Frena la curva (Stope the curve in Spanish) is a citizen platform and community where volunteers, entrepreneurs, volunteers, social organisations and makers together with public and open innovation labs collaborate to channel and organize the social energy and resilience to face the COVID19 pandemic. Frena la curva is an answer from civil society that complements the government and essential public social services. It originated in Aragón (Spain) and has organically expanded to many different countries in Latin America.
In two weeks Frena la curva has a few hundred people from many different sectors voluntarily involved in multiple tasks: web developers, graphic designers, community organisers, etc. Frena la curva is not just a guide of all kind of grassroots, public and private initiatives that have arisen due to this health crisis, but also a live online map that puts together people in need with people that can give support in different spheres.
Frena la curva also leads a specific initiative focused on the home-made production and donation of face masks and face screen protectors. In addition, it has launched the Distributed Citizen Laboratory with 12 social innovation projects aimed at improving a social problem linked to the current health crisis. These projects involve 200 multidisciplinary participants for an intense process of five days work.

Frena la curva aims at connecting initiatives arisen during the health crisis with people in need or that want to support other citizens. It started as a self-help idea focused in connecting initiatives by all and for all, and quickly developed to an agile digital mapping tool and forum that not only connects people but also boosts ideas that could improve COVID19 originated social problems through its Distributed Citizen Lab.
Frena la curva’s expected impact is to help reduce the COVID incidence curve in the countries where it operates thanks to civic innovation, collective intelligence and collaboration.

LAAAB, Open Government Lab of Aragon
Government of Aragon
Impact Hub
Coordinadora de Voluntariado
Colaborabora
Medialab Prado
Citilab
Las naves
Biko

One of our main challenges is to reach the most vulnerable population, where help and civic support are most needed at this moment. It’s difficult to access certain layers of society and we’re now directing our efforts and resources to access other networks and social organisations that can channel Frena la curva to these groups. The community and tool are now launched – and growing organically by the hour!, however we need to optimis e its social impact by accessing all types of beneficiaries.