Journal of Map & Geography Libraries · 2012 · 140 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesCommunicationPolitical CommunicationCrisis ManagementDigital Political CommunicationMass CommunicationCollaborative MappingCrisis CommunicationCrisis ResponseDigital MappingEmergency CommunicationSocial MediaCollaborative Crisis MappingHumanitarian Crisis ResponseHumanitarian Emergency ResponseInternational Humanitarian ResponseMedia TechnologiesPost-election ViolenceUse Of Communication TechnologiesVolunteer Networks
The paper reviews pre‑social‑media live communication technologies, focusing on the Ushahidi project that pioneered collaborative mapping during Kenya’s 2008 post‑election violence. The paper aims to share stories of live crisis maps and demonstrate how social media technologies influence mapping and crisis response through case studies from Haiti, Japan, Libya, and Somalia. The authors trace the development of live crisis maps, beginning with the Ushahidi project’s use of collaborative mapping during Kenya’s 2008 post‑election violence. These maps inspire and revolutionize multiple aspects of humanitarian response.
The purpose of this paper is to share the stories behind some extraordinary maps—live crisis maps. The paper begins by investigating what types of live communication technologies existed prior to social media technologies. The development of live crisis maps is then discussed, beginning with the Ushahidi project, which utilized live collaborative mapping during post-election violence in Kenya in 2008. Via examples from Haiti, Japan, Libya, and Somalia, the impact of social media technologies on mapping and crisis response will become clear. Each of these maps helps to inspire and revolutionize many aspects of humanitarian response.