NCCM LAUNCHES HACKATHON, #HACKHATECANADA, TO TACKLE ONLINE HATE

(Toronto – August 26, 2021)  

Today, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) is honoured to launch an exciting initiative to tackle the growing problem of online hate. As online hate continues to be an ongoing challenge faced by diverse communities, and as governments work with organizations like NCCM to develop policy-solutions to challenge online hate, we are delighted to launch the #HackHateCanada competition. #HackHateCanada will bring together Canadian coders, developers, and thinkers to build new tools to tackle online hate and misinformation.   

“Online hate continues to pose a danger to minority and racialized communities in Canada. We’ve had days on the Hill about it. We’ve testified in Parliament about it. We’ve worked with the government on building out policy solutions to confront it. Now, we are mobilizing Canada’s diverse tech sector to combat online hate. Alongside critical changes at the policy level, we need innovative solutions to tackle hate in all its forms. #HackHateCanada gives us the chance to do just that, with the help of talented individuals from around the country, highly respected judges, and industry partners,” said Nima Macci, who is the Program Coordinator for NCCM.  

The competition will be judged by a panel of prominent leaders, including but not limited to:  

  • Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, the President and Vice-Chancellor of Ryerson University  
  • Ginella Massa, a leading Canadian television journalist and host of CBC News Network’s Canada Tonight  
  • Yung Wu, CEO of MaRS Discovery District and co-founder of Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR)  
  • Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods  

Participants will have the opportunity to work alongside and dialogue with high-profile industry partners, including Facebook Canada, Google Canada, and TikTok Canada as they build their designs. The winning proof of concept will be awarded up to $50,000 of seed funding to develop their innovation.   

More information on the initiative and a link to sign up for the competition can be found on https://www.nccm.ca/hackathon/.  

#HackHateCanada is made possible in part by the Government of Canada.