Presented by N-TEN and co-hosted by HumaniNet
The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has brought an outpouring of support from concerned individuals and organizations across the country and around the world. In addition to efforts by experienced large organizations to supply food, water, and security, technology volunteers and ad hoc organizations saw a need and rapidly mobilized to re-establish communications, connect victims with their loved ones, and match the displaced with volunteered housing.
The response to last year’s tsunami saw a similar combination of ICT efforts by governments, NGOs, and concerned individuals. In other crises, such as Darfur and Afghanistan, the communications and information challenges were quite different, and a very different mix of organizations have carried out the work.
On October 17th, we will bring together over 100 key program and operations managers from humanitarian NGOs, government disaster assistance staff, and concerned technologists to meet in Washington, D.C. to address the lessons learned in the Katrina and tsunami responses and other recent relief operations. Workshops will emphasize practical, on-the-ground solutions and near-term opportunities. Participants will explore how government agencies, NGOs, and ad hoc projects can collaborate more effectively on communications and information management; leverage the hard-won experience of disaster professionals for volunteer projects and utilize innovative technologies to support disaster relief teams.
Page Last Updated: Oct 9 11:34am by Greg Burton