As it nears its full launch date, Mahallae, the pioneering online platform for civic engagement, is organizing a series of events that will take place in the Buffer Zone. First in a series of events, Mahallae will be introduced to the public during a meet-up event on January 23, 2020 at the Home for Cooperation and CCMC will be there showcasing their work as well! During the event, guests will have the opportunity to interact with the creative teams, whose efforts are hosted on the platform. The event is designed to not only give the public a chance to learn more about the platform but also to test various interactive tools which combine technology with civic engagement. Speaking about the series of events, members of the Mahallae team Mehmet Erdoğan and Ellada Evangelou expressed their excitement for this project. “We are excited to have the opportunity to present the public with another taste of the Mahallae platform”, said Mehmet, to which Ellada added “The final platform will not only incorporate interactive tools such as games, videos and apps, but also it will be a space for inter-regional civil society collaborations to take place as well.”
dea-sourcing Workshop takes place on Jan 24
During a workshop later in the week, the creative team behind Mahallae will help participants come up with innovative ideas for the Mahallae Challenges that will be announced in March of this year, by taking them through a process of facilitated brainstorming. With five hands-on activities, the workshop will give participants tools to help think outside the box and find creative solutions that use technology for social change. Participants are also given a chance come up with concrete ideas that they may later use to submit to the Challenge when it is officially announced.
In early 2014, Mahallae will launch its first Challenge, inviting social innovators to come up with innovative ideas to tackle challenges in different areas relating to social cohesion and reconciliation. Winning ideas will receive grants to be developed into projects.
The workshop will take place at Home For Cooperation, between 9:30 and 14:00.
The efforts for the establishment of the Mahallae platform builds on the longstanding partnership between UNDP-Action for Cooperation and Trust and Cypriot civil society. Built in collaboration with the Mahallae and bringing together a number of civil society actors together, including Peace Players, Cyprus Community Media Centre (CCMC), Management Centre, the NGO Support Centre, Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), Mediators and Conflict Resolution Trainers, Youth Power, and Language Bridge. More information on mahallae can be found at the Mahallae Facebook Page or Mahallae Twitter account.