Crowdsourcing and Mapping Data for Humanitarianism

Abstract

Combining communication and data infrastructures with interactive mapping and data crowdsourcing capabilities, Ushahidi was launched in Kenya in 2008. It filled a gap in the mediascape, mapping electoral turmoil and violence when there was no information available. The initial Ushahidi team expanded, requested the help of techies around the world to improve the platform and in 2010, with the Haiti deployment, Ushahidi became known as a global emergency facility, revolutionising humanitarianism. Since then, it has been employed in major crises and disasters globally. This chapter applies the classification of proactive data activism and concepts described in Chapter 3 to examine Ushahidi. It also scrutinises the organisation’s failures and lessons learnt, to help develop a model for effective proactive data activism that can be applied to other initiatives.