Looking to make a difference? Microsoft, Google, The World Bank and Yahoo! are inviting software developers, independent hackers and students to participate in the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) event on December 4 and 5 in over a dozen locations around the world.

This progressive initiative brings together volunteer hackers and experts in disaster risk management for a weekend-long hacking event to create software solutions that can help mitigate or respond to disasters around the world and save lives.  RHoK provides an opportunity to meet and work with top software developers and experts from around the world, create new applications, and maybe even win some prizes while you are at it. 

The December 4th and 5th RHoK event will be held simultaneously in multiple locations around the world. The five main stages will be in Chicago, Sao Paolo, Aarhus, Nairobi and Bangalore; and there will be over a dozen satellite events in other global cities. To find a location near you, see the latest list on the RHoK website.

 

The first RHoK event, RHoK #0, held in November 2009, resulted in applications that were later used during the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.   RHoK #1 - held simultaneously in six countries around the world in June 2010 - produced a tool that allows engineers to easily visualize landslide risk to help guide urban and rural development and building planning. This application is currently being piloted in the Caribbean by the World Bank.

 Join us on December 4th and 5th.  Visit www.rhok.org to learn more and register.

 -Nandita