Innovation Watch: Unsung Peace Heroes

Published November 26, 2008 @ 09:46AM PT

In a really cool demonstration of how platforms get used for things other than their intended purpose, the Ushahidi software developed to track conflict and emergencies in Africa and around the world is now being used by Butterfly Works and Media Focus on Africa to power an "Unsung Peace Heroes" campaign in Kenya.

The idea is to recognize that while much of the company was immersed in violence, there were many people who were opening their doors and going out of their way to calm tensions and protect friends, family, and strangers alike. The campaign aims to honor and award those unsung heroes. In an awesome mirror of the way that people reported violence with the original Ushahidi engine, they're now text messaging to honor those who rose to the challenge.

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Author

Nathaniel is the founding Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, which works annually with hundreds of students in dozens of countries around the world through curricular programs and student project incubation.