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Computational Diplomacy: How "hackathons for good" feed a participatory future for multilateralism in the digital age

Thomas Maillart, Lucia Gomez, Ewa Lombard, Alexander Nolte, Francesco Pisano

TL;DR

It is proposed that these events harness the neurobiological basis of human cooperation and empathy, fostering a collective sense of purpose and reducing interpersonal prejudice, and promotes a more inclusive and effective model for digital multilateral governance of the future.

Abstract

This article explores the role of hackathons for good in building a community of software and hardware developers focused on addressing global SDG challenges. We theorise this movement as computational diplomacy: a decentralised, participatory process for digital governance that leverages collective intelligence to tackle major global issues. Analysing Devpost and GitHub data reveals that 30% of hackathons since 2010 have addressed SDG topics, employing diverse technologies to create innovative solutions. Hackathons serve as crucial kairos moments, sparking innovation bursts that drive both immediate project outcomes and long-term production. We propose that these events harness the neurobiological basis of human cooperation and empathy, fostering a collective sense of purpose and reducing interpersonal prejudice. This bottom-up approach to digital governance integrates software development, human collective intelligence, and collective action, creating a dynamic model for transformative change. By leveraging kairos moments, computational diplomacy promotes a more inclusive and effective model for digital multilateral governance of the future.

Computational Diplomacy: How "hackathons for good" feed a participatory future for multilateralism in the digital age

TL;DR

It is proposed that these events harness the neurobiological basis of human cooperation and empathy, fostering a collective sense of purpose and reducing interpersonal prejudice, and promotes a more inclusive and effective model for digital multilateral governance of the future.

Abstract

This article explores the role of hackathons for good in building a community of software and hardware developers focused on addressing global SDG challenges. We theorise this movement as computational diplomacy: a decentralised, participatory process for digital governance that leverages collective intelligence to tackle major global issues. Analysing Devpost and GitHub data reveals that 30% of hackathons since 2010 have addressed SDG topics, employing diverse technologies to create innovative solutions. Hackathons serve as crucial kairos moments, sparking innovation bursts that drive both immediate project outcomes and long-term production. We propose that these events harness the neurobiological basis of human cooperation and empathy, fostering a collective sense of purpose and reducing interpersonal prejudice. This bottom-up approach to digital governance integrates software development, human collective intelligence, and collective action, creating a dynamic model for transformative change. By leveraging kairos moments, computational diplomacy promotes a more inclusive and effective model for digital multilateral governance of the future.
Paper Structure (17 sections, 3 equations, 4 figures)

This paper contains 17 sections, 3 equations, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Peer production, collective action and productive bursts
  4. Hackathons as Collaborative Kairos Moments
  5. Neurobiological Basis for Purpose and Collective Innovation
  6. Theory and Hypotheses
  7. Results
  8. Hackathons as temporary technological hubs for tackling global challenges
  9. Hackathons as exogenous critical shocks
  10. New participants in hackathons
  11. Discussion
  12. Why computational diplomacy can work? A psycho-biological perspective
  13. Three concrete cases for computational diplomacy
  14. Peer production of software code and hardware designs
  15. Conflict Resolution
  16. ...and 2 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Hackathon alignment with Sustainable Development Goals.A. Number of SDG-related hackathons over time. B. Percentage of SDG-related hackathons over time and linear fit trend(red dashed line). C. Percentage split by SDG.
  • Figure 2: Distribution of hackathons using specific technology sets. Heatmap gradient color-coding from 0% (white) to 4.6% (black). X-axis displays one column per SDG, y-axis shows one row per technology. Technologies are color-coded by major categories (see right legend).
  • Figure 3: GitHub dynamics surrounding hackathon dates (stacked over all hackathons).A. Number of repositories created stacked over all hackathons. B. Average events created during and after hackathons (event amplitude normalised). $t=0$ is the hackathon starting date.
  • Figure 4: Hackathons as attractors of new participants and recurrence.A. Count of hackathons by ratio of new participants. B. Ratio of new participants as a function of hackathon size ($n$ participants). C. Complementary cumulative distribution function of the number of hackathons attended per participant.