Earlier this week, the UN’s refugee agency counted 1,000,000 Syrian refugees. The problem with big numbers is that they get lost in the noise and in the news; the key is to personalize these numbers. Here is what UNHCR has done.
I recently helped a large non-profit organization to better understand their social media followers and fans. In the course of this project, I looked at a number of social media analytics tools. Here are the services that I found useful – and the ones I didn’t like.
This is the second presentation from the GeOnG2012 conference: In the hours after a rapid-onset emergency social media can help humanitarian agencies and emergency responders get a better idea of what the situation is like on the ground.
I just finished a short project for the Tactical Technology Collective where I reviewed seven free tools that can be used to manipulate or visualize data. The reviews are now online.
In many situations, the main problem faced by information managers is not a lack of data, but the fact that data is stored in too many conflicting formats and full of inconsistencies and errors. This week I discovered a few free Google tools that can help to turn messy data into clean data.
I have just spent a few days brainstorming on a policy paper about how information collection and analysis can be improved to lead to better decision making in times of crisis. This blog post contains some of our central thoughts. I’d love to hear what you think about them.
Many non-profits, NGOs and International Organizations are of two minds when it comes to sharing photos on the internet. On the one hand, they want their material to be shared as widely as possible, on the other hand they want to have total control. The decision matrix in this blog post will help you decide which photos to share and how.
One of the scary things about social media is, that you open yourself and your organization up to criticism and there have been plenty of examples how mishandling negative comments has resulted in PR disasters. Here are some constructive examples showing how to deal with negative comments and trolls.
Over the last four weeks I gave three lectures during Fordham University’s “International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. One was on the Cluster approach, one on the use of social media in emergencies and one was a case study looking at the international response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This is the presentation on social media in emergency response operations.
Over the last four weeks I gave three lectures during Fordham University’s “International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. One was on the Cluster approach, one on the use of social media in emergencies and one was a case study looking at the international response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This is the case study on Haiti.
Google has decided to close Google Reader. A good reason to take another look at the news gathering and browsing services I wrote about last summer.
Over the last four weeks I gave three lectures during Fordham University’s “International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance”. One was on the Cluster approach, one on the use of social media in emergencies and one was a case study looking at the international response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This is the presentation on the Cluster Approach.
Earlier this week, the UN’s refugee agency counted 1,000,000 Syrian refugees. The problem with big numbers is that they get lost in the noise and in the news; the key is to personalize these numbers. Here is what UNHCR has done.
Mobile-enabled early warning systems are transforming the way humanitarian organisations deliver aid, and also how we build long-term resilience in concert with affected communities. With the International Telecommunication Union reporting nearly six billion mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide in 2011 – and a notable 79 per cent penetration in the developing world – the rise of mobile communication continues to shape aid innovation.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is looking for ideas that can help improve humanitarian response and is willing to pay for them.
I’m passionate about information, communication and how they can be used to make the world a better place. Here is what I can do for you:
• Improve how you communicate with the help of digital media
• Manage media relations and information management during disasters
Over the last thirteen years I have worked for the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the UN, German national public radio and a wire agency.
You can hire me …
Keeping track of all the blogs and websites you find interesting can be difficult.
