The ever-addicting Google Earth feature (who hasn't looked up every house they've ever lived in?) has a brand new feature with a humanitarian twist.
The feature is set to show the movement of refugees around the world using satellite images of refugee hot spots such as Darfur, Iraq, and Colombia. The maps are designed to help humanitarian operations as well as to inform the public about the millions who have fled their homes because of political violence. Google Earth's successful use after Hurricane Katrina, sparking the expansion idea.
The UN Deputy High Commissioner For Refugees said at the launch of the project, “all of the things that we do for refugees in the refugee camps around the world will become more visible.”
For example, Google Earth users will be able to see into the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad, home to refugees from the conflict in Darfur, and see tents clustered together amid the sparse landscape. Adding a servicey aspect, with another click, users can learn about the difficulty of providing water to some of the 15,000 people.
Google Earth faced controversy earlier this year when the US Defense Department cracked down banning views of military bases. By extension, if people wanting to help refugees can see the camps, could those wishing to harm them use the info, too? What about issues of privacy? Have we given enough thought to the bigger questions of this powerful technology?
Christian Dior
People wanting to help can look at websites or National Geographic-this does seem dangerous and creepy.
1Normally I would be in favour of anything that can help raise conciousness about the problem, but to be honest, I think this goes a little too far. Safety and privacy need to be considered more seriously. I mean, there are other ways to inform people and this sounds almost like a reality show. I don't think this is a good idea.
2Google Earth still shows military bases, both here and in Iraq... in fact they show so much that I know people in the military who use Google Earth stills in their presentations!
Someone needs to reign in this program...
3When should information be considered off limits? How recent are the picures? I must admit that I have never used Google Earth. If the pictures are within the last month, then I think it is too far. If they are years old, then I see no problem with it.
4DANG, cabaker!!!! That is crazy!
I think it does need to be reigned in, but we also need to deal with the fact that if the technology is out there, there are computer people that can find it. We have to plan as if the information is already in the wrong hands. Some people are crazy geniuses with computers. I definitely don't fall into that category!
5I think it's a great idea. Refuge camps aren't secret in any way and I think it's an issue where people take the mentality "out of sight, out of mind". I hope it will raise awareness just by the sheer reach that google has.
6Well I remember the controversy when Google switched the images of post-Katrina with images of pre-Katrina. Oh my. We all were up in arms. It's like Google decided, "ah, that hurricane, everyone forgot about it already so let's just show the images from when everything was hunky-dory down there."
7I think its a great idea. More attention needs to be drawn to the refugee crises (sp?) all over the world.
Besides, does anyone REALLY think the janjaweed in Sudan has wireless internet & can look up the locations of the camps? Its not like they don't already know where the helpless are...
8i'm kind of on the fence about this one. it's like there's a sense of providing too much information and then again, it's like it's something that's important. i don't know what the right answer/response to this is.
9I think it's going too far. This particular situation I don't think will help raise awareness. Like Stephly said, if people want to help there are websites, mailouts etc. For those who don't want to help or aren't aware of the issues, google earth isn't going to bring the issue to those people's attention. I'm guessing the types of people who are unaware of world issues like that and others, aren't big google earth users.
10I think the people who will be using Google Earth to find these places are not doing it for humanitarian reasons.
11I agree cabaker.
12Will these people be getting paid or the camp to be featured on this tool?
13Here's another question. Will the refugee camps be labelled? Can I type in "Extremist Refugee Camp" and Google Earth will rotate and show me where in the world the refugee camp is, or do I have to find it on my own?
14These polls are interesting because most of the comments have been against it, yet the poll says 78% think its a good idea...
I really don't think people read the articles that come with this, they just blindly take the poll.
15I just point and click, and then go to the comments... Is that bad?
16I never participate in the polls.
17Are refugee camps tough to find? In other words, does the janjaweed need to hook up to the internet to find camps, and if they could, would it make a difference? I think the idea behind plotting refugee movements is solid because migrations can inform humanitarian needs, and if the UNHCR endorses this project, they must have done their homework. Maybe we should ask Angelina Jolie what she thinks.
I DO think that showing military bases is a bad idea. Access to bases on the ground is prohibited, so I think it's a security issue to depict the layouts.
18"Maybe we should ask Angelina Jolie what she thinks."
rotfl silly!
19She would say that America should adpot all the children. I would if I could afford any more
20She would say that America should adpot all the children. I would if I could afford any more
21She would say that America should adpot all the children. I would if I could afford any more
22WTF?? I hit the button once!!!
I apologize for the multiple posts.
23You were just really passionate about it. The blog world could tell.
24I noticed Dave wrote, ...adpot...(add pot?) Was that really a one time hit Dave? J.K.
25Well, I only needed one hit....
26Sorry, I couldn't resist.
27It creeps me out that someone is always watching us with these programs. But not to derail this comment, I do think Google Earth would be instrumental in planning some kind of terrorist attack.
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