Our Life is on WhatsApp: Building Tools for Community Organisers with Matrix
WhatsApp isn't just a messaging app – it's where communities live, organise, and grow, especially in the UK. From neighbourhood groups to national movements, WhatsApp is the backbone of modern organising. But are we using it to its full potential?
Join us for a hackday exploring how the Matrix ecosystem can leverage WhatsApp's capabilities to strengthen our movements and communities.
Every day, organisers manage multiple WhatsApp groups, coordinate actions, share resources, and build community on their phones. We know the challenges: managing overwhelming message volumes, keeping track of important information, coordinating across multiple groups, and maintaining meaningful connections with community members. What if we could make these tasks easier? What if we could build tools that work the way organisers actually use WhatsApp?
WhatsApp intentionally make it difficult to build automations, but it’s possible using a bridge to Matrix, an open source messaging protocol. We’ll be joined by representatives from the Matrix Foundation, and also John Evans, creator of Spacetube. Spacetube is a great example of an innovative community tool built on Matrix, which tries to solve the problem of how one group can speak to another group.
Join Newspeak House and Campaign Lab for a Matrix hackday, we'll bring together community organisers, developers, and activists to create practical solutions for real-world organizing challenges
Who Should Attend
Community organizers and activists
Developers interested in social impact
Anyone managing large WhatsApp communities
What to Bring
Your laptop