Everything in life was going as per the plan until the Covid-19 pandemic created havoc all over the world. Covid-19 [or Novel Coronavirus] is causing a significant impact on individual lives, businesses, as well as the economy.
Social distancing and remote working will be the new normal and it is going to stay with us in the post-Covid-19 world as well. Major pharmaceutical companies are partnering with government agencies for vaccine development which is the need of the hour to stop the spread of the pandemic.
Till the time vaccine is not available, efforts should be put to mitigate the impact of a global pandemic like Covid-19. Across the world, the pandemic has put immense pressure on the public healthcare systems. It also serves as a wake-up call that the impact caused by us on the environment is not just about carbon emissions [Source].
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare, education, and economic systems and the only way to fight back this menace is via technology.
Through Call for Code 2020, IBM invites developers, data scientists, and problem solvers from across the globe to build solutions that can help seize and reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with #Covid19, the second track of Call for Code 2020 is building technology solutions for reversing [or halting] the impact caused by climate change.
Introduction to #CallForCode
Call for Code is a global campaign started by David Clark Cause in the year 2018. Since then, IBM has been the founding partner of Call for Code. As outlined above, the multi-year global initiative is a call to developers, data scientists, and change-makers to drive positive changes across the globe by amalgamating their skills with the power of latest technologies.
The Carbon footprint has reduced considerably as people are staying indoors to control the spread of the pandemic. Once the lockdown is over, carbon emissions will again increase causing an impact on climate change. In a nutshell, #Covid19 & Climate Change are two pressing issues that need immediate attention. Call for Code 2020 could be the ideal platform for developers & problem solvers to create impactful & lasting solutions.
Why #CallForCode?
The harsh reality is that we are living in unprecedented times and it does not matter whether you are staying in India, USA, Japan, or any other country in the world. The #Covid19 pandemic has brought our lives to a screeching halt and open-source technology can help in combating the impact of the pandemic.
All the industries are doing their bit to fight the pandemic but the impact can be multiplied if passionate people who are sitting on the fence get together to create a change. Call for Code has always been about creating a positive impact by using technological tools to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Since its inception, Call for Code has been about using technology for the betterment of society.
Call for Code 2020 provides a platform to the developers and technology enthusiasts to turn their passion into purpose and reverse the impact of climate change, along with reducing the impact of #Covid19.
Developers – Be the change you want to see
The positive effect of the Covid-19 pandemic is that nature got its time to recover and revive. The pandemic has brought the entire world together, including technology companies that are collaboratively working to fight Covid-19. Technology has become even more relevant in sectors such as education, retail, community cooperation, etc. and it is time to use the goodness of technology to fight against Covid-19 and climate change.
Call for Code is a program that is considered the largest tech-for-good-challenge of its kind. Open-source solutions built as a part of #CallforCode 2020 will have an immediate, as well as, lasting impact as the entire world is battling through the crisis of #Covid19 [in the short & medium term] and climate change [in the long-term].
Development Tracks for #CallforCode 2020
Mother earth is rejuvenating itself with humans staying indoors due to Coronavirus. This has made many of us realize that nature is an integral part of our lives and each one of us has to take incremental steps to combat climate change. Why climate change? It has the potential to impact every industry, human, and every living organism on the planet.
The global population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, which could further exert immense pressure on the earth’s resources. By 2100, global temperatures would further increase by 3~5 degrees [Source].
Technology is the only tool that can reverse these trends and #CallforCode is the platform that aids in driving change. The two development tracks [or sub-categories] under Call for Code 2020 are more relevant than ever before:
Developers and change-makers across the globe can come forward and solve problems related to the problems that require immediate attention. IBM provides all necessary resources, tool kits, and products through which one can solve problems related to the tracks.
Starter kits provide quick-start guides that aid in understanding the scope of the problem and build applications in a matter of minutes. The starter kit related to Covid-19 is available here. You can also have a look at the overall resources around the IBM response to #Covid19 here. Starter kits, technical resources, and reference materials related to Climate change are available here.
How to participate in #CallforCode 2020
With Call for Code 2020, you can use your skills for the betterment of society. To participate in Call for Code 2020, perform the following steps:
- Accept the Challenge – Create your IBM Id & join the challenge by clicking on https://cloud.ibm.com/registration.
- Build with open-technology – Learn how you can make the most of resources like code patterns, expert videos, and tutorials to build your idea.
- Find your squad – Check whether you need support from the community, be it finding teammates, meeting experts, asking questions, or just sharing ideas.
- Submit your idea – Briefly how the idea was built. Submit the same with the participation agreement and stand a chance to win $200,00.
The final submissions deadline is July 31st, with the announcement of Global Challenge winners in October. Developers have the chance to be awarded $200,000, Open source support from the Linux foundation, meetings with mentors and investors, and seeing their solution get deployed through Code and Response to further exemplify using tech for good.
For more information, click on https://developer.ibm.com/callforcode/