramento, CA

Gamifying Civic Engagement to Rebuild Community Wealth

Pontem Pro

European Union (EU)

Pontem Pro closes learning gaps and makes the German education system more accessible, understandable and feasible for migrants - for better education, integration and career opportunities.

Jangala

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

Jangala is a technology charity dedicated to providing essential internet access globally, with the goal of connecting 4 million people to the internet by 2030. Founded in 2015 as a volunteer initiative providing Wi-Fi to 5,000 people in the Calais Jungle refugee camp, Jangala offers a unique approach through its novel connectivity solutions, and takes great pride in its strong partnerships with international aid actors, grassroots organisations and public bodies.

CultureLabs

European Union (EU)

The CultureLabs platform aims to systematise and spread knowledge about participatory projects in the field of cultural heritage and beyond. Through its functionalities and the variety of content it provides, it aspires to become a single point of reference for those who wish to organize participatory projects by taking advantage of digital technologies through a human rights lens. Among others, it addresses refugees in Europe through its various initiatives.

MIDEQ

Integreat

European Union (EU)

Integreat provides newcomers with local, municipal level information in several languages.

Resettlement

MeshPoint One

European Union (EU)

MeshPoint One believes that access to Internet is one of basic human rights. Their mission is to enable Internet access and improve the quality of life for people in disaster struck areas. Also by empowering people in rural communities to take action to build their own village telecoms to address disadvantage, become more sustainable and increase local control. Currently, they are focused on Syrian refugees in Croatia.

Zusammenleben Willkommen

TikTok One Content Suite

Find and amplify the best UGC with TikTok One's Content Suite

commercial

Citizen Dialog Kit

Belgium (België / Belgique / Belgien) 🇧🇪

With wireless survey devices, we make it easy to gather the opinions of more and different people.

place-based

Sponsor Lead Service Line Replacement Efforts & Drinking Water Infrastructure

United States of America 🇺🇸

Looking to support public drinking water infrastructure and health equity at scale? Help accelerate the removal of 9.2 million lead service lines nationwide and explore how your brand can be part of a trusted, nationally visible civic tech initiative. See how your organization can make a measurable public health impact through transparent sponsorship opportunities.

Data Umbrella

Data Umbrella is a global community for underrepresented persons in data science.

Exploring a Career in Evaluation & Learning

Data Umbrella's practical introduction to the field of program evaluation

guides

The Young Foundation

PEN America

New York City (NYC / New York, NY)

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Join Us

free speech

Media

Azmeh أزمة

تطبیق "أزمة" ھو تطبیق فلسطیني يعرض حالة الأزمات المرورية التي تفرضھا حواجز الاحتلال

Israel Palestine

2024 Political Tech Landscape Report

United States of America 🇺🇸

Each year, we track developments across the political technology space, providing a window into how our ecosystem is evolving—and what it means for Democratic campaigns and progressive infrastructure. This year’s report focuses on the turbulent 2024 election cycle and the hard lessons it left in its wake.

Doroob

West Bank (al-Ḍiffah al-Gharbīyah)

Updated maps by local staff from your community to match map frequent changes equiped by location services.

apps

The DPI Approach: A Playbook

India (Bhārat) 🇮🇳

This DPI playbook is designed as a practical and public resource that low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in particular can utilize in building an inclusive and rights-based DPI.

Journalist Assistance Network

United States of America 🇺🇸

Journalist Assistance Network to address growing need for legal, safety, immigration resources

immigration

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

United States of America 🇺🇸

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides free legal support and legal resources, including training, direct legal representation, and reporting guides, to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists both nationally and locally in the U.S.

Digital Public Infrastructure For Digital Governments

OECD, Rue André Pascal, Paris, France

This OECD policy paper explores digital public infrastructure (DPI), defined as shared digital systems that are secure and interoperable and that can support the inclusive delivery of and access to public and private services across society.

We Choose Us

United States of America 🇺🇸

A project of the Pro-Democracy Campaign, we aim to highlight commentary, research, and examples of strong organizing, better voter engagement practices, and strategies to make democracy work for all in America.

partisan

civic tech organization property in Wikidata

Wikipedia

Data schemas and standards

Defensive Lab Agency

Paris

Defensive Lab Agency is a French company founded in 2018 by Esther Onfroy with the objective of providing expert services on digital security and software development to civil society organizations.