1. Mobile Human Rights Reporting in the Niger Delta
Marcus Wagenaar, Vrije University Amsterdam
M4D 2010

2. Overview
• VU and SDN
• The Niger Delta region
• Ushahidi based website
• GPSAlert Android application
• Challenges
• Future work
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3. Internet & Web Technology master program,
part of the Computer Science department
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4. Stakeholder Democracy Network
• Work locally in the Niger Delta Region
• Aim to empower local community
• Aim to raise awareness globally
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10. Number of incoming reports
• Reports from local & public sources
• Local ones checked/verified by SDN
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11. CONTEXT - gas flare locations, source: National Geophysical Data Center (US)
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12. CONTEXT – Photographs by Ed Kashi, viewable at the location they were taken
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13. Why enter location data manually?
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14. Encode GPS location in SMS!!
There is a big oil leak over
There is a big oil leak over
here, please report to Shell
here, please report to Shell
and investigate!
and investigate!
gpsalert:
gpsalert:
lat=4.784821; lon=7.005453;
lat=4.784821; lon=7.005453;
name=Port Harcourt;
name=Port Harcourt;
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16. Ushahidi recognizes GPSAlert message, fills location details automatically
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17. Challenges
• Funding, capacity & resources (surprise!)
• Safety & security:
– Corruption, source security, etc
– Gangs, kidnappings, etc
The project needs more resources to scale!
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18. Project tracking (infrastructure, spill cleaning, etc)
GPSAlert in election monitoring??
GPSAlert in election monitoring??
But … funding & capacity are an issue!
But … funding & capacity are an issue!
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19. Shameless plug
I’m looking for work in the m4d/ict4d field.
If you are in need of someone for things like:
 System design & implementation
 System deployment & support
 Coordination & training
 etc…
Please let me know!
marcus.wagenaar@pheon.nl
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