Schools in Galle, some in Colombo were closed today. The newspaper headlines did not, to the extend that I read them, show any methodical movement of people to higher ground and safe spaces. They showed people who were confused, running away with their belongings and praying in places of worship. The religious may find solace […]
Tag Archives: ICT & humanitarian aid
A conversation with Daniel Stauffacher on ICT4Peace and how it can help conflict resolution
Do you believe that the better use of technology can strengthen peace processes to the extent that there will be more peace 5 years hence than today? Yes indeed. ICTs and in particular web 2.0 will create even more transparency and efficient tools for actors in the field of conflict prevention, mediation, conflict resolution and […]
Thoughts on USIP’s civilian military relations guidelines
The United States Institute of Peace along with Interaction recently released a set of Guidelines for Relations between US Armed Forces and Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organisations in Hostile or Potentially Hostile Environments. References in this post require that you download this document. They are well written and comprehensive and a useful addition to the vexed challenges […]
Launch of ICT4Peace inventory wiki: A global database ICT in crisis management, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding
27th August 2007, Geneva, Switzerland: The ICT4Peace Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its ICT4Peace Inventory Wiki, accessible immediately from http://www.ict4peace.org/inventory-1.html. The ICT4Peace inventory wiki is one of three key foci of the ICT4Peace Foundation. It will be updated regularly and highlight emerging best practices from the field, significant research initiatives and well-grounded […]
Technology, Context and Culture – The gap between intention and reality
The New York Times today has a story written by a mother trying to keep tabs on her family’s activities. Her travails with online calendering, group (in this case, her family) scheduling and information sharing are deeply resonant to anyone who has experienced the very same challenges in humanitarian aid and peacebuilding contexts. Michelle finds […]
Impact of technology on humanitarian work
While the joys of gadgetry may seem obvious to aid workers, how much has it really done to help victims? The full answer to that question has yet to emerge, and it is aid recipients who will give it. The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition, a group of agencies bent on learning from past mistakes, notes that […]
Launch of ICT4Peace: An International Process for Crisis Management
The ICT4Peace Foundation announced the launch of ICT4Peace: An International Process for Crisis Management today. ICT4Peace aims to enhance the performance of the international community in crisis management through the application of information Communications Technology (ICT) – technologies that can facilitate effective and sustained communication between peoples, communities and stakeholders involved in crisis management, humanitarian […]
Breaking the language barrier?
CNN has an interesting video of a real time translation device designed for combat operations where troops (aka liberators) don’t understand the language of the native communities (aka the oppressed). While the language of violence is often deemed the only one terrorists understand, these devices spring from the need to be more “culturally sensitive” in […]
ICT as a tool for Peacebuilding, Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management: Some pertinent questions
I was invited to attend a panel discussion on “ICT as a Tool for Peace, Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management” on 17 July 2007 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants of the panel were asked to respond to questions that pushed them to address the realities of using ICT in conflict prevention, […]
Reuters AlertNet: Interactive maps on conflict, humanitarian crises and more
Reuters AlertNet is a humanitarian news network that aims to keep relief professionals and the wider public up-to-date on humanitarian crises around the globe. It’s an almost daily visit for me to catch up on global crises, and according to its site, attracts over 3 million users a year. Complementing initiatives such as Crisis in […]
