Voice of the unheard & home to the homeless

© Copyright by SudaneseOnline.com


Please feel free to send us your Articles , Analysies news and press releases to [email protected]

Top of Page



This report does not necessarily reflect the views of Sudanese Online.com

Front Page  عربى
المنبر العام
 
 Latest News
 
 Articles and Analysies
 
 Press Releases
 
 Photo Gallery
 
 About Sudan
 
 Cards
 
  Sudanese Music
  Sudanese Links
  Discussion Board
 
  2006 News Archives
 
  2006 Articles Archives
  2006 Press R.Archives
 
  2005 News Archives
 
  2005 Articles Archives
  2005 Press R.Archives
  PC&Internet Forum
  Poll System
  Tell A Friend
  Upload Your Picture
  Contact Us


Search

Analysis: Finding space for crowd-sourcing in humanitarian response

Articles and Analysies الصفحة العربية Last Updated: Feb 13, 2011 - 7:24:29 AM

Analysis: Finding space for crowd-sourcing in humanitarian response
Sudaneseonline.com

Email this article
 Printer friendly page
Share
Follow sudanesewebtalk on Twitter

Photo: Digital Opportunity Channel
New technology can improve the efficiency of humanitarian work
NAIROBI, 5 July 2010 (IRIN) - “Crowd-sourcing” is a new buzzword in the world of humanitarian information. The combined power of mobile phones, mapping technology and social networking can enable citizens in crisis to seek help, facilitate aid deliveries, bear witness to abuses and hold governments and aid agencies more accountable, advocates say.

Crowd-sourcing on platforms including Ushahidi, for example, took place on an unprecedented scale after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. According to those involved, the impact it had is undeniable: communities were able to report their needs while accurate street maps were created for humanitarians and search and rescue teams tried to save lives.

"Crowd-sourcing had been used in previous emergencies, such as the Wikis created to map Hurricane Katrina and bird flu, but none seemed to have a life beyond the particular incident," said Microsoft's Nigel Snoad, an adviser to the ICT4Peace Foundation. "But in Haiti, Ushahidi and its partners seemed to have a real impact on the way the humanitarian response worked."

Beyond Haiti

"There is real excitement in the humanitarian community about crowd-sourcing and what it can do for emergency humanitarian response," he added.

But, he says, there needs to be a meeting of minds, with the technology experts ready to develop tools that can contribute meaningfully to humanitarian response and traditional organizations such as the UN being prepared to embrace non-standard methods of handling emergencies.

"Technology developers can affect how and by whom their tools are used by the choices they make; they need to look at validation, protection of data, and so on, and they are doing this," he said. "And traditional actors like the UN have to learn how to bring [in] non-traditional actors and their work, how to channel them, advise them and link them to the humanitarian system while allowing them to remain independent.

"Crowd-sourcing not only brings speed to humanitarian work, it opens it up to allow more effective, non-traditional operators to engage with traditional systems of gathering information," Snoad added. "It would also be a great way to hold humanitarians accountable - to ensure that help promised is actually received."

Glenda Cooper, a fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford, told IRIN: “The cliché is that the aid system is reluctant to welcome innovations like this – however, I think the reverse is true. Citizen journalism, social networking and crowd-sourcing have been embraced enthusiastically by many NGOs. In some cases, too enthusiastically.

Read more
 GLOBAL: Message your way out of a crisis
 GHANA: Cell phones cut maternal deaths
 AFRICA: Text messages highlight drig stock-outs
 SYRIA: WFP pilots SMS food distribution
"Just because you have a Twitter account, or have money to put into a new website, doesn't mean that you use it effectively. The real challenge for NGOs is to learn what they can use effectively – and whether they are duplicating other agencies' work unnecessarily."

Hitches and glitches

"It is important to realize that even in Haiti, crowd-sourcing didn't work perfectly - there are problems with validation and accuracy, and codes of conduct need to be developed... [for example] it is terrible to ask people to report their problems if there is no way to solve them," Snoad warned.

One of the main problems is the unverified nature of the information. “Anyone can now publish rumours or thoughts online, thereby bypassing an editorial process," said Guy Collender, senior communications officer at the London International Development Centre, an academic organization. "Proponents of crowd-sourcing recognise the concerns about the credibility of websites relying on information often generated by anonymous sources. However, they believe the risks of false reporting are more than cancelled out by accurate reports."

Ushahidi, which was created by Kenyans trying to track and mitigate post-election violence in 2008, is trying to address this with a new open source tool, SwiftRiver, which filters large amounts of incoming information to separate the wheat from the chaff using smart algorithms and human operators.

"Crowd-sourcing does not yet have an established standard such as quality control, ground verification or sustainability," said Akiko Harayama, an information analyst with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) New York familiar with the Haiti operation. "Crowd-sourcing is something new, and everything new requires some time to adjust and to improve."

Crowds of volunteers

The formation of partnerships is also critical, humanitarian workers have found. In Haiti, partners such as the SMS service, Mission 4636, students from the American Tufts University,the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Google-affiliated disaster technology service, Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters, Sahana, an open source disaster management system, local phone companies, conventional aid agencies and countless others pitched in. Agencies also closed the loop by devising tools to feed information back to the general population through SMS broadcasts and local radio programming.


Photo: American Red Cross/Matthew Marek
Crowd-sourcing was used on an unprecedented scale in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti
"Without hundreds of individuals monitoring a variety of sources of information and mapping it, this crowd-sourcing operation wouldn't be possible - it is still primarily more about the human input, commitment, dedication and cooperation than about technology," said Ushahidi's Jaroslav Valuch.

"In Haiti, the network of volunteers providing information on the ground, and the number of people volunteering to make sense of this information, was unprecedented," said Snoad. "Communities on the ground played a huge part, and there is a definite need to find a place for them in the ownership of crowd-sourcing."

What next?

A crisis mapping conference in October at Harvard University will address lessons learned from Haiti and other disasters, developing a code of conduct for the technology community and the future of crisis mapping and humanitarian technology.

According to Valuch, for crowd-sourcing to be successful, there is a need for “lessons learned” processes; consultation with humanitarian actors; establishing links, protocols and partnerships before disasters happen; raising awareness about the potential as well as limitations of crowd-sourcing - such as verification of data - and training teams of humanitarian workers in using new crisis mapping tools and collecting their feedback.

kr/bp/mw

اخر الاخبار
  • الاتحاديون.. فرقة لا تبشّر بوحدة
  • مركز دراسات الهجرة بجهاز المغتربين ينظم منتداه الشهري الثالث عن الحراك السكاني
  • وزير الدفاع:لا أستبعد ضربات اسرائيلية أخرى.
  • ديبي يعلن إنطلاق الإنتخابات الرئاسية في تشاد .. والمعارضة تتوعده بمصير القذافي وبن علي
  • والي الجزيرة يقر ببعض الفساد ويكشف عن تدابير في فضيحة دريم لاند
  • الجنوب كسب براءته العقوبات الأمريكية...الشمال مسلسل فشل رفعها مستمر
  • العدل والمساواة تؤكد سيطرتها على منطقة وادي هور وتنفي تواجد قوات الحكومة بها
  • رئيس حركة العدل والمساواة "القيادة الثورية ":السلام خيارنا الاستراتيجي وعلى أتم الاستعداد للجلوس للتفاوض متى تلقينا الدعوة من الوساطة
  • اعتصام اللاجئين السودانيين أمام مفوضية اللاجئين بالقاهرة
  • مأساة 450 دارفوري عالقين في السلوم خوفا من بطش الأمن السوداني .
  • بروفسور حامد تيجاني:النظام السوداني يسعى بكل قوته لتفكيك الدولة للحصول على شرعية دوليه تمكنه من الاستمرار في القمع والبطش
  • أحمد هارون يشرع في تنفيذ تخصصه : احراق سبعة أطفال وثلاث نساء مسنات داخل بيوتهم
  • ممثل حكومة الجنوب في واشنطن يلتقي الرئيس الكيني
  • الرابطة العالمية بأمريكا تشجب وتدين الهجوم الغادر الذى نفذته مليشيات حزب المؤتمر الوطنى فى قرى بجبال النوبة
  • محلل اقتصادي: تعاون جنوب السودان في مكافحة الإرهاب وراء إعفائه من العقوبات الأمريكية
  • العدل والمساواة ترفض الدعوة الإفريقية لحسم منبر الدوحة نهاية الشهر
  • المحــبوب عبد الســـلام: الأمثل للسودان أن نوحد البرامج ونقربها
  • النائب العام المصري يقرر حبس مبارك ونجليه في اتهامات بالفساد المالي وقتل الثوار
  • جاتكوث يشن هجوما عنيفا على هارون.. ويصفه بالمجرم الهارب من وجه العدالة
  • المحبوب عبد السلام: السودان في خطر والحزب الحاكم فوضوي
  • الحكومة الأميركية تعلن عن أن دولة السودان الجنوبي لن تخضع للعقوبات الإقتصادية الأميركية بعد التاسع من يوليو القادم
  • وصال المهدي: استجوبوه مرة واحدة، سألوه عن اسمه، فقال لهم نسيته!!
  • د.جبريل: رأس النظام إنفصالي من الدرجة الأولى و لن نكتفي بالتنديد حيال إستفتاء دارفور.
  • أكثر من 150 طالب جنوبي يعتصمون أمام مكتب حكومة جوبا بالقاهرة للمطالبة بمستحقات مالية متأخرة
  • تباين في الآراء حول صحة الإبقاء على قوات مشتركة مدمجة في أبيي ومناطق البترول
  • ممثل حكومة الجنوب في واشنطن يلتقي وزير الخدمات الطبية والأمين العام للحزب الحاكم في كينيا
  • السفارة السودانية في واشنطن: تقرير الخارجية الأميركية عن السودان غير مهني.. ولا يحتوي على قدر من المصداقية
  • السفير عبدالرحمن سرالختم فى لقاء تنويرى مع الصحفيين السودانيين بالقاهرة
  • وزير الاتصالات وتقانة المعلومات : مشروع الصحة الالكترونية ستتم تبعيته بالكامل لوزارة الصحة الاتحادية
  • تغطية ندوة منتدى التوثيق الشامل للمؤرخ الكبير ضرار صالح ضرار
  • مؤتمر أبناء دينكا تويج ميارديت العالمى الاول ـ ملبورن ـ أستراليا
  • الناطق الرسمي للعدل والمساواة :الحركة ملتزمة بعدم الحركة خارج مناطق سيطرتها.
  • حاكما ولايتي البحيرات وغرب الاستوائية يتوصلان لاتفاق سلام بشأن مايورديت
  • البرنامج الانتخابى للحزب الشيوعى السودانى منظقة جنوب كردفان
  • نيويورك:ندوة عن مستقبل السودان علي خلفية انفصال الجنوب - مطالب الجماهير ونداءات التغيير
  • تنبية هام إلي اللاجئين السودانيين بالقاهرة.
  • زيارة خاصة جداً لأسرة اللواء المعتقل تلفون كوكو
  • استكمالاً للانفصال القوات المسلحة تحزم حقائبها في رحلة العودة شمالاً
  • تقرير الخارجية الأميركية عن أوضاع حقوق الإنسان في العالم يكشف عن إنتهاكات خطيرة للحكومة السودانية
  • وفد من إئتلاف ثورة 25 يناير المصرية يصل الخرطوم اليوم
  • تقرير حول اللقاء الثاني لرابطة أبناء دار فور و المحكمة الجنائية الدولية بباريس
  • د. جبريل: ماذا سيفعل النظام إن عجز الغرب عن إزاحة القذاقي؟ و للنظام أصابع تنخر في عظام الجبهة الوطنية العريضة
  • نشرة جهاز المغتربين (1) لشهر ابريل 2011م
  • نائب رئيس حكومة جنوب السودان يغادر الى اديس ابابا غدا الاحد
  • لقاء للوطني مع الاقتصاديين يتحول إلى نقد عارم للسياسات الاقتصادية للحكومة
  • صحيفتي (اجراس الحرية) و (الميدان) تعلقان صدورهما احتجاجاً علي المصادرة
  • لضبط الحدود الحزام الأمني...تقليل تكلفة المراقبة بحفظ المنافع
  • محمد ابراهيم نقد:السودان (عضمه قوي) ولن (يتفرتق) إذا قامت ثورة شعبية
  • في عقد قران السيد المحجوب الميرغني : كتب صلاح الباشا من داخل مسجد السيد علي ببحري
  • تعيين اتحاد مؤقت لإدارة شئون كرة القدم في جنوب السودان
  • Articles and Analysies
  • The fallacy of "the New South of the North" by Amir Idris
  • U.S. Financed Groups Had Supporting Role in Arab Uprisings by Tarig Mohamed Mohamed-kheir Anter
  • Shy U.S. Intellectual Created Playbook Used in a Revolution Tarig Mohamed Mohamed-kheir Anter
  • Gene Sharp and the Theory of Soft and Undercover Coups d’États By: Tarig Mohamed Mohamed-kheir Anter; Khartoum
  • English: Washington Post: Pregressive Faith: Mohammad Ali Salih, Washington
  • Sharing Lessons Learned From Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. By: Luk Kuth Dak.
  • AU Peace and Security Council Communiqué on Sudan is a Disgrace By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
  • Is African Union Peace and Security Council(PSC) is Peace spoiler in Darfur By Tadjadine Bechir Niam
  • A Solar Energy Market Strategy for South Sudan by Amogpai Ater
  • Jonglei Governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, should immediately resign from his office!!! By: Daniel Abushery Daniel
  • Darfur patiently licking wounds by Abdelgabar Dosa
  • Missyria Horses Saddled to Defend Abyai by Gibreel Musa Ahmed
  • The Nuba Mountains of Central Sudan has the Right to Self-Determination By Yassir A. Kori, Oklahoma City, Ok – USA
  • The significance of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1973 on Libya and its likely impact on the dire situation of the Darfur Conflict Eight Years on By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
  • Kenya's Equity Bank says bullish about 2011
  • What South Sudan Politicians should consider when discussing boarder issue of South Sudan in the advent of South Sudan independence..By Paul Izaru Bilal.
  • Three-State Solution and a New Sudan: Suggestions for a New Constitution By Jimmy Mulla
  • SPLM: NOW IS THE TIME FOR RETALIATION! By: Luk Kuth Dak
  • EXCUSE ME! MAY I OPEN FIRE ON MY OWN PARTY?! By: Daniel Abushery Daniel (USA)
  • Who can convince SPLA/M that development achieves their goals in Abyei better than war by Dr Abdulkarim Gibril Elgoni
  • Higher Democracy Monitoring & Mentoring Organization By: Tarig Mohamed Kheir Anter; Khartoum,
  • Proposed Universal Code of Conduct for Political Parties By: Tarig Mohamed Kheir Anter; Khartoum/ Sudan; Tel.: 00249911636990
  • The Arab League of Shopkeepers! By: Tarig Mohamed Kheir Anter
  • DR LAM’S pre-NEW YORK STORY! By Peter Aban Mujkwan
  • No To Hamas-style Democracy By: Tarig Mohamed Kheir Anter, Khartoum
  • The fighting in Thothim area of the Chollo Kingdom by Peter Karlo
  • The Bogus Humanity of International Community By Izzadine Abdul Rasoul
  • Ghazi Salahaddin the Stealth Spoiler of peace Sabotages the Darfur Peace Talks in Doha By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
  • “I had a dream” about Abyei (1) by Dr Abdul-karim Elgoni
  • Watch out for Khalifa Al Thani Islamic Global Caliphate By: Tarig Mohamed Kheir Anter
  • The challenges of the new Republic of South Sudan!! By: Luk Kuth Dak.
  • Corruption of Some members of Dinka tribe shouldn't be related to Political Tribalism in South Sudan by Garang Akur
  • Hypocrisy of Sudan’s NCP and double Standards of the Arab Media By Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman
  • No to a Pseudo-Islamic REPUBLIC by Badreldin Yousif Dafallah Elsimat
  • All Things Have Fallen Apart by Namaa AL- Mahdi
  • “The new york times” “My Country Divided” by MOHAMMAD ALI SALIH
  • GOSS Cairo office: Corruption of Parmena Mangar and Robert Marial has reached out to Southern Sudanese communities in Cairo. by Lojuan Abdallah
  • An Article On What is Expected from Constitution of South Sudan By Dr. James Okuk
  • International community Deserts Darfur and passes it over to the NCP mercy! By Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman
  • The snake doesn't strike twice from the same hole!! By: Daniel Abushery Daniel (USA)
  • Why House Of Nationalities Is Necessary in Souyth Sudan By R. Mou Run