Walk a Mile...

Time to Empower with Filters

As aid money continues to flow in to Haiti driven by new media such as text messaging and social media, it is evident that technology presents a unique opportunity to create positive peace by empowering individuals. We can instantly donate, learn and act without having to leave our cubicle. Plus, we can monitor the implementation of that aid and see the results of the donations to minimize corruption and maximize results.

With the cost of publishing at zero, almost anyone can publish their thoughts (that darn government censorship vatches some people). Whether from a cell phone or a computer, people on the ground can quickly and with limited technological knowledge, share what’s going on in their world. This gives outsiders such as donors, politicians and just curious readers the chance to see what’s happening through the lens of a local instead of through the mainstream (sometimes government controlled) media. Similarly, people outside of disaster areas can actually give assistance using technology, such as creating digital maps to assist rescue efforts in Haiti by combining information from social media.

However, with the ability to share first person narratives from the grassroots level, there is an overwhelming wall of noise that is hard to sift through. For this reason new sites like Technology for Transparency Network (TTN) are providing an important service that filters the noise. TTN, for example, encourages open participation in using technology to promote good governance. Volunteer researchers gather information that helps check government practices. As these new technologies continue to develop, social entrepreneurs can empower these local reporters by sharing and promoting their eyewitness accounts. It’s when this sharing happens that true change can occur. As seen in China after an earthquake in the Sichuan Province or in Iran during the revolution, technology is forcing government accountability and drawing the spotlight of the international community to events that might otherwise be ignored or missed by the average, concerned global citizen.

The possibility and responsibility is upon techies and social entrepreneurs to find ways to use this information to connect content producer with content consumer and to help use technology to close economic disparity gaps instead of widening them. Kiva.org, which enables individuals to give micro-loans via the internet, and Toms Shoes, which donates a pair of shoes for each pair customers buy, are great example of social entrepreneurs pushing the envelope and involving the masses in making change. More can be done however by social entrepreneurs to empower through technology by making important information digestible for the average person.