AGILE

Media independence Misinformation Resilience

HACKATHON: WHEN COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE REINVENTS ACCESS TO INFORMATION

A large-scale hackathon. With an ambition that is even greater: to strengthen the resilience of independent media, particularly in regions where economic, political and technological pressures are undermining the information ecosystem. Last winter, Astana was transformed into a hub for journalistic innovation. 

In Astana, Kazakhstan, in November 2025, innovation took on a very tangible form: that of a hackathon. This pilot event was part of the AGILE (Advancing Global Innovation and Learning Effectively) project, funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium comprising Internews Europe, CFI, Thomson Media, Article 19 and FOJO. For three days, people from the worlds of journalism, digital development, academia and civil society, hailing from four Central Asian countries, pooled their expertise to try to answer a simple yet urgent question: how can we ensure access to reliable information in fragile contexts? In Central Asia, the lack of verified information is no abstract concept. It is fuelled by very real circumstances: poverty, language barriers and the digital divide. All these factors leave the field open to disinformation, which is amplified by social media. 

Bringing different voices together, breaking down barriers between worlds

In this context, the challenge is not merely to produce information, but to make it accessible, understandable and reliable for as many people as possible. Faced with these challenges, the Astana hackathon adopted a resolutely collaborative approach: bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to devise solutions rooted in local realities. The first notable feature was the composition of the teams. Over 95 per cent of participants were women. This is far from a trivial statistic in a region where women’s access to the technology and media sectors often remains limited. Here, they took centre stage, embodying an inclusive dynamic that is reshaping the landscape of innovation.

Artificial intelligence: a new tool

Throughout the discussions and round-table sessions, ideas flowed, were debated and refined. Among them, one theme kept recurring: that of artificial intelligence. Not as a distant prospect or an abstract promise, but as a tool that can already be harnessed to meet concrete needs. Translating content into under-represented languages, moderating hate speech, and facilitating the dissemination of reliable information to marginalised audiences: these were just some of the avenues explored collectively. This resolutely pragmatic approach stands in stark contrast to certain technological discourses that are out of touch with reality.

Solutions rooted in local communities

Following on from this hackathon, CFI has awarded grants to three organisations: in Tajikistan, the ‘Gulrukhsor’ Women’s Centre proposes to use AI to adapt and translate content aimed at marginalised women, whilst enhancing their digital security. In Kyrgyzstan, the Media Consulting Development Foundation aims to enhance its MediaMap.kg platform to better detect disinformation and toxic discourse, in both Kyrgyz and Russian. Finally, the TilTap project, led by Danazat, is using chatbots via Telegram and WhatsApp to facilitate dialogue between content creators in the cross-border Fergana Valley.

Changing the game

Beyond the solutions themselves, a methodology is taking shape. It lies in this approach to bringing together worlds that rarely intersect: the media, technology and civil society. It lies in this ability to develop, from very practical constraints, solutions rooted in local practices and local communities. More than just a stage in the AGILE project, the Astana hackathon already embodies its spirit: experimenting, connecting, and fostering collective responses where divisions once seemed too deep.