Recently it’s become rare to turn on the television or click on a news website and not see articles or news stories about refugees and asylum seekers. In past months, people fleeing the violence of Syria have captured the public attention, as people cross country borders with few possessions. It’s a plight which brings out the compassion of many, all keen to somehow make things better, particularly in response to the inefficiency of swift, effective government action.
The tech industry is keen and able to lend a hand. It’s not financial aid, like the fundraising efforts of Kickstarter, Airbnb and Google, that makes the sector shine, but the efforts of individuals and groups showcasing what they do best: creating platforms and structures that let those in not-for-profit (NFP) and humanitarian aid help as many people as possible.
Developers Create Mobile Mapping
Mobile mapping is a crucial element in the journey of refugees to safety. Having Google maps, GPS or other mapping devices can mean contact with a rescue boat. It can mean a refugee is able to forgo the use of smugglers and take the journey alone.
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Upon arrival, mapping apps like Arriving in Berlin can offer ways to access local services, like free counseling, doctors who speak Farsi and libraries with Internet access.
Humanitarian organization Global Initiative has been working with UK volunteer developers from Techfugees to map smuggling networks and create a public database of routes. The intention is to identify future choke points or emerging smuggling markets, and to reduce the information advantage that smugglers hold over migrants.
What3words, winner of the Innovation Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions festival of Creativity, was one of the most interesting mapping platforms to come out lately.
For people in displaced locations like refugee camps and informal settlements, the system enables them to exercise basic rights—like reporting crime, getting medical assistance and receiving deliveries. As a free plug-in universal addressing system, What3words maps the world as a 3mx3m global grid, with each of the 57 trillion 3mx3m squares being pre-allocated a fixed and unique three-word address. A geocoder turns geographic coordinates into these three-word addresses and vice versa.
Date: December 12, 2015