About Today

Technology Serving Haiti

Ever loving technology & how it can be used to help, here’s some interesting technology-enabled resources I’ve stumbled across:

-       I got a minute long voicemail from World Vision, an organization who specializes in sponsoring children, to let their sponsors know about their emergency response & their process of notification on the whereabouts of the kids sponsored in Haiti

-       The widely communicated “text to donate” programs are awesome. I won’t miss the $10. It could very well just be extra fees that month on my cell bill. Text “HAITI” to 90999 to give $10 automatically to the Red Cross

-       Through CNN’s iReport site, those looking to find missing loved ones or help others to know someone is safe, can do so here

-       If you want to see the latest reports on areas of contaminated water, power outages, where food is being distributed, or even areas of looting, you can find them on the Crisis Map of Haiti, a map students from Tufts’ Fletcher School are working on with Ushahidi, a company who uses data from email, web or SMS to map info for use in crisis response

A little while ago, I watched a press conference from the White House with President Obama, former President George W. Bush & former President Bill Clinton all together, to talk about their initiative to collectively help provide relief & aid to post-earthquake Haiti. Upon Obama’s request, the prior two presidents agreed to help lead the efforts to raise funds for Haiti & formed the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Bush & Clinton went on to describe that their immediate goal is to provide resources to save lives & to help provide for immediate needs of food, water, shelter & first-aid supplies. For more information on this, go to ClintonBushHaitiFund.org.

Watching the current & last two presidents of the United States standing together, leading together, it dawned on me… what if the US were to become a nation known as a nation of service?

I know the US provides more money, goods & human capital throughout the world than most others by all factors & measures, but what if, when people heard “The United States”, they thought of a country full of compassionate, caring, giving & loving people? More than the rich & powerful country of the West, more than a military powerhouse?… What if they thought of us as a people of action, in service?

This is absolutely idealistic. But, what would that look like & how would that affect our country, both in the US & in the rest of the world?

Food for thought. Happy Saturday :)