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ICTs	
  for	
  humanitarian	
  aid:	
  Some	
  
          enduring	
  challenges	
  
            Sanjana	
  Ha9otuwa	
  
Overarching	
  challenges	
  
•  "Where	
  is	
  the	
  wisdom	
  we	
  have	
  lost	
  in	
  knowledge?”,	
  T.S.	
  
   Eliot,	
  1934	
  

•  Con$nuous	
  par$al	
  a,en$on,	
  Linda	
  Stone,	
  MicrosoK,	
  1997.	
  
   With	
  con)nuous	
  par)al	
  a0en)on	
  we	
  keep	
  the	
  top	
  level	
  item	
  
   in	
  focus	
  and	
  scan	
  the	
  periphery	
  in	
  case	
  something	
  more	
  
   important	
  emerges.	
  

•  The	
  immediate	
  altruis$c	
  response	
  rapidly	
  diminishes	
  over	
  
   Ome,	
  Melissa	
  Brown,	
  associate	
  director	
  of	
  research	
  at	
  the	
  
   Center	
  on	
  Philanthropy	
  at	
  Indiana	
  University,	
  2010.	
  Our	
  
   brains	
  release	
  congratulatory	
  hits	
  of	
  dopamine	
  when	
  we	
  
   engage	
  in	
  selfless	
  behavior	
  —	
  which	
  we’re	
  moved	
  to	
  do	
  the	
  
   instant	
  we	
  witness	
  something	
  awful.	
  
Sobering	
  facts	
  

•  3	
  million	
  people	
  affected	
  by	
  the	
  HaiOan	
  
   earthquake.	
  	
  
•  Only	
  132	
  people	
  were	
  found	
  alive	
  in	
  the	
  
   rubble.	
  	
  
•  At	
  last	
  count,	
  over	
  230,000	
  were	
  confirmed	
  
   dead.	
  
Some	
  progress:	
  Nargis	
  to	
  HaiO	
  
•  Based,	
  inter	
  alia,	
  on	
  Reliefweb	
  media	
  monitoring,	
  4	
  to	
  25	
  May	
  2008	
  
   (Nargis),	
  12	
  January	
  to	
  February	
  2010	
  (HaiO	
  earthquake)	
  

     1.     Far	
  emphasis	
  on	
  communicaOons	
  and	
  informaOon	
  provisioning	
  to	
  
            support	
  the	
  relief	
  efforts	
  on	
  the	
  ground.	
  
     2.     Greater	
  emphasis	
  on	
  collaboraOon	
  and	
  coordinaOon	
  of	
  aid	
  and	
  relief	
  
            efforts.	
  
     3.     Supported	
  by	
  InSTEDD,	
  there	
  were	
  over	
  30	
  volunteers	
  across	
  4	
  
            conOnents	
  working	
  on	
  localizing	
  Sahana	
  to	
  Burmese	
  for	
  Nargis.	
  	
  
     4.     In	
  post-­‐earthquake	
  HaiO,	
  the	
  global	
  scale	
  of	
  volunteerism	
  was	
  far	
  
            greater	
  and	
  more	
  diverse.	
  	
  
     5.     Many	
  more	
  CiM	
  providers	
  for	
  HaiO,	
  rapid	
  deployment.	
  Nargis	
  only	
  
            had	
  UN	
  OCHA.	
  
     6.     Mobiles	
  and	
  web	
  viz	
  central	
  to	
  HaiO	
  response.	
  Telecoms	
  didn’t	
  come	
  
            into	
  play	
  post-­‐Nargis.	
  	
  
Dopamine	
  effect?	
  
•  Fundamentally,	
  the	
  simplisOc	
  projecOon	
  of	
  post-­‐
   earthquake	
  ICT	
  use	
  in	
  HaiO	
  as	
  the	
  future	
  of	
  
   humanitarian	
  aid	
  (the	
  “turning	
  point”	
  argument)	
  

•  Li9le	
  or	
  no	
  appreciaOon	
  of	
  geo-­‐poliOcs,	
  big-­‐
   power	
  strategic	
  interests,	
  sovereignty	
  and	
  
   government	
  cooperaOon,	
  culture	
  and	
  language,	
  
   limited	
  a9enOon	
  span	
  and	
  compeOng	
  interests	
  of	
  
   internaOonal	
  community,	
  selecOve	
  a9enOon	
  of	
  
   donors	
  and	
  media,	
  transitory	
  nature	
  of	
  
   volunteers	
  
Challenges	
  
•  Disaster-­‐affected	
  communiOes	
  remain	
  largely	
  passive	
  
   recipients	
  of	
  informaOon.	
  Where	
  is	
  the	
  resilient,	
  
   sustainable	
  tech	
  that	
  gives	
  them	
  voice?	
  Is	
  it	
  GSM?	
  

•  It	
  is	
  oKen	
  unplanned	
  as	
  to	
  how	
  the	
  ICTs	
  first	
  deployed	
  
   in	
  the	
  country	
  will	
  be	
  sustained	
  over	
  the	
  long	
  term.	
  
   Cost,	
  culture,	
  conflict	
  consideraOons.	
  

•  Significant	
  problems	
  of	
  coordinaOon	
  and	
  collaboraOon	
  
   dogged	
  the	
  disaster	
  response	
  effort.	
  Data	
  sca9er.	
  	
  
Overdue	
  
•  The	
  accelerated	
  development	
  and	
  populaOon	
  
   of	
  easily	
  accessible	
  datasets	
  with	
  essenOal	
  
   informaOon	
  shared	
  across	
  UN	
  and	
  other	
  aid	
  
   agencies,	
  to	
  help	
  idenOfy,	
  prepare	
  for	
  and	
  
   miOgate	
  disasters.	
  

•  Significantly	
  improving	
  interoperability.	
  
Why	
  reinvent	
  the	
  wheel?	
  
•  Business	
  engagement	
  in	
  humanitarian	
  relief:	
  key	
  trends	
  and	
  policy	
  
   implicaOons,	
  Humanitarian	
  Policy	
  Group,	
  
   h9p://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/papers/hpgbgpaper_monitoringtrends1.pdf	
  	
  

•  RecommendaOons	
  of	
  Strong	
  Angell	
  III:	
  Lessons	
  learnt,	
  
   www.strongangel3.net/files/SAIII_working_report_20061106.pdf	
  	
  

•  Global	
  Symposium	
  +5:	
  InformaOon	
  for	
  Humanitarian	
  AcOon,	
  Geneva,	
  
   22-­‐26	
  October	
  2007,	
  Final	
  Statement,	
  
   h9p://www.reliefweb.int/symposium/docs/Symposium%20Final
   %20Statement.pdf	
  	
  	
  

•  Interim	
  Report:	
  Stocktaking	
  of	
  UN	
  Crisis	
  InformaOon	
  Management	
  
   CapabiliOes,	
  ICT4Peace	
  FoundaOon,	
  
   h9p://www.ict4peace.org/view_files-­‐1-­‐v-­‐165.html	
  
Thank	
  you	
  

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ICTs for humanitarian aid: Some enduring challenges

  • 1. ICTs  for  humanitarian  aid:  Some   enduring  challenges   Sanjana  Ha9otuwa  
  • 2. Overarching  challenges   •  "Where  is  the  wisdom  we  have  lost  in  knowledge?”,  T.S.   Eliot,  1934   •  Con$nuous  par$al  a,en$on,  Linda  Stone,  MicrosoK,  1997.   With  con)nuous  par)al  a0en)on  we  keep  the  top  level  item   in  focus  and  scan  the  periphery  in  case  something  more   important  emerges.   •  The  immediate  altruis$c  response  rapidly  diminishes  over   Ome,  Melissa  Brown,  associate  director  of  research  at  the   Center  on  Philanthropy  at  Indiana  University,  2010.  Our   brains  release  congratulatory  hits  of  dopamine  when  we   engage  in  selfless  behavior  —  which  we’re  moved  to  do  the   instant  we  witness  something  awful.  
  • 3. Sobering  facts   •  3  million  people  affected  by  the  HaiOan   earthquake.     •  Only  132  people  were  found  alive  in  the   rubble.     •  At  last  count,  over  230,000  were  confirmed   dead.  
  • 4. Some  progress:  Nargis  to  HaiO   •  Based,  inter  alia,  on  Reliefweb  media  monitoring,  4  to  25  May  2008   (Nargis),  12  January  to  February  2010  (HaiO  earthquake)   1.  Far  emphasis  on  communicaOons  and  informaOon  provisioning  to   support  the  relief  efforts  on  the  ground.   2.  Greater  emphasis  on  collaboraOon  and  coordinaOon  of  aid  and  relief   efforts.   3.  Supported  by  InSTEDD,  there  were  over  30  volunteers  across  4   conOnents  working  on  localizing  Sahana  to  Burmese  for  Nargis.     4.  In  post-­‐earthquake  HaiO,  the  global  scale  of  volunteerism  was  far   greater  and  more  diverse.     5.  Many  more  CiM  providers  for  HaiO,  rapid  deployment.  Nargis  only   had  UN  OCHA.   6.  Mobiles  and  web  viz  central  to  HaiO  response.  Telecoms  didn’t  come   into  play  post-­‐Nargis.    
  • 5. Dopamine  effect?   •  Fundamentally,  the  simplisOc  projecOon  of  post-­‐ earthquake  ICT  use  in  HaiO  as  the  future  of   humanitarian  aid  (the  “turning  point”  argument)   •  Li9le  or  no  appreciaOon  of  geo-­‐poliOcs,  big-­‐ power  strategic  interests,  sovereignty  and   government  cooperaOon,  culture  and  language,   limited  a9enOon  span  and  compeOng  interests  of   internaOonal  community,  selecOve  a9enOon  of   donors  and  media,  transitory  nature  of   volunteers  
  • 6. Challenges   •  Disaster-­‐affected  communiOes  remain  largely  passive   recipients  of  informaOon.  Where  is  the  resilient,   sustainable  tech  that  gives  them  voice?  Is  it  GSM?   •  It  is  oKen  unplanned  as  to  how  the  ICTs  first  deployed   in  the  country  will  be  sustained  over  the  long  term.   Cost,  culture,  conflict  consideraOons.   •  Significant  problems  of  coordinaOon  and  collaboraOon   dogged  the  disaster  response  effort.  Data  sca9er.    
  • 7. Overdue   •  The  accelerated  development  and  populaOon   of  easily  accessible  datasets  with  essenOal   informaOon  shared  across  UN  and  other  aid   agencies,  to  help  idenOfy,  prepare  for  and   miOgate  disasters.   •  Significantly  improving  interoperability.  
  • 8. Why  reinvent  the  wheel?   •  Business  engagement  in  humanitarian  relief:  key  trends  and  policy   implicaOons,  Humanitarian  Policy  Group,   h9p://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/papers/hpgbgpaper_monitoringtrends1.pdf     •  RecommendaOons  of  Strong  Angell  III:  Lessons  learnt,   www.strongangel3.net/files/SAIII_working_report_20061106.pdf     •  Global  Symposium  +5:  InformaOon  for  Humanitarian  AcOon,  Geneva,   22-­‐26  October  2007,  Final  Statement,   h9p://www.reliefweb.int/symposium/docs/Symposium%20Final %20Statement.pdf       •  Interim  Report:  Stocktaking  of  UN  Crisis  InformaOon  Management   CapabiliOes,  ICT4Peace  FoundaOon,   h9p://www.ict4peace.org/view_files-­‐1-­‐v-­‐165.html