Although the recovery process after Haiti’s 7.0 earthquake last Tuesday is going to be slow and difficult, I have found hope in the ways that new media and technology is being used to spread awareness, information, and support.
After a bit of investigation, I’ve put together a quick list of some interesting interactive channels that are being used very well to facilitate communication, donations, and support.
Twitter – The Haitian people, the press, and what seemed like the rest of the world harped on Twitter’s every update to know what was going on in Haiti. A few members stood out as prominent figures and support facilitators such as Carel Pedre, a Hatian radio and television host. Some if his recent tweets are retweeted messages from people trying to find a loved one, or announcements of supermarkets that are open. Nonprofit organizations with a presence in Haiti such as Boston-based Partners in Health are using Twitter and blogs actively and effectively to spread information about the relief efforts in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas.
Skype – Since telephone service was down after the earthquake due to serious damage to infrastructure, people with access to the web are able to use Skype to connect with friends, family, the media elsewhere.
Facebook – As an example, the Facebook Group for Earthquake Haiti sprung up quickly after the quake last week. What started as a small group for support has now turned into a group with more than 288,000 members (as of 5pm on 1/20/10).
PC World also contributed an interesting article on technology’s role in the time of crisis. At the end of the article, they bring up a very interesting and thought-provoking point:
“What’s not clear, however, is whether Haitians are using these technologies to communicate and help each other. From what I’ve seen so far, the use of tools like Twitter and Facebook are more helpful for delivering news about Haiti to the outside world instead of aiding those directly affected by the crisis–a recurring theme that we’ve already seen play out in places like Iran and India.”
Google Apps – Engineers in partnership with Google created a web application that acts as a single source for missing persons information relating to the earthquake in Haiti. Person Finder: Haiti Earthquake is available in English, French, and Creole. Wired wrote an article about it here.
Mobile – By now, the Red Cross has raised approximated $22 million dollars for the relief efforts in Haiti through a massively viral SMS campaign. The Red Cross also struck an interesting partnership with iTunes to support their donations to the Haiti Relief Fund.
While this is only a quick summary of the many avenues to support the victim’s of the Haiti earthquake, it goes to show that through technology (especially new media), the rate of response, information, and financial aid is multiplied. If you have more suggestions for interesting examples of new media that is being used in a humanitarian way, please add them here!
