2016

On Our Radar

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Everyone should benefit from the right to speak and be heard on the matters that affect their lives. While ICT is developing rapidly, much of the world remains offline and those who are most vulnerable are least likely to have the means to share information. On Our Radar is a communications platform for unheard voices. […]

About The Project

Everyone should benefit from the right to speak and be heard on the matters that affect their lives. While ICT is developing rapidly, much of the world remains offline and those who are most vulnerable are least likely to have the means to share information.

On Our Radar is a communications platform for unheard voices. Built for offline and excluded communities, it harnesses SMS as a means for groups and individuals to converse and connect with the public, private and third sectors. At the heart of the approach is a focus on dialogue as a way of promoting insight and cultural awareness. Trained community reporters use SMS as a micro-reporting tool to share news, concerns and perspectives, in real time, with stakeholders working in governance, media, research, development and public services. Stakeholders are given access to the reports via an online dashboard which they can use to respond or ask questions to fix problems, guide decision-making and increase public understanding.

The system has built bridges between councils and remote villages, connected media with communities in crisis and provided insight into health and development. In Sierra Leone, the platform was used by communities affected by Ebola who used SMS to develop social media stories and features for global press about what they were experiencing.

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