What Is Social Media

Social Media

What is SM, web base and mobile tech meet in the middle to create interactive dialogue
Facebook, twitter, linked in and youtube-- become chain of info

Individuals in the impact zone start to mobilize and upload info valuable to 1st responders aid agencies and others who need that info in an event. And you can be a part of that. Social media empowers the public to be a participant in an interactive way.

Social Media sites provides the platform for that information
Crowdsourcing is the platform that aggregates the data on social media
It allows 1st responders to see the data in 3 dimensional ways on a map
And it also empowers them to respond more effectively by staging resources quicker. The faster the information gets into the map, the quicker they can stage/response.

In a survey by the American Red Cross, the three things taken when someone leaves during a disaster , is their keys, their cell phone and money. Aid agencies and first responders and others just getting into the social media arena.

For aid agency and 1st responders its important for you to know, its not a fad. Its here to stay
On facebook there are 500 million users, on Twitter 100 million users. And on Twitter 80% of the users are viewing that information on their
mobile devices..thats why these social platforms become the pulse point of what happens in a disaster.

Monitoring and listening to that information during the event becomes something critical for 1st
Responders and aid agencies. And allowing the public to access this information in a format they can read is critical as well.

When we go back to traditional media. Radio grew to 50 million users in 38 yrs. TV grew to 50 million users in 13 years. In Facebook they added 100 million users in 9 months. Immediately follow the earthquake in Japan 500k users were added to Twitter alone.

Things you can do in advance
Monitor your website, make sure its update
Launch your own crowd map and do a drill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjPc39OXr6I

How does the map work, how do you engage sms, email twitter --
Situation awareness has its risks -- diff individ diff hashtags -- challenges
Officials may get it wrong or individuals.. practice patiences
There are other tools online that can help you modify the tweet such as tweak the tweet

In creating the map understand cateogories
Don't create too many
Define the Goals and identify the chain of information - They need actionable info -- make sure categories do this effectively.

Becoming a curator -- or a participant there are different things you can do today
When an event happens what info do you collect?
Pay attention to what you are told by local gov't officials of what info is needed
Photos may include Infrastructure damage, hospital, bridge whats the status of the hwy near you, can you take a photo and upload -- do you see a problem of an instruct
Upload it..and geolocate it on the map -- and locate it properly
1st responders and agency mobilize -- use this.. it helps them

Being accurate curators of an event is important
Some get it wrong -- info gets checked
Sometimes the map organizer needs to confirm it -- make sure you provide contact info so we can reach you. Objective is safe lives -- so don't risk yours trying to curate information. Limit any unnecessary travel. If you see 2 maps emerge -- combine forces, it will save resources and create a better solution.

The tech is here to stay and the actions you take today -- could save someone's life
Understand how -- and remember if it is a test -- put it in your message
Whether you are a first responder, or aid agency -- practice..we need to get it right

There are things you should keep in mind in advance, how does the map work. How do you engage with SMS, there are different ways to report the media. Research it now to understand how it can help in your own

Food shortage areas In The Horn of Africa

By Kaltun Osman Mohamed

History of Old Sudan

By Hanan Abd Elhakm .sudan 

Capital: Khartoum
Area: 2,505,810 sq km
Borders to: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Uganda (and the Red Sea)
Population: approx. 38.1 million
Language: Arabic (official language), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages and English
Religions: Sunni Muslim (70%), Christian (5%), indigenous beliefs (25%)
Independence from Egypt and United Kingdom: January 1st, 1956.
Literacy: 50,5% of adult population (over 15 years)
Est. infant mortality: 66 per 1,000 live births
Life expectancy: 59 (Women), 57 (Men)
Government type: Authoritarian regime by a military junta in cooperation with nationalist and Islamic parties.
Chief of state/head of government: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir (since October 16th, 1993)
GDP: $52.9 billion, $1,400 per capita
Services are 40% of GDP. Agriculture is 43% of GDP and industry is 17%.
Currency: Sudanese dinar (SDD



Modern time Sudan

1820: Sudan is conquered by Turkey and Egypt.
1881: Rebellion against the Turkish-Egyptian administration.
1882: The British invade Sudan.
1885: An Islamic state is founded in Sudan.
1899: Sudan is governed by British-Egyptian rule.
1955: Revolt and start of the civil war

Independence

1956: Sudan gains independence.
1958: A military coup takes place in Sudan. The civilian government is removed.
1962: The civil war breaks out in the southern (mainly Christian/African) parts of Sudan.
October 1964: People of Sudan rebels. The military junta falls after a communist general strike. A national government is formed.
May 1969: New military coup placing Jaafar Numeiri at power.
1971: Leaders of the communist party are executed for attempting a coup against Numeiri.
1972: A peace agreement is signed in Addis Ababa. The southern Sudan achieves partly self-governance

Ingredients for war: Oil and Sharia

1978: Large findings of oil are made in Bentiu, southern Sudan. The oil becomes an important factor in the strife between North and South.
1983: Numieri introduces the Islamic Sharia law to Sudan leading to a new breakout of the civil war in the Christian south. In the south the forces are led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) under command by John Garang.
1985: President Numieri is removed from power in a military coup.
1986: A civilian government is made in an effort to restore peace after general elections.
1989: Al-Bashir and his Islamic Front (NIC) takes power in a military coup.
1995: The Sudanese government are accused of being part of an attempt on the life of Egyptian prime minister Mubarak. UN decides on sanctions against Sudan.

countinue,,,,,,,

Prevent war - give South Sudan's youth an education

By Deng Simon Garang

Myriad challenges facing youths in South Sudan are typical of all countries in the Third World. The gravity of these challenges threatens the prospects of the country and so requires adequate attention from government and relevant stakeholders.

And if anyone thinks they can win in addressing these challenges, they should prepare to do so. Before going further let’s look at these:
 

Illiteracy
Generations of an illiterate community emerged, thrived and went by along the long road of history in South Sudan. That was convenient at their time, but as the world gears toward “modernization and civilization”, the need to boost education remains a big challenge particularly to South Sudan.
 

Born by civil war
The country has just emerged from series of civil wars that claimed over two million lives and forced more than four million others to flee their homes. Several generations have been lost to illiteracy as a result. 

This is time to establish a strong foundation for change and the youth to take the lead. But a considerable youths in South Sudan has not had access to primary education, let alone secondary and higher education. 

The overall effect of high illiteracy has been seen in the youths finding difficulty in forging common purpose among themselves, supposedly a duty of all youth but is left to the educated youth in urban centers who are not representative of the whole nation. 

How do we include youth in rural areas?
It (illiteracy) also dictates conduct of youth workshops and seminars in urban towns, while the majority of the youth remain in countryside, where there are rampant inter-tribal conflicts, child abduction and cattle raiding which are often perpetrated by the youth themselves. 

I believe a change of the mindset of the illiterate youth would plunge the country off its present threat of internal insecurity. The youth should be educated with the aim to achieving a lasting peace.
 

Young South Sudanese are far from facebook
In retrospect, less mobilization is achieved through technology due to illiteracy. Only very few of youths have access to internet and can explore famous sites like news agencies, facebook and twitter.

Today the rain season gets in the way of progress
During the April 2010 general elections and January 2011 referendum campaigns, the only mode of mobilization was traveling across the nation, conducting mass rallies. Many civil societies emerged but they suffered severe logistical problems and could not deliver much; some parts of the country are inaccessible especially during the rainy season and there is no alternative to waiting for the dry season of the year. 

Assuming that the youth are to engage in a rapid impact project lasting less than a week during the rainy season, how possibly could they achieve the goal in South Sudan? Or for how long should all national programmes be scheduled for the dry season of the year.

New schools will be build
In a move to fighting this enormous scandal in the country, recently the National Government has allocated budget for the construction of thirty primary and four secondary schools nationwide. 

Whether there is effective human resource to manage these institutions in order to bring about the expected change remains another question whose answer is beyond the scope of this writer. Over the past six years interim period, higher institutions of learning in the country were often associated with Khartoum, as South Sudan was a region within Sudan.

But with independence declaration on July 9, 2011 South Sudan had to assume all roles – whether it is prepared or not. The result: Higher education at halt, leading to many youth not graduating on time. In a nutshell, the government remains to do a lot in the aspect of youth empowerment, because empowered youth means better society.

Unemployment
If one were to precisely define the youth, they would say - or likely say something similar to – ‘they are the productive proportion of the population.” Here arises a question: How can the youth be productive when they do not have access to opportunities, when they are not capable of producing for themselves? 

Corruption, nepotism - and no private sector
As a country that has just acquired independence, South Sudan’s private sector industry is infantile. So the major employing sector is the government whose limited opportunities are often spiced with little – if we could be sympathetic and say less – corruption and nepotism. 

Consequently, there is a huge bunch of unemployed, unproductive youth who are likely to turn into criminals. Poor standard of living cannot go unmentioned here. However, hopes lies in the fact that the horizon is clear as most natural resources remain unexploited and the youth will have a better future.
 

Cultural conservativeness

Many youth ambitions have been assassinated in the political landscape of South Sudan. In most communities, it is unlikely that a young man/lady contests a political post in opposition to the elderly, who are perceived to have enough experience. So the youth find difficulty gaining tickets to contest during elections. 

Here, a sharp line is cut between the political elders with the right to be voted and the youth who are only turned into a pool of voters. Influential youth get included in the government through appointment to executive or political posts.
 

Keeping this stereotype in mind, the political bearing of South Sudan with respect to youth participation in politics cannot be changed without a considerable input to transform the cultural perspectives of the whole South Sudanese society.

Building GREHAYA against odds

By Eshete Tesfaye and Asamnew Debay, Ethiopia

Greater Horn of Africa Youth in Action is a nonprofit and non political organization established by young people representing countries of Ethiopa, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan.

Initially, the aim was to establish GREHAYA as a regional organization in the Horn of Africa. However, efforts faced a challenge due to policies and bureaucracies of the countries in the region.

As a result the goal of registering GREHAYA as a regional organization or chapter organization of Crossing Borders, which is based in Denmark, has not been meet.

Consequently, GREHAYA lacks a regional office and permanent staff working on issues of peace and security. What has been achived so far is that GREHAYA is registered as a local NGO in Somalia.

The other major challenge is that of finding funds to implement projects according to the action plans of the participants from the respective countries. Participants can only manage to contribute their own skills and efforts, which will enable them to carry out only limited acivites. Contributions from members only will not enable GREHAYA to achieve it’s goals.

Another challenge is that members of GREHAYA are geograpicaly dispersed which creates a major barrier for communication. Together with the absence of permanent office and staff, that can coordinate the activities in the countries of the horn, this is a great hurdle to achive the goals of GREHAYA.

To conclude, the problems of getting registered GREHAYA as a regional organization, shortage of funding, and the lack of strong communication are major challenges that have to be addressed before GREHAYA could be able to function effectively and contribute meaningfuly for the regin of peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

We would like to move forward. Do you have knowledge or contacts that can help us, please comment.

Somali Youth fighting for their Lives

By Kaltun Osman and Warda Hassan

Education
The youth in somalia dont have shelter, food and clothes because of the war and the disaster which somali people are facing almost so many years. Somali youths are struggling to get education in Mogadishu where their lives are at risk or danger. But, they don’t care because education is so much important to them (Education is the key to succeed)

Unemployment
The youth in Somalia, especially those who are living in the areas where Alshabab are controlling are being forced to join their organization, because there is no job in the country because of war.

Early Marriage
The youth marry at an early age, because they have nothing to do in their country because of the endless war. Especially girls, they get married at early age and get pregnant. After that they are left with the responsibility to take care of the children, as the father goes away after that.

Drowning while fleeing
Many Somali youth try to leave the country to places abroad by using small boats through the sea. On the way, the boats sink in the sea because it is too small and the youth die in the sea

Borders are fictional

By Yohannes Mesfin and Ahmed Abdullahi Farah

Have you ever wondered how your next door neighbor is in another country? And how maybe the two countries’ have a bitter past that prevents you from interacting at full neighborly capacity with one another?

Trading across borders
You cannot trade with one another; trade barriers will make it harder when you do you will be engaged in the illegal smuggling of goods. You cannot be able to attend a private ceremony because you will be crossing illegally in another country’s territory. But, you want to all this because your survival instinct and social obligations dictates you to. Won’t that make you wonder why we have borders in the first place?

Ethio-Somalia relationship
Take the case of Somalia and Ethiopia: The two countries share a long history that goes back for thousands of years despite the fact that their current relationship is dictated by events that dates only few decades which take the form of open conflict and diplomatic spat.

People to people relationship 

However, the relationship between people living in the border areas remained fairly simple ignoring the big politics that is going on the back of closed doors. To this day people in the border areas trade with each other and engage in their social commitments with one another. However, for people who are only informed through the media which is devoid of any deeper social understanding and first hand information the image of our next door neighbors remains to be that of hostility.

GREHAYA
For the first time, like minded individuals from the different countries of the horn of Africa came together came together with the hope of dispelling the predicament that we find ourselves in as citizens of these countries with deep patriotic feeling to our counties’ but even deeper understanding of our common denominator which is belonging to humanity.

Our vision
We understood that we needed to work together to solve our common problems and needed no one to assist us in that hence, enter GREHAYA. As one can understand our first encounter of one another was filled with suspicion only to discover that we are into something big with the possibility of changing the livelihood of so many of our fellow human beings living in our region.

The future is bright
This understanding of one another and our championing of a common cause that transcended our existence as an individual of a certain citizenship transformed us into universal citizens thereby rendering the existence of border as being only fictional.