Crisis Signals: The Future of Humanitarian Data

Satellite imagery, social media, aerial robotics, and other emerging technologies are generating unprecedented amounts of real-time and granular data around conflicts and disasters. This raises questions and opportunities when it comes to leveraging actionable and predictive intelligence to save lives in humanitarian emergencies. What promises do new approaches in information management and data science hold for the future of humanitarian action? What perils lay ahead? Join us for an expert panel exploring how local communities, online volunteers, technology companies, and humanitarian agencies can responsibly collect, share, and make sense of crisis data for more locally-relevant and effective humanitarian response. The event also includes a showcase of innovations in humanitarian data-driven solutions and research from Switzerland, Silicon Valley, and beyond. More speakers to be announced.
Program
5.30-7.00pm - innovation showcase 7.00pm - welcome 7.10pm - panel discussion 8.15pm - networking & innovation showcase
Speakers
Nathaniel A. Raymond Director, Signal Program on Human Security and Technology
Nathaniel A. Raymond is Director of the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) of the Harvard T.I. Chan School of Public Health. He was formerly Director of Operations of the Satellite Sentinel Project at HHI, which was a co-recipient of the 2012 US Geospatial Foundation Industry Intelligence Achievement Award. Raymond was previously Director of the Campaign Against Torture at Physicians for Human Rights and served in a variety of roles at Oxfam America, including Communications Advisor for Humanitarian Response and Interim Coordinator for Tsunami Communications for Oxfam International. He has served in the field in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Gulf Coast, Jordan, and elsewhere. He is a 2013 PopTech Social Innovation Fellow and a 2010 Rockwood Leadership Institute National Security and Human Rights Reform Fellow.  Raymond is a co-winner of the 2013 USAID and Humanity United Tech Challenge for Mass Atrocity Prevention. He has co-written four major peer-reviewed articles on the use of information communication technologies in humanitarian response and human rights work.
Curators
Joseph Guay Humanitarian Innovation Specialist
Joseph Guay is an independent consultant who has developed innovation strategies for the Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation (GAHI), World Vision’s Nepal Innovation Lab (NLab), the Global Protection Cluster at UNHCR, and the inter-agency Response Innovation Lab (RIL) drawing from Strategic and Evidence-based Design, Local Strategies Research, and systems thinking. Joe has helped developed information management solutions for human rights and humanitarian work, first at the Satellite Sentinel Project at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and later–through his teaching at Northeastern University’s Geographic Information Technology program—by providing remote-based information management and crowd-sourcing support for the Ebola pandemic (2014) and Nepal earthquake (2015) responses.  
Malcolm Johnstone Information Management Specialist, UNHCR
Malcolm Johnstone is a humanitarian specialist with experience from 14 breaking emergencies in all parts of the world. His work spans crisis information management, coordinating assessments, developing strategies around cash transfers and advising on adaptation to the pressures of climate change. Recently with UNOCHA and UNHCR in the Middle East, Malcolm has been improving information management practices for the humanitarian responses to the conflict in northern Syria, the refugee influx into Lebanon and the current attack on Mosul, Iraq. Malcolm has a Master’s Degree in Humanitarian Assistance and is completing a second in Sustainability and Adaptation to Climate Change. He is particularly interested in reducing suffering and improving lives through the restoration of productive ecosystems.  

Photo: Armed conflict between 1989 and 2015 (in red and pink; Syria is excluded). (ETH Zurich / Luc Girardin with data from UCDP, NASA and ETH Zurich).