Mapping as a form of humanitarian aid
With Johnny Henshall
Chair: Mike Duggan
In recent years humanitarian mapping has become a popular way to give something other than money to charitable causes around the world. Based on the premise of online crowd sourcing and open source software, this form of bottom-up mapping
has become a significant form of aid; providing practical tools for local people and aid workers dealing with humanitarian crises ‘on the ground’. Not only do these maps provide something pragmatic as humanitarian aid - for example, providing the spatial layout
of areas before and after natural disasters - but they also encourage people to participate in charitable endeavours in novel and empowering ways.
In this seminar we will critically examine the potential of humanitarian mapping practices for those ‘on the ground’ and for those producing these maps. Leading the session, Johnny Henshall from the British Red Cross and MapAction will
introduce and discuss the burgeoning field of humanitarian mapping before convening a demo ‘mapathon’ whereby participants will have the chance to contribute themselves. Participants with laptops are asked to bring them along in order to participate fully
in the mapping activities.
Speaker:
Johnny Henshall works at the British Red Cross and volunteers for MapAction, the humanitarian mapping charity, where he has helped organise 'Missing Maps' eventsboth in the UK and internationally. His most recent volunteering work has
been running a mapping workshop in Nepal to map the flood-hit areas of the country.
Venue: UEL/Birkbeck Campus at One University Square Stratford E15 (Room US4.15)
Date: WEDNESDAY 8th NOVEMBER 2017
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Tickets £10.00 and £7.50 concessions