In focus

What makes your project innovative?

The use of digital technologies to strengthen Article 19 varies widely across countries, continents and contexts. Here leaders from 10 projects in the Global South explain what makes their project unique and innovative.

Innovation from the Global South

The use of digital technologies to strengthen Article 19 varies widely across countries, continents and contexts. Digital innovation is subjective. Here, leaders from 10 projects in the Global South explain what makes their particular project unique and innovative.
Dickens Olewe, African SkyCAM, Kenya

"I founded this drone journalism project to respond to challenges journalists were facing when covering fast moving stories in difficult to reach places. We have proved that drones are a viable low-cost option for news gathering. We have even gone further to test developing 3D models and are excited about developing content for virtual reality, live casting and sensor journalism."
Oscar Parra Castellanos, Rutas del Conflicto, Colombia

"We are a journalistic database focusing on the civil war in Colombia, using a website and app for mobile devices that map and describe more than 700 massacres. We work with local media to broadcast the information documented in the zones of the countryside where most massacres took place, looking for relatives of victims of these crimes to check the data and to hear their testimonies."
Florencia Coelho, Voz Data, Argentina

"We work with universities and NGOs to engage teams to liberate data, and digitalize documents. We have worked with over 30,000 PDF documents of senate expenses, 20,000 electoral forms and 40,000 audio transcripts that we digitalized and shared on our website. It would not be possible to analyze this amount of data without a structured database process and the utilization of 1000 volunteers."
Shubhranshu Choudhary, CG Net Swara, India

"We’re using appropriate technology to create two-way democratic communication platforms. We use the Internet, mobile phones, radio and Bluetooth. In places where mobile phones have reach but Internet does not, a combination of mobile phone and Internet works. We are trying to create democratic media which is affordable by using the available technology."
Gustavo Faleiros, InfoAmazonia, Brazil

"We are the only platform reporting on the Amazon region using data, coining the term Geojournalism, and being the first to deal with the scale of environmental issues that would normally be restricted to scientific journals. Using satellite and other earth science data we provide a whole new perspective to phenomena using interactive mapping and visualization."
Terry Parnell, Open Development Cambodia, Cambodia

"Our platform is the first attempt to track development and offer information to illuminate development trends from both a cross-sectoral and transborder perspective. The database supports moderated crowdsourcing enabling both data sharing and research design and the website offers a range of knowledge products, including an interactive map facility, which helps users explore issues on their own."
Oludotun Babayemi, Follow the Money, Nigeria

"Before now, communities have been engaged using only traditional means, but our project strategy included the use of digital technologies in amplifying the voices of rural people. When we attend community outreaches we take our mobiles to snap pictures, and record short videos and conversations which we share on our website, and Tweet concerned policy makers and stakeholders."
Noora Flinkman, HarassMap, Egypt

"We have a reporting and mapping system on our website using Ushahidi to collect and map reports of sexual harassment (from witnesses and the harassed person). This is unique because sexual harassment work tends to focus solely on victims and abusers. We use social media to spread our message, share information, engage the general public and update them on our events and activities."
Yatirajula Kanaka Sandhya, Mera Swasthya Meri Aawaz, India

"We track illicit informal fees demanded in government facilities through the combined use of a toll free number, an interactive voice response system and a crowdsourcing internet based service where the reports can be accessed. It enables poor women and their families to make anonymous complaints without fear of backlash from the health providers with whom they have future engagements."
Wouter Dijkstra, Trac FM, Uganda & Somalia

"We pioneered the field of interactive radio-polling and build on the success and reach of local radio and TV talk-shows. Our innovative power lies in the combination of new media techniques like instant data mapping, cloud based-software, word recognition and visual analytics with established low-tech technologies and formats like radio and SMS."

Innovation from the Global South

The use of digital technologies to strengthen Article 19 varies widely across countries, continents and contexts. Digital innovation is subjective. Here, leaders from 10 projects in the Global South explain what makes their particular project unique and innovative.
Dickens Olewe, African SkyCAM, Kenya

"I founded this drone journalism project to respond to challenges journalists were facing when covering fast moving stories in difficult to reach places. We have proved that drones are a viable low-cost option for news gathering. We have even gone further to test developing 3D models and are excited about developing content for virtual reality, live casting and sensor journalism."
Oscar Parra Castellanos, Rutas del Conflicto, Colombia

"We are a journalistic database focusing on the civil war in Colombia, using a website and app for mobile devices that map and describe more than 700 massacres. We work with local media to broadcast the information documented in the zones of the countryside where most massacres took place, looking for relatives of victims of these crimes to check the data and to hear their testimonies."
Florencia Coelho, Voz Data, Argentina

"We work with universities and NGOs to engage teams to liberate data, and digitalize documents. We have worked with over 30,000 PDF documents of senate expenses, 20,000 electoral forms and 40,000 audio transcripts that we digitalized and shared on our website. It would not be possible to analyze this amount of data without a structured database process and the utilization of 1000 volunteers."
Shubhranshu Choudhary, CG Net Swara, India

"We’re using appropriate technology to create two-way democratic communication platforms. We use the Internet, mobile phones, radio and Bluetooth. In places where mobile phones have reach but Internet does not, a combination of mobile phone and Internet works. We are trying to create democratic media which is affordable by using the available technology."
Gustavo Faleiros, InfoAmazonia, Brazil

"We are the only platform reporting on the Amazon region using data, coining the term Geojournalism, and being the first to deal with the scale of environmental issues that would normally be restricted to scientific journals. Using satellite and other earth science data we provide a whole new perspective to phenomena using interactive mapping and visualization."
Terry Parnell, Open Development Cambodia, Cambodia

"Our platform is the first attempt to track development and offer information to illuminate development trends from both a cross-sectoral and transborder perspective. The database supports moderated crowdsourcing enabling both data sharing and research design and the website offers a range of knowledge products, including an interactive map facility, which helps users explore issues on their own."
Oludotun Babayemi, Follow the Money, Nigeria

"Before now, communities have been engaged using only traditional means, but our project strategy included the use of digital technologies in amplifying the voices of rural people. When we attend community outreaches we take our mobiles to snap pictures, and record short videos and conversations which we share on our website, and Tweet concerned policy makers and stakeholders."
Noora Flinkman, HarassMap, Egypt

"We have a reporting and mapping system on our website using Ushahidi to collect and map reports of sexual harassment (from witnesses and the harassed person). This is unique because sexual harassment work tends to focus solely on victims and abusers. We use social media to spread our message, share information, engage the general public and update them on our events and activities."
Yatirajula Kanaka Sandhya, Mera Swasthya Meri Aawaz, India

"We track illicit informal fees demanded in government facilities through the combined use of a toll free number, an interactive voice response system and a crowdsourcing internet based service where the reports can be accessed. It enables poor women and their families to make anonymous complaints without fear of backlash from the health providers with whom they have future engagements."
Wouter Dijkstra, Trac FM, Uganda & Somalia

"We pioneered the field of interactive radio-polling and build on the success and reach of local radio and TV talk-shows. Our innovative power lies in the combination of new media techniques like instant data mapping, cloud based-software, word recognition and visual analytics with established low-tech technologies and formats like radio and SMS."

Date 14.03.2016
Number of pictures 11
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SPECIAL

In focus

What makes your project innovative?

Innovation from the Global South

Dickens Olewe, African SkyCAM, Kenya

Oscar Parra Castellanos, Rutas del Conflicto, Colombia

Florencia Coelho, Voz Data, Argentina

Shubhranshu Choudhary, CG Net Swara, India

Gustavo Faleiros, InfoAmazonia, Brazil

Terry Parnell, Open Development Cambodia, Cambodia

Oludotun Babayemi, Follow the Money, Nigeria

Noora Flinkman, HarassMap, Egypt

Yatirajula Kanaka Sandhya, Mera Swasthya Meri Aawaz, India

Wouter Dijkstra, Trac FM, Uganda & Somalia