crowds, maps and hacks: digital volunteerism and multi-sector collaboration
DESCRIPTION
Govcamp.ca 2011 Talk: Digital Volunteerism and Multi-Sector Collaboration Melanie Gorka, Heather Leson, and Brian Chick will give an introduction to volunteer technical communities who have partnered with international NGO's, the UN, the World Bank and crisis response organizations and have leveraged the power of crowd-sourcing in times of need. Thousands of digital volunteers have been utilized after disasters in Haiti and Chile, and more recently in New Zealand and Japan. Participants collaborate within a number of volunteer technical communities including: CrisisCommons (CrisisCamp), Crisismappers, Ushahidi and Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK). We will present stories of global crowdsourcing, mapping and hackathons. People and communities innovate for crisis response and global development through technology tools, expertise and problem solving. The various groups collaborate in an open environment to aggregate crisis data, map situational awareness, develop prototype tools, run hackathons for social good and train people on how to use technology tools in new and inspiring ways.. Each of us build partnerships with government organizations on how to use crowdsourcing and digital volunteerism in emergency preparedness. This panel will discuss the future of digital volunteerism in Canada and around the world and the way in which these tools can be used for social good in collaboration with local, federal and provincial governments.TRANSCRIPT
Crowds, Maps and Hacks
Melanie Gorka, Brian Chick, and Heather LesonGovCamp June 8, 2011
What if Volunteers….
Use the Internet during an emergency
Sydney, Australia
How would that Work?
What if everyone….
Considered this an asset
It already has.
Innovation is iteration.
The tools to volunteer are different. The motive is the
same.
Crowd.
Community and collaboration come in many forms.
Volunteer Technical Communities Sahana Foundation Ushahidi, Swift River and Crowdmap OpenStreetMap Frontline SMS Crisismappers CrisisCommons Random Hacks of Kindness Humanity Road Geeks without Bounds HFOSS and more
Many volunteer groups and individuals
collaborate on projects bringing all their networks
and unique skills.
Strangers volunteer in solidarity.
Crisis Commons is a global network of volunteers who use creative problem solving and open technologies to help people and communities in times and
places of crisis.
Crisis Commons members organize response events called CrisisCamps.
What do we do?
Code, test tools, translate, map, wiki, Twitter, Facebook, communicate, collaborate, plan, coordinate, iterate, brainstorm, research, analyze, report, broker relationships, create content, videos, pictures, slideshare, and document
Applied Social Media
CrisisCamp CrisisCamp BogotaBogota
CrisisCamps for Haiti and Chile response
90 days8 countries50 events+2000 volunteers
Crisis Camp Day of Learning
Bringing together Emergency Managers from the Government of Ontario with Coders, Crisis Campers and Mappers to create a vision for multi-sector collaboration.
Tools:Long Distance Wifi
Language and translation ToolsSituational Awareness
Ushahidi and OpenStreetMap surge support
Team Canada
Case Map study
A map is not a process or a
movement alone. The people who create,
curate, communicate and nurture the content make it
possible.
(Liberally quoting and remixing George Chamales, KonpaGroup)
Ushahidi 101:
•Ask: What do you see? What do you need?•Bubbles = # of reports•Each report has a category or categories.•Volunteers research, add and verify these reports.•Reports can be submitted by email, social media, web form, or SMS.
What if you read a text message (SMS) and could help your neighbour?
+ Text message + short code
+ Report
+ Read, search, document and categorize
+ Map
Mobile phones are global.
Eq.org.nz
What did they create?
4 days995 reports (verified and mapped)
82,121 unique visitorsFrom 65 countries
100s of local volunteers Global volunteers and observers
Japan
http://www.sinsai.info/ushahidi/
What about Canada?
Skfloods.ca
http://www.globalnews.ca/story.html?id=4641910
But the goal is also to encourage civic participation. “It’s a way to spark civic engagement. People aren’t just consumers of information, they’re contributors to the story,” says Zak.
Read it on Global News: Mapping the Manitoba and Saskatchewan floods
Hacks
Random Hacks of Kindness 1.0June 2010 - 5 countries500 volunteers
RhoK Sydney, Australia
Random Hacks of Kindness 2.0December 201010 countries, 21 cities1000 volunteers
Population Centers in Disaster
June 4 – 5, 2011Winning Hacks, Apps and Multi-City CollaborationRhok.org
Random Hacks of Kindness 3.0
39
What’s next?
How can Governments Partner with VTC’s
Contact and Credits
[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @leftbutton
@rhokto /@crisiscampto@ushahidi/@crisismappers@crisiscamp /@crisiscommons RHoK.orgCrisiscommons.org
Photos by: heatherleson, Brian Chick, Cynthia Gould, Tolmie Macrae,Luis Aguilar, gordasm