DisasterTech
Jesse Robbins and Mikel Maron spoke at Where2.0 on Disaster Technology. Streaming video is a bit of a non-starter on my shonky internet connection, but both of these guys have an interesting take on the sector. They’re both technology evangelists, but minus the utopianism that makes my fists itch. A platform like Where2.0 is fantastic for getting the word out and (hopefully) engaging more people in the process of development for humanitarian action.
Here comes the requisite word of warning: for many people the politics of humanitarian assistance (both international and organisational) don’t appear on their radar. If we want useful tools to come out of this sort of forum, we have to communicate the political realities that technology will bump up against. Myanmar is a case in point; there’s a lot of activity (as per my earlier post) but the dots just aren’t joined up, and this needs to stop.
I used to think that this was just a phase that we were going through; then I thought that it was a naturally occurring state that we had to work around; then I realised that the endemic problems of co-ordination that we have were emergent properties of the system; but now I’m not sure what I think. Maybe I should leave the thinking to other people for a while.
Anyway, watch the video. You’ll enjoy it. They’re American, you know.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
First… “makes my fists itch” is the best way of describing that “special feeling” kindled by geek-utopianism that I’ve ever heard.
Second… being an American, I don’t understand the “they’re American, you know” line. Which may very well be the point.
Jesse Robbins
2 Jun 08 at 23:05
I don’t think the “They’re Americans” bit really meant anything – probably just padding to distract attention from the fact that I didn’t have a more constructive comment.
We want Jesse and Mikel Awesome Show Great Job!
Paul Currion
3 Jun 08 at 5:46
I found it interesting to see, almost for the first time in a geek forum, a discussion about how champions and adoption is a critical issue. Is this what you meant by “politics” Paul?
The “positive deviance” model is about the only one we’ve got at the moment. People who make it work affecting others virally. But what we’re missing compared to child survival is an active plan to take successful implementations and show others how it works and, more importantly, why.
Nigel Snoad
3 Jun 08 at 19:30