Amy Sample Ward

FEBRUARY 19, 2011

I’m joining a panel to talk about the response for support after the Haiti earthquakes last year. My contribution to the panel is to provide context about the use of social media in emergency and disaster response as well as an overview of some of the tools we saw deployed last year and we may see in the future.

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Disaster Social Media Haiti Media 206

NTEN

FEBRUARY 17, 2010

When disaster strikes, we want information as soon as possible and we want to help just as quickly. Whether we look at mapping tools, fundraising, or missing person systems, the social media response to the January earthquakes in Haiti all leverage the powerful technology we can hold in our hands: our mobile phones. How can we do that?

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Haiti Disaster Social Media Media 82

Tech Soup

AUGUST 9, 2011

The January 12, 2010 catastrophic earthquake in Haiti showed some of the astonishing potential for volunteer-based digital disaster relief. Online tools like Twitter , Ushahidi , Google Person Finder , CrisisMappers , and the work of nonprofit organizations like Crisis Commons. Twitter uses hashtags.

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Disaster Digital Haiti Effective 61

Amy Sample Ward

JANUARY 20, 2012

A similar example is that of an Atlanta city councilman who chose to post a message to Twitter asking for a medic to respond to an unconscious woman on the street rather than to dial 911 when his mobile phone battery was very low. The real-time web has also revolutionized the way we support local communities in disaster.

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Forum One

JANUARY 22, 2010

Crisis Camp DC participants work hard to develop applications and tools for relief workers in Haiti. Earlier this week, I introduced a series of blog posts discussing the Good News Story in Haiti. Open source maps to help aid workers navigate damaged areas and coordinate their efforts. These preliminary efforts paid off.

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