Testimony
Mesh 2012
May 23, 2012 Toronto Canada
Heather Leson
meshconference.com
Discussion focused on maps for change with a number of Canadian examples.
Data Science for Social Good and Ushahidi - Final PresentationUshahidi
The Data Science for Social Good Fellows (dssg.io) collaborated with Ushahidi (Ushahidi.com)
Presented: August 20, 2013
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eK8HjVG2m0
Tool - http://dssg.ushahididev.com/
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #2: Implementation.
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #3: Real-Time Evaluation.
Open Data for Development Challenge - CanadaAnahi Iacucci
The Open Data for Development Challenge event, took place in Montreal on January 27th and 28th. The event, in the form of a "codathon", focused on data, policy, and technical questions related to aid and transparency.
Data Science for Social Good and Ushahidi - Final PresentationUshahidi
The Data Science for Social Good Fellows (dssg.io) collaborated with Ushahidi (Ushahidi.com)
Presented: August 20, 2013
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eK8HjVG2m0
Tool - http://dssg.ushahididev.com/
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #2: Implementation.
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #3: Real-Time Evaluation.
Open Data for Development Challenge - CanadaAnahi Iacucci
The Open Data for Development Challenge event, took place in Montreal on January 27th and 28th. The event, in the form of a "codathon", focused on data, policy, and technical questions related to aid and transparency.
TedxSilkRoad presentation by Heather Leson on April 11, 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.
This presentation featured a number of Ushahidi and Crowdmap deployments used for election monitoring, crisis response and civil society activities. The video will be available at a later date.
Ushahidi is incorporating user feedback as we plan for our next stages of the software development.
Gabriel White of Small Surfaces has prepared these User Personas and Scenarios
I gave this presentation to broadcasters from 17 countries that participated in a workshop on Emergency and Disaster Management in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The workshop, held on October 29 and 30, was organized by the CBA and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) to introduce current expertise and share best practices for use before, during and after emergencies for Caribbean broadcasters.
Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation: Unsung Peace Heros/Building BridgesUshahidi
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research, created case studies and toolboxes. (2011) The Unsung Peace Heros/Building Bridges Case Study was created by Melissa Tully.
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #1: Assessment.
Around the world citizens and organizations are using online reporting tools, including Ushahidi to tell their story, amplify and action responses. This is part 2 of a summary of mapping projects. More on our wiki - https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Anti-Corruption+and+Transparency
Anti-Corruption Mapping (April 2013, part 1)Ushahidi
Around the world citizens and organizations are using online reporting tools, including Ushahidi to tell their story, amplify and action responses.
This is part 1 of a summary of mapping projects.
More on our wiki - https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Anti-Corruption+and+Transparency
Ushahidi spoke with our community about how to make Ushahidi 3.0. We are building it with their input. Here are some of the original thoughts based on Community input from June - August 2013. There are updated wireframes available.
https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Ushahidi+Platform%2C+v3.X
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping (part 2)Ushahidi
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping using Ushahidi and Crowdmap. (Part 2) Prepared for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Brasilia, Brazil. November 7, 2012. By Heather Leson
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping (part 1)Ushahidi
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping using Ushahidi and Crowdmap. (Part 1) Prepared for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Brasilia, Brazil. November 7, 2012. By Heather Leson
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research, created cases studies and toolboxes. (2011) The Uchaguzi Case Study was created by Jennifer Chan.
TedxSilkRoad presentation by Heather Leson on April 11, 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.
This presentation featured a number of Ushahidi and Crowdmap deployments used for election monitoring, crisis response and civil society activities. The video will be available at a later date.
Ushahidi is incorporating user feedback as we plan for our next stages of the software development.
Gabriel White of Small Surfaces has prepared these User Personas and Scenarios
I gave this presentation to broadcasters from 17 countries that participated in a workshop on Emergency and Disaster Management in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The workshop, held on October 29 and 30, was organized by the CBA and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) to introduce current expertise and share best practices for use before, during and after emergencies for Caribbean broadcasters.
Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation: Unsung Peace Heros/Building BridgesUshahidi
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research, created case studies and toolboxes. (2011) The Unsung Peace Heros/Building Bridges Case Study was created by Melissa Tully.
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research which lead to the creation of case studies and toolboxes. (2011) This is Toolbox #1: Assessment.
Around the world citizens and organizations are using online reporting tools, including Ushahidi to tell their story, amplify and action responses. This is part 2 of a summary of mapping projects. More on our wiki - https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Anti-Corruption+and+Transparency
Anti-Corruption Mapping (April 2013, part 1)Ushahidi
Around the world citizens and organizations are using online reporting tools, including Ushahidi to tell their story, amplify and action responses.
This is part 1 of a summary of mapping projects.
More on our wiki - https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Anti-Corruption+and+Transparency
Ushahidi spoke with our community about how to make Ushahidi 3.0. We are building it with their input. Here are some of the original thoughts based on Community input from June - August 2013. There are updated wireframes available.
https://wiki.ushahidi.com/display/WIKI/Ushahidi+Platform%2C+v3.X
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping (part 2)Ushahidi
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping using Ushahidi and Crowdmap. (Part 2) Prepared for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Brasilia, Brazil. November 7, 2012. By Heather Leson
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping (part 1)Ushahidi
Around the Globe Corruption Mapping using Ushahidi and Crowdmap. (Part 1) Prepared for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Brasilia, Brazil. November 7, 2012. By Heather Leson
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi evaluation project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research, created cases studies and toolboxes. (2011) The Uchaguzi Case Study was created by Jennifer Chan.
The Kenya Ushahidi Evaluation Project was 9-month Ushahidi Evaluation Project in partnership with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative supported by the Knight Foundation. Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully conducted research, created use cases and toolboxes. (2011) The following are blog posts about their work. (previously posted on blog.ushahidi.com)
Presented by Heather Leson @ Public Safety Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the University of Toronto
Conference on Social Media for Emergency Management and Crisis Communications, held at the University of Toronto in downtown Toronto, March 29, 2012.
Ushahidi introduction: Re-imagining Citizen Engagement
Webinar provided to the Urban Sustainability Director's Network (USDN)
By Heather Leson
February 24, 2012
Ushahidi's First Academic Webinar was held on Friday, November 11, 2011. This presentation was by Jessica Colaco and Hilda Moraa of the Ihub Research Lab. For more details: http://www.meetup.com/Ushahidi-Community/events/37206692/
Volunteer Mappers: Building community resilience with citizen mediaUshahidi
Building community resilience with citizen media
Canadian Risks and Hazards Conference
October 18, 2011
Presented by Heather Leson, Director of Community Engagement, Ushahidi
The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative research team led by Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully, supported by the Knight Foundation, conducted evaluation research. Over the year, they interviewed Kenyan Ushahidi deployers, specifically those participating in Uchaguzi, Unsung Heros and Building Bridges, and had community members help shape the research deliverables. Evaluation to action was a key goal of the project. Their research resulted in the creation of three toolboxes to assist users in the various stages of their Ushahidi deployments: Assessment, Implementation and Outputs.
The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative research team led by Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully, supported by the Knight Foundation, conducted evaluation research. Over the year, they interviewed Kenyan Ushahidi deployers, specifically those participating in Uchaguzi, Unsung Heros and Building Bridges, and had community members help shape the research deliverables. Evaluation to action was a key goal of the project. Their research resulted in the creation of three toolboxes to assist users in the various stages of their Ushahidi deployments: Assessment, Implementation and Outputs.
The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative research team led by Jennifer Chan and Melissa Tully, supported by the Knight Foundation, conducted evaluation research. Over the year, they interviewed Kenyan Ushahidi deployers, specifically those participating in Uchaguzi, Unsung Heros and Building Bridges, and had community members help shape the research deliverables. Evaluation to action was a key goal of the project. Their research resulted in the creation of three toolboxes to assist users in the various stages of their Ushahidi deployments: Assessment, Implementation and Outputs.
Generating a custom Ruby SDK for your web service or Rails API using Smithyg2nightmarescribd
Have you ever wanted a Ruby client API to communicate with your web service? Smithy is a protocol-agnostic language for defining services and SDKs. Smithy Ruby is an implementation of Smithy that generates a Ruby SDK using a Smithy model. In this talk, we will explore Smithy and Smithy Ruby to learn how to generate custom feature-rich SDKs that can communicate with any web service, such as a Rails JSON API.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
What is it - Ushahidi is a global free open source software provider. We create tools for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping. \n\nHistory of Ushahidi - asks what do you see, what do you hear? Aggregates online and offline data - anyone can deploy. And, they have. Today I will give you some global and Canadian examples of mapping for change. \n
How has it been used? The core uses are election monitoring, crisis/emergency response and civil society. Deployers have been individuals and groups. including academics to GIS pros to activists to environmentalists, health science (doctors), software developers, journalists, NGOs and more. Examples:\nhttps://syriatracker.crowdmap.com/, haiti.ushahidi.com (offline),http://www.energyshortage.org/, sinsai.info. http://www.ourrio20.com/. http://designweeknyc.org/, http://www.liberia2011.ushahidi.com/\n
What are the parts?\nUse all the communication channels that are familiar to the community. Is SMS possible? Is radio outreach better? Will there be internet connectivity? What is your plan if there is not? This deployment made sure that all the NGOs were trained and that the local community was involved. It is election storytelling. argentinavota.org\n
How to report: http://www.cic.mx/tehuan/ CIC built a network of private, public and community based organizations to tell the city story. But, they went a step further. Collecting reports needs actions. So citizens were given a ticket by their city and a text message when Items were resolved. What was the success? A prototype to prove that with collaboration you can get things fixed and engage citizens. The Citivox team continues to build on their mission. The 5 steps are: name it, description, categorize it, locate it, source it and id yourself.\n
\nHow to build a community of practice- \nWhat is a digital volunteer?  standbytaskforce.com = 750 volunteers around the world. They can do it 24 hours, in shifts, skilled and coordinated. They learn from each event.  \n\nThis is Melissa Elliot, a Canadian Mapper. She is part of the core team of the Standby Task Force and leads the Reports Team. The group has built a field of out volunteering. They have open source documentation on how to be a crowdsourced mapping project. When they mapped in Libya, they were human sensors sifting through the barrage of information. They were asked to do this map by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Melissa is here to answer your questions about verfiication and some of the methods that her team has build. Suffice to say that each report is checked, cross-curated at least 3 times. Thanks to the MESH team for allowing her participation in today’s event.\n\n
What can kids do? \n\nWhat if a map is not an information tool but a teaching change tool? This is the 2012 AP Economics Class at Lowell High School in San Francisco, taught by Kristin B. Lubenow. They mapped the Cost of Chicken. Apparently, this is a base line measurement for food costs around the world. They learned that kids don’t know where their food comes from. The kids in India asked for category to map the cost of candy, because candy is very expensive in India. What else can we learn about food production and sustainability by collaborating with maps. www.costofchicken.crowdmap.com\n\n\n
What if a map can tell us about how we feel about something? Sentiment mapping dissolves borders. It can connect us and give voice to more people.\n\nCan it connect us to stories about local issues? The potential of partnerships and mobile can collaborate to tell the story: Al Jazeera, Ushahidi, diaspora, local communities, Crowdflower and Souktel. More than 4,000 text messages were received within just a few days. Of these, over 1,000 were translated from Somali into English by about 80 translators. The resulting map of Somali voices received over 25,000 page views. The message sent was “Al Jazeera wants to know: how has the conflict of the last few months affected your life? Please include the name of your hometown in your response. Thank you! “I lost everything: the whole older generation of my family is wiped out, 100%. No grandmother, no grandfather, no one of the last generation. Many other families were killed by crossfire and artillery shells; they were always innocent bystanders, they got caught in the conflict while they didn't have any stake in it.”\n\n
How can we connect open data to maps? Dale Zak and his team have created the soon to be launched U of S Health Facility Map!\n\nThe project is a partnership between Whitespace and BongoHive, developing custom Ushahidi theme for the U of S College of Medicine to map health facilities in the province.\nThe reporting page has been disabled, since we populate map with an initial data set. Commenting is enabled though, allowing staff and students of the College to ask questions about facilities.There will also be additional KML layers showing the boundaries of health regions in the province. Checkins is enabled, which means that College of Medicine staff and students can 'checkin'! \n\nSo it will show the location of students on placement and staff at health facilities.\n\n\n\n\n\n
What if we started to use the web in an aggregated view? What would this do for protest and engagement? What does the future look like if people have phones and are submitting real time data? Well Occupy did a test on May 2012 and added videos, photos. They have the most integrated media campaign. They are teaching others how to use all the tools together to get closer to their version of the story. \n\nmap.occupy.net\n
How can we get activated? Brad Anthony is a Vancouverite has build a Global Animal Welfare map. This is just one of his projects using the map as a community connector to his other outreach programs. He is building a program of global citizen journalism for animals, ecology and conservation using every tool possible http://www.labs.globalanimalwelfare.org/ This is just one stage of his plans. \n\n
Why Hackathons? We need our best and brightest globally and locally to solve real world wicked problems. As a Random Hacks of Kindness citizen, I’ve had the awesome pleasure to meet amazing people who want to change the world using all their skills. Kaleem Khan, attending MESH, provides UX and presentation training at RHOK Toronto. Please ask him questions about his experiences. We need a social incubation hackathon model for our country. Those of us in the trenches have been getting some support. but Water voices is a Canadian success story that uses offline and online strategies. An Ushahidi map, sms and programatic change with communities. \n\nAs of January 31, 2011 there were 131 First Nation communities under some type of drinking water advisory, and that just scratches the surface.\nTo address these advisories, and other water and sanitation-related issues in First Nation communities, we have developed the Water Voices project.  The mission of Water Voices is to drive innovative low-cost solutions to improve quality of life.  The project is composed of three inter-related components that work together to engage, promote, and improve First Nation access to water and sanitation. The innovative use of technology by Water Voices addresses a global need to enhance geo-spatial access to water data. The project has three big components - 1. community engagement, 2. comprehensive db of existing open data 3. youth campaign\n\nPhoto from Rhok Montreal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71372939@N05/6453851443/in/photostream/lightbox/\n \n
This calls for vision. I have a few suggestions:\n\n1. map everything and often, not just emergencies (thanks OpenStreetMap for always promoting this concept to teach all of us)\n2. The individuals and groups that used to live on grant paper or in the comments are now giving voice to their own issues and topics. \n3. Ushahidi sees a rise of projects that don’t fit the model. They are not traditional community based organizations, NGOs, Govts or media. They are a hybrid of people who create at hackathons or people who are simply passionate Internet users. \n4. In Canada there is a the beginnings of this amazing ecosystem growing. We need a Sunlight Foundation that encourages and supports hacking for social good. There is this huge online community that just needs to be engaged. The ask is in trying to eek it out. \n\nAerial Mapping by Public Lab. Union Square, NYC. April 24, 2012. http://publiclaboratory.org/home\n