This is a liveblog post from the International Conference on Crisis Mapping at Tufts University. You can also follow tweets from the event’s many open laptops at the #ICCM10 hashtag.
John Crowley of Camp Roberts takes the stage.
Crowley explains the importance of creating an API between the two worlds of civilians and military.
“What if we got the experience of the NGO/UN community tied in to the power of military capacity? What if we could take all of these folks and focus them on the people who need attention?”
He explains that his work is to bridge this gap. He wants to explore what’s possible, set ethnical standards, and develop technical protocols. “How can we do this ethically?” he asks, explaining that their goal is the art of the possible.
He says that they’re working on a variety of tools including open aerial maps.
He explains that one example is the work they did with Afghan elections, combining a variety of tools.
“What challenges do we need to confront?” asks Crowley.
He states that a “packet blanket” is one of the most important things: providing people with the tools they need. He then says that “crowd time” is the next most important issue, then also notes the importance of an “emerging leader map” to connect resources with leadership.
In Pakistan, says Crowley, the ability to reach out, or back, to people with resources, is vital.
“Can we create an open crisis map?” asks Crowley. He hopes to create a map of the gaps across various sectors.
Crisis dynamics will help pull this all together and help us understand the underlying mechanisms and work together more effectively, concludes Crowley.