The ten first round winners of the Pacific Humanitarian Challenge met at the innovationXchange in Canberra, Australia this week. The $2 million Challenge, launched by Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop last year, is generating new, innovative ideas to enable better disaster response in the Pacific. The projects fall in three categories: communication and interpretation of needs, humanitarian logistics, and improving financial resilience.
Some 15 advisors from around the world including the World Food Program, Red Cross and Google’s Alphabet spent time coaching innovators. One of the advisors, Dr. Catherine Bell is a global, independent, innovation, and environmental science consultant. Dr. Ball is also known as the “Dame of Drones.”
Many of the innovators also participated in a live YouTube broadcast to showcase their work. A parallel Twitter chat around #RethinkingResponse helped expand the reach of the challenge beyond Australia.
Learn about the innovators of #RethinkingResponse. The winners will be announced before the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.