USAID Hackathon: Redefining the Security Problem
The Challenge
At a USAID innovation challenge, participants were asked to develop solutions to insecurity in Northern Nigeria. Most teams interpreted this as a military or law-enforcement problem.
QE Approach
QE began by rejecting the assumption that violence = security failure. It asked: What drives individuals to violent extremism? Are there socio-behavioral precursors we can address non-militarily? Field data and social research revealed a consistent correlation between drug dependency, unemployment, and aggression in affected regions.
The Discovery
The system was mapped: Actors (Youth, Community, Government, NGOs), Influencers (Substance access, education, peer networks), Barriers (Information scarcity, low literacy, tech limitations). The refined question became: 'How might we reduce the behavioral triggers of extremism through accessible education and localized support?'
Interrogate
QE began by rejecting the assumption that violence = security failure.
It asked:
What drives individuals to violent extremism?
Are there socio-behavioral precursors we can address non-militarily?
Field data and social research revealed a consistent correlation between drug dependency, unemployment, and aggression in affected regions.
Deconstruct
The system was mapped:
Actors → (Youth, Community, Government, NGOs)
Influencers → (Substance access, education, peer networks)
Barriers → (Information scarcity, low literacy, tech limitations).
Reconstruct
The refined question became:
“How might we reduce the behavioral triggers of extremism through accessible education and localized support?”
Design
From that question emerged Paddy Doctor — a decentralized education and support network delivering drug-awareness resources through USSD mobile technology, accessible on basic feature phones.
Users could dial a short code to access information or connect with local support volunteers.
Outcome
The project won second place and was recognized for reframing security as a human-behavioral problem rather than a purely military one. QE proved that when assumptions are interrogated, innovation shifts from control to empowerment — creating impact that is humane, scalable, and context-true.
Would you like to start a project with us?
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