Community boost_r inspires, enables and promotes tech for civil participation in transparency and accountability initiatives in the Western Balkans. The project is run by U.G. Zašto ne and the Action SEE network in partnership with TechSoup Europe.
Community boost_r started in October 2012 as an online information hub for those interested in technology for accountability in the Western Balkans. The platform stores articles, videos and infographics on transparency, freedom of information, and open data in the region.
Community boost_r was officially launched at TechCamp gathering for more than 100 activists, technologists and civil society representatives in Sarajevo, BiH. As the community came together on Boost_r TechSoup worked with local partners to launch a challenge campaign.to source the best web or mobile ideas for social projects in Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia. Throughout the challenges, Fundacja TechSoup, Dokukino, Zašto ne, and IPKO Foundation managed a series of offline events around the country to bring together communities of programmers and social innovators, raise profile around the social justice discussion and share results.
The process wrapped up with the community boost_r camp – a participant-driven “un-conference.” The camp, November 7-8, 2013 in Sarajevo, aimed to present practical tools for engaging citizens and harnessing data in transparency and accountability projects. Local examples and leaders took center stage, while international trainers participated to share tools that accelerate local projects.
Community boost_r was run by TechSoup Europe in partnership with Zašto ne from Bosnia and Herzegovina), Foundation Dokukino from Serbia, Kosovo 2.0 and then IPKO Foundation from Kosovo. The entire program was supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Balkan Trust for Democracy, and the United States Embassy in Sarajevo.
Community boost_r continues to run as a regional media outlet for everyone interested in Transparency and Accountability in the Western Balkans and beyond. The platform is now being managed entirely by Zašto ne and the Action SEE network.