civic media: my presentation to social media breakfast boston

Civic  Media:Helping  Communi3es  

Solve  Their  Own  

SMB  Boston  Dec.  16,  2010

It  is  wonderful  to  create.Akira  Kurosawa

Everything  is  Changing

Technology  and  the  Internet,  and  their  role  in  our  lives  and  our  society,  has  changed  how  we  communicate,  get  and  share  informa8on,  the  media  we  consume,  and  the  reasons  we  engage  with  each  other  -­‐  online  and  offline.  The  effects  of  these  changes  are  being  felt  by  all  of  us,  every  day,  all  the  8me.

Seven  Main  Tools

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The  Market  needs  the  Community

The  Community  needs  help

h@p://afrorise.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/mobile-­‐vs-­‐fixed.jpg

Short  Messaging  Service  (SMS)

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Why  SMS?

• Over  half  the  world’s  popula8on  owns  a  mobile  phone  

• Simple  messaging  service  (SMS)  is  universal  • Collect  data  from  many  people  all  at  once• Coordinate  complex  workflows  and  groups  • Mul8ple  SMS  plaTorm  op8ons:  RapidSMS,  Ushahidi,  Text  for  Change

On-­‐the-­‐Go  Communica3on

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RapidSMS  in  the  Field

• Remote  health  diagnos8cs

• Nutri8onal  surveillance

• Community  discussions

• “Depu8zed”  data  collec8on

• Registering  children  in  public  health  campaigns

Case  Study:  h@p://www.rapidsms.org/case-­‐studies/malawi-­‐nutri8onal-­‐surviellence/

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Mapping

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Why  Mapping?

• Create  a  common  resource  for  all  to  use

• Inherently  social  ac8vity

• Spurs  conversa8on  and  discussion

• Iden8fy  resources,  data  trends,  and  needs

Shared  Community  Vision

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Case  Study:  MapKibera.org

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Africa’s  largest  slum  blank  spot

Opportunity

• Accurate  local  informa8on  was  needed  to  make  informed  decisions  about  the  risks  and  vulnerabili8es  related  to  health  and  protec8on

• The  ac8vity  of  mapping  was  seen  as  a  way  to  also  raise  awareness  and  spur  advocacy  opportuni8es  related  to  HIV  and  AIDS  vulnerability

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Strategy

• Youth  Sec8on  (DOC),  HIV/AIDS  sec8on,  UNICEF  Kenya,  and  Open  Street  Map  partnered

• Enlisted  13  youth  to  serve  on  mapping  team

• Combined  tradi8onal  mapping  techniques  with  digital  tools  to  create  a  robust  overlay

• Results  shared  online  and  used  to  iden8fy  trouble  spots  needing  a@en8on

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Integrated  Media

• Website  features  content  from:– Twi@er– Blog– Flickr– YouTube  (KiberaNewsNetwork)– SMS  reporters

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Results

• Most  detailed  child  protec8on,  public  safety  and  girls  vulnerability  map  of  Kibera  available  publicly

• Broadened  percep8on  of  vulnerability  amongst  young  girls,  including  recogni8on  assets  that  reduce  the  risk  of  HIV  transmission

• Strengthened  IT  literacy  and  awareness  of  open  source  tools  for  par8cipants

• Increased  impact  of  girls  and  young  women  in  the  governance  process  and  facilitated  direct  improvements  in  services  and  accountability

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Relevant  Links

h@p://www.mapkibera.org

h@p://www.mapkibera.org/blog/

h@p://voiceohibera.org/

h@p://blog.mapquest.com/2010/09/14/map-­‐kibera/

h@p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGlMw0N7P1c

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Case  Study:  Jokko  Ini8a8ve

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Tex>ng  as  literacy  tool

Opportunity

• Mobile  technology  recognized  as  a  way  to:– Increase  scope  of  community-­‐wide  events

–More  efficiently  diffuse  innova8ons  and  collec8ve  decisions

– Amplify  the  voices  of  tradi8onally  marginalized  people

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Strategy

• Youth  Sec8on  (DOC)  and  UNICEF  Senegal  partnered  with  Tostan  Interna8onal  to  deliver  their  Community  Empowerment  Program  (CEP)

• Mobile  Phone  =  Pedagogical  Tool  +  Social  Mobiliza8ons  Catalyst  +  Economic  Resource

• Empower  women  and  girls  to:  – Increase  literacy  – Build  consensus  around  development  ac8vi8es– Amplify  their  voices

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More  than  Literacy

• The  Jokko  Ini8a8ve  is  iden8fying  mobile  services  to  serve  needs  of  rural  communi8es– RapidForum  –  SMS-­‐based  community  board  to  publicize  community-­‐led  ini8a8ves

– RapidMonitor  –  community-­‐led  real  8me  repor8ng  service  for  local  development  ini8a8ves

– JokkoDiaspor@  –  a  website  facilita8ng  diaspora  outreach  using  SMS  updates

– JokkoTelecenter  –  training  and  ini8al  materials  to  oufit  local  centers  with  portable  solar  powered  charging  sta8ons  where  individuals  can  recharge  phone  and  purchase  small  amounts  of  credits  

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Using  Cell  Phone:From  58%  to  98%

Send/Receive  Texts:  From  57%  to  65%

Results

• 15  villages  joined  the  SMS  community  forum:– Sta8s8cally  significant  increase  in  literacy  scores– Decline  in  number  of  people  scoring  on  lower  end  of  the  numeracy  tests  (only  gesng  one  or  zero  ques8ons  correct)

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Supplemental  Survey  Results

• A  total  of  570  messages  sent  over  five  months– 31%:  Social  mobiliza8on  (announcing  inter-­‐village  mee8ngs,  etc.)

– 27%:  Health  related  (sharing  info  about  mosquito  net  distribu8on,  etc.)

– 12%:  Personal  messages  (gree8ngs,  etc.)

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Relevant  Links

h@p://www.jokkoini8a8ve.org

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