This concept is based on the idea of having a platform where storytellers (news network reporters, photojournalists, local newspaper reporters..) who are on the ground, who make it to these hard to access crisis areas, who discover the real story use this platform to tell the story through their pictures, videos. These stories are monitored, tracked, filtered, tagged to create clarity and presented to the listeners as a visualization. The listeners (Aid organizations, news providers, citizens...) consume this information to collaboratively find aid, broadcast to a wider audience or tweet/spread the word to enable actions.
Consider this scenario -
Lisa, a National Geography photographer is exploring to film various water situations. While in a region in Northern Kenya, she comes across group of people who kill other people for water. This is in fact true and something we'd never have found out. She interviews the people - the survivors & the killers, photographs them. Lisa is a registered user on our platform. We know her name, where she works, what she does. She uploads the story to the platform - it tracks her location or lets her add where the story happened. The platform is maintained by say USAID, Humanity United. The stories are tracked as they come in. Lisa's story is tagged and accepted. What then gets updated is a visualization (a maps mash up) which is what the listeners can see - us citizens, the news providers, aid organizations etc. What also happens is the nearest USAID and other nearest aid organizations or appropriate organizations are identified on this visualization, tagged and informed about this story in their region so that they are aware and can take the needed actions. These organizations who are also part of the platform can then post to the story when action/relief efforts they have taken.
Who are the Storytellers? -News network reporters, photojournalists, local newspaper reporters...
Why them? - These storytellers are always on the go exploring. The storytellers make it to regions that are difficult to reach. Some stories will remain unheard of if not for these storytellers.
Who are the Listeners? - Anyone. The listeners are curious. Shocked, sad by these stories. They don't trust any story. They want to help.
The platform? - Allows the storytellers to share and provide clarity to the listeners enabling them to do their part.
Providing incentives? -
How to provide incentives to the victims to share their story with the storytellers - providing them hope of help/aid/care package by letting their story reach the appropriate organizations. Assuring they'll be heard.
How to provide incentives to the storytellers to post the story - recognizing their story and the organization they belong to on the platform, recognizing their story has been notified to the appropriate organizations, updating their story when the appropriate organizations have taken an action/provided relief/assistance. Also, some kind of point/score system for storyteller's activity & contribution on the platform. Featured story/photograph on the platform thereby recognizing the storyteller and his/her organization as well highlighting the organization enabling action.
Who can use this platform and how?
victims ----share--> Storytellers ----post--> platform ----notify--> regional organizations ----help---> victims
victims ----signal danger--> regional organizations ----help--->victims ----post story--> platform
storytellers collaborate, regional organizations/partners collaborate
The listeners can use this platform in other ways -
- News providers can broadcast these stories on news channels, local newspapers etc.
- Citizens can tweet and spread the word.
- Aid organizations in the region or outside can collaborate to combine efforts, resources.
Ideas from collaborators on this post:
What the storytellers post, what is notified to regional organizations and what the other listeners view will be in a structured format which is something to work on as we design this platform.
This platform can possibly be extended to the victims themselves by providing them the capability to post stories as well as being to able to maintain a platform that connects to stories while maintaining the truth & avoiding information overload.
Potential names for this platform:
Reach
i.Witness
Connect (in different regional languages)
Voice
our.Stories
16 comments
Join the conversation:
CommentDeletedUser
Arpitha Shetty
DeletedUser
Arpitha Shetty
Arpitha Shetty