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GISCorps Update and Existing Similar Initiatives?
posted by Satri
on Wednesday May 07, @06:54AM
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from the best-of-all-worlds dept.
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from the best-of-all-worlds dept.
Over two years ago we mentioned the GISCorps program. My question for you is if you're aware of similar initiatives elsewhere in the world? A colleague informed me about the Geomatique: Projets sans frontieres association (Geomatics: projects without borders) at Laval University, Canada, but is there more? Meanwhile, the GISCorps seems to successfully attract enthusiasts, from their website:
"A program of the Urban and Regional Information
Systems Association (URISA),
GISCorps coordinates short term, volunteer GIS services to
underprivileged communities
worldwide. Our services support
humanitarian relief, community development, local capacity building,
health and education.
GISCorps is run by a
Core Committee
who e-meet monthly but e-communicate daily.
As of February 2008, GISCorps counts over 1,195 enlisted volunteers. They reside in 63 countries
over five continents and are natives of 72 countries. The US volunteers
come from 50 states. To date GISCorps has implemented 30 missions
around the globe, deployed 77 volunteers who have contributed over 5,500 working hours."
Related Stories
Hurricane Katrina: The Role of GIS Volunteers 1 comment
[+]
GIS Monitor is running a story about the role of GIS volunteers regarding events tied to hurricane Katrina. From the article: «For Brooks, perhaps the most important lesson regarding GIS from this experience is that "it must be a part of the plan before the disaster happens, because it became a pretty key element and has grown since." ».
Application Domains: GIS Corps and Hurricane Katrina
[+]
The JAGIS-L mailing list points to a CNN article about geographers and hurricane Katrina's relief. GIS Corps has been mentioned here before. From the article: "Elhami, co-founder of GISCorps, said that since 2004, the organization's volunteers have responded to disasters such as the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, as well as efforts to provide humanitarian relief, sustainable development, economic development, health, and education in all parts of the world. The Corps had 20 volunteers on the ground in Mississippi less than 48 hours after Katrina's landfall."
Application Domains: GISCorps Learned Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
[+]
GeoPlace host an article about lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina by the GISCorps. From the article's conclusion: "As a volunteer organization, affiliation with GISCorps provided a neutral venue for efficient service delivery with transparency to inevitable politics. Of the many lessons learned by Katrina GISCorps volunteers, perhaps the most important is the need to establish geospatial technology resources as a core functional component in every local emergency operations plan in the United States."
Application Domains: Mapping Services for Humanitarian Organisations 1 comment
[+]
The Baliz blog made aware of CartONG, a French NGO offering mapping services for humanitarian organizations. From their website: "Information Management as a discipline, is widely misunderstood, and under-utilised. It is not often shown to the mass media and is consequently under-reported. Many operational NGOs do not know the benefits formal information management could offer to displaced people. Little funding is channelled to mapping and Geographic Information Systems. Though it is not very visible, it can make huge contributions to humanitarian operations." Slashgeo covered mapping and humanitarian projects a few times in the past, especially on this story about GISCorps, see previous stories below.
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