WEB-FOREGROUND

AFS Global Ideathon

How can we create sustainable solutions for a more just and peaceful world? Every year the AFS Global Ideathon gathers undress of people from different countries and time zones to tackle global challenges they choose themselves. Our event is fully online and 48 hours long (a marathon for ideas = ideathon) and is run by AFS volunteers.

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Connecting for Global Change at the 2024 Ideathon

Around 100 eager young people from all continents embarked on the Fourth AFS Global Ideathon, taking place May 31st to June 2nd 2024.

Our Ideathoners were most eager to tackle the following topics:

  • Education: free access to quality education for all and to refugee children
  • The environment, ecology & climate: improvement of waste management, stopping plastic from reaching the ocean, climate catalysts and water smart movement
  • Gender equality: its social, cultural and economic aspects
  • Volunteering: supporting communities while managing one’s own well being

The participants developed their ideas through well thought out milestones, using the design-thinking approach as a way of coming from a problem to a solution.

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The motivation

At AFS we believe that change is the only constant. 100 years ago AFS was a humanitarian organization picking up the wounded from the battlefields in two World Wars. It transformed into an international organization that builds intercultural understanding to create a more just and peaceful world. Read more about the AFS mission.

Over the years we have always found innovative methods to bring people together. We want to be part of the change that will shape a sustainable future for intercultural exchange and contribute to a more just and peaceful world. Therefore we want to offer an opportunity to explore innovative ideas, new approaches and new solutions at the Ideathon. We want to rethink, reshape, and expand the concept of AFS to continue to fulfill its mission.

How does the Ideathon work?

During the event you will work in small groups with other participants who want to help come up with exciting new solutions to a specific challenge. We provide all ideathoners with optional milestone documents to help guide along your process.
There are mentors at hand to help you and your team with find and organize ideas, as well as focus and create solutions.
The organizing team supports you in case of technical issues and other administrational problems.

What should I do?

  1. Sign in as an ideathoner
  2. Check out all the available challenges
  3. Join the slack channel for the challenge you are interested in
  4. Collaborate with your team members to find a solution for the challenge!

2022 Ideathon outcomes

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Check out the challenges and solutions proposed at the latest Ideathon that took place from September 30 to October 2, 2022! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Outcomes of the 2021 Ideathon

2021 Ideathon outcomes

The 2021 AFS Global Ideathon gathered 350 people from 70 countries and 16 time zones to tackle 35 global challenges. For a second year in a row, this 48-hour digital event (a marathon for ideas = ideathon) was run by AFS volunteers on September 24-26, 2021 under the theme “Connecting for Global Change“.

See the proposed solutions
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Outcomes of the 2020 Ideathon

2020 Ideathon outcomes

More than 300 people from 70 countries participated in the AFS Global Ideathon (4-6 September 2020) to work collaboratively on innovative ideas for addressing global challenges. Envisaged as a hackathon for ideas – ideathon, this global 48-hour digital event brought forward solutions to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was designed by dedicated AFS volunteers, more than 50,000 strong worldwide, who are deeply passionate about our global impact and mission to make the world more just and peaceful.

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FAQs

A global 2-day digital event (a marathon for ideas – ideathon) with AFSers (and other interested people) around the world bringing forward solutions for AFS.