UNESCO BANGKOK APEID CONFERENCE 12 DECEMBER 2007 Paola Di Maio MFU.AC.TH

PILOTING A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION 1. ROLE OF ICT 2. SOCIAL NETWORKS 3. RESILIENT COMMUNITIES 4. GMS 5. OUR PROJECTS!

1. ROLE OF ICT

2. SOCIAL NETWORKS

3. RESILIENT COMMUNITIES 4. GMS 5. OUR PROJECTS!

ROLE OF ICT Role of Information and Knowledge in Social Networks (example:Disaster Preparedness and Emergency) Role of IT and ICT in supporting Information Flow

Role of Information and Knowledge in Social Networks (example:Disaster Preparedness and Emergency)

Role of IT and ICT in supporting Information Flow

ICT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE: People With Information Can Make The Right Decision Information Changes Very Fast, Technology Can Help Us Keep Up To Date Ict Can Help People Find Information And Communicate Very Fast. They can Operate very Fast Many Usages: For Fun, To Improve One's Quality Of Life

INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE Necessary to plan situations Forecast scenarios Communicate Collaborate

Necessary to plan situations

Forecast scenarios

Communicate

Collaborate

ICT TECHNOLOGIES Today information flow is entirely supported by Information and Communications Technology Fax? Internet/secure networks (VPN) Landline, Phones, Mobiles 3G, Satellites Chat, Messenger, Groups, Email, other social technologies

Today information flow is entirely supported by Information and Communications Technology

Fax?

Internet/secure networks (VPN)

Landline, Phones, Mobiles

3G, Satellites

Chat, Messenger, Groups, Email, other social technologies

INFORMATION AS TEXT Critical data, information and knowledge in planning emergencies must be in text form (voice and multimedia can enhance data transmission but text is essential) Data expressed as text must conform to certain formatting standards and must be suitable for remote transmission protocols

Critical data, information and knowledge in planning emergencies must be in text form (voice and multimedia can enhance data transmission but text is essential)

Data expressed as text must conform to certain formatting standards and must be suitable for remote transmission protocols

To make text as data transmission effective it is necessary to share: goals data models (knowledge models, information models) a 'language' (syntax) meanings standards protocols

goals

data models (knowledge models, information models)

a 'language' (syntax)

meanings

standards

protocols

Common Goals: Effective communication (accurate and rapid) Consistency Transparency Privacy Security Maximum Interoperability

Effective communication (accurate and rapid)

Consistency

Transparency

Privacy

Security

Maximum Interoperability

Interoperability Problems Interoperability means: different systems can work together at various levels Data format level Network level Information model level User level

Interoperability means: different systems can work together at various levels

Data format level

Network level

Information model level

User level

TOWARD A COMMON ONTOLOGY Explicit information, data and conceptual models Explicit and shared representation Agreed and shared vocabularies Emergency data exchange protocols Greater interoperability, easier cooperation

Explicit information, data and conceptual models

Explicit and shared representation

Agreed and shared vocabularies

Emergency data exchange protocols

Greater interoperability, easier cooperation

SOCIAL NETWORKS WHAT ARE THEY? PEOPLE+RELATIONSHIPS+TECHNOLOGY

GRAPH VISUALIZATIONS

Social Network Source: www.ymatsuo.com/papers/foafws04/asada/

PEOPLE NETWORKS USING FOAF Source: kengo.preston-net.com/ archives/foaf_semaview.jpg

SOCIAL NETWORKS: Architectures of Participation

Source: myunderstanding .wordpress.com Collaborative Tagging

Architecture of Participation

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE http :// www . collectiveintelligence . info /

SOCIAL SOFTWARE WEB 2.0/SEMANTIC TECHNOLOGIES

COG Model

GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS): Cambodia People's Republic of China Lao People's Democratic Republic Myanmar Thailand VietNam ..

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS):

Cambodia

People's Republic of China

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Myanmar

Thailand

VietNam ..

MAP

UNCAP 2005

UNCAP 2005

Challenges and constraints Different natural language and cultures Conflicting interests among agents National security Logistics, physical barriers Imperfect information flow Poor communication infrastructure No common protocol for emergency

Different natural language and cultures

Conflicting interests among agents

National security

Logistics, physical barriers

Imperfect information flow

Poor communication infrastructure

No common protocol for emergency

COOPERATION AGENCIES Royal Government in Thailand [5] UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO ADP, ADPC National Statistics Office Department of Local Administration NGO's People! (students, knowledge workers) OTHER (CIA?)

Royal Government in Thailand [5]

UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO

ADP, ADPC

National Statistics Office

Department of Local Administration

NGO's

People! (students, knowledge workers)

OTHER (CIA?)

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES WHAT IS ‘RESILIENCE’ ? According to UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction definition Resilience is “The capacity of a system, community or society potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure." UNISDR www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng%20home.

WHAT IS ‘RESILIENCE’ ?

According to UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction definition Resilience is “The capacity of a system, community or society potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure."

UNISDR www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng%20home.

Communication (Knowledge And Information Exchange) Making Information PUBLIC And ACCESSIBLE To Any Member Of The Social Network Trust N eighborhood Initiative, Regional Cooperation, Private And Public Sector Participation RESILIENT COMMUNTY DYNAMICS AND FACTORS

Communication (Knowledge And Information Exchange)

Making Information PUBLIC And ACCESSIBLE To Any Member Of The Social Network

Trust

N eighborhood Initiative,

Regional Cooperation,

Private And Public Sector Participation

SELF ORGANISATION This is determined by the degree to which the social system is capable of organizing itself to increase its capacity for learning from past disasters for better future protection and to improve risk reduction measures.” INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND COMMUNICATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO SELF ORGANISATION

This is determined by the degree to which the social system is capable of organizing itself to increase its capacity for learning from past disasters for better future protection and to improve risk reduction measures.”

INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND COMMUNICATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO SELF ORGANISATION

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE Several programs are being devised to promote ‘community resilience’ worldwide Example: University of British Columbia initiatives such as the Community Emergency Program Review (CEPR) which provides working instruments such as the Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA) Tool Kit

Several programs are being devised to promote ‘community resilience’ worldwide

Example: University of British Columbia initiatives such as the Community Emergency Program Review (CEPR) which provides working instruments such as the Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA) Tool Kit

PROJECTS EXPERTFINDER FOR EMERGENCY AND POVERTY (FUNDS: 100.000 bath) WWW.P2PAID.ORG Cell broadcast SMS Alerts (Pilot) SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE GMS

EXPERTFINDER FOR EMERGENCY AND POVERTY (FUNDS: 100.000 bath)

WWW.P2PAID.ORG

Cell broadcast SMS Alerts (Pilot)

SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE GMS

GOALS IMPROVE INFORMATION FLOW IMPROVE COMMUNICATION INCREASE EFFICIENCY DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY

IMPROVE INFORMATION FLOW

IMPROVE COMMUNICATION

INCREASE EFFICIENCY

DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY

Goal: To promote the formation of a social network of resilient community in the GMS Timescale : 6-12 Months period for the study period, then ongoing Participants: The proposed Pilot scheme will be developed in cooperation with international agencies and major universities NGO's as well as individual citizens and students of different background and ages in the GMS region. Languages It is proposed that the pilot scheme is initially devised in English, with local language translations for the different participating countries. It assumes basic English literacy of the core group of initial participants, it is envisaged that further project development will take place over time locally in the respective languages without further necessary input PILOT OUTLINE

PILOT PHASES Local Survey to identify teledensity and internet users in the region Identify all the possible fixed and mobile telecommunication access nodes that could serve a 'citizen’s’ network' during an emergency Capacity and availability assessment and skills inventory Survey and map the density, location, type of telecommunication network, Develop local guidelines and protocols to support 'readiness' of response in case of emergency, as well as resilience and participation to ongoing development projects Develop local bilingual directories with contact names and functions of key individuals and organisations operating in the region Set up one or more simulation scenarios to test the response capacity

PILOT PHASES

Local Survey to identify teledensity and internet users in the region

Identify all the possible fixed and mobile telecommunication access nodes that could serve a 'citizen’s’ network' during an emergency

Capacity and availability assessment and skills inventory

Survey and map the density, location, type of telecommunication network,

Develop local guidelines and protocols to support 'readiness' of response in case of emergency, as well as resilience and participation to ongoing development projects

Develop local bilingual directories with contact names and functions of key individuals and organisations operating in the region

Set up one or more simulation scenarios to test the response capacity

CONCLUSION ICT CAN BE VERY POWERFUL IF USED EFFECTIVELY THERE IS SCOPE FOR A SOCIAL NETWORK TO IMROVE 'SOCIAL EFFICIENCY' WE PROPOSE A COOPERATION PLAN TO CREATE A SOCIAL NETWORK

ICT CAN BE VERY POWERFUL IF USED EFFECTIVELY

THERE IS SCOPE FOR A SOCIAL NETWORK TO IMROVE 'SOCIAL EFFICIENCY'

WE PROPOSE A COOPERATION PLAN TO CREATE A SOCIAL NETWORK

WE NEED PARTNERS TO GET CONNECTED PEOPLE SCHOOLS PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AGENCIES BODIES

PEOPLE

SCHOOLS

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

AGENCIES

BODIES

QUESTIONS? Much work ahead! Contact : [email_address]

Much work ahead!

Contact :

[email_address]