BiH Innovation Lab Opens on Thursday in Sarajevo

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About 100 journalists, programmers, designers, bloggers, photographers, activists, students and interested individuals will gather at the Grand Hotel Sarajevo, from June 28 to June 30, 2012, to work on innovativee technology solutions that aim to address a list of social prolems and needs.

The Innovation Lab programme, organized by the Internews Office in BiH and the Foundation OneWorld Platform for Southeast Europe (OneWorldSEE), aims to raise the awareness about the potential of technological tools and their capacity to offer reliable information to the citizens who can then hold the government institutions accountable for their actions or react to different events and developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Innovation Lab poster„The Innovation Lab promotes the use of new media as platform for participation in public spaces when addressing issues of relevance to the citizens and the media, thus contributing to the creation of an independent media space in the country“, says Valentina Pellizzer, executive directress of OneWorldSEE.

The digital tools and the new media transform the ways of communication and work of media and civil society organisation, and play an important role in the free flow of information.

„We will gather in one place the ideas, the people and the digital tools to build internet solutions for problems in society, all in 48 hours. For me, social changes are changes for better, changes that improve the lives of the citizens“, says Sue Folger, director of the Internews Office in BiH.

During the Innovation lab, practical work will be done on development of the ten selected ideas for positive social change. At the conclusion, the jury of BiH and international representatives of the media, civil society and IT community, will choose the three best ideas that will win valuable monetary and other prizes (3000 BAM for the 1st prize, 2000 BAM for the 2nd and 1000 BAM for the 3rd Prize).

During the programme, the IT corner stands with IT professionals in different fields will offer support, share their knowledge and give practical demonstration how participants can complete desired objects and ideas. Among others, representatives of prominent international organizations, the Tactical Technology Collective and TechSoup Global will offer their knowledge and experience with the participants of the Innovation Lab.

The presentation of the best ideas and the awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 30, 2012, a the Kriterion Art Cinema, at 20:00 hours.

For additional information contact Šejla Dizdarević, new media and communications coordinator at OneWorldSEE, by e-mail on sejla.dizdarevic@oneworldsee.org, or by phone at 063 640 410.