I live and breathe Open Source (or FOSS - Free and Open Source Software, or FLOSS - Free/Libre Open Source Software, depending on your bent). I have been working in the Open Source world for a long time and have been an Open Source developer for even longer. But it never ceases to amaze me where the concepts and, let's face it, belief system of Open Source can take root and make a difference.
Recently a call went out to volunteers to assist in a disaster management site for the Australian floods. A friend contacted me and suggested I contact CrisisCommons who initiated the call. I ended up working with great talent from New Zealand, Africa and around the world. It was a great experience. It also allowed me to use my talents to assist, albeit in a very small way, in what was happening on my own doorstep. I started following CrisisCamp on Twitter and discovered that there were sites like this being set up to handle reports of violence against protesters in Egypt, and other humanitarian and natural disasters around the world. One of the guys I was working with on the Australian site, turns out to be helping again on the New Zealand earthquake site.
What is amazing about this is that the services are being offered by a not-for-profit using OpenSource software. These sites are being set up by individuals and groups that are not supported by governments or even by charities in the hope that they will be useful. They rely on the average citizen texting or tweeting in information, which is then collated and vetted, along with trusted news feeds from the authorities related to the disaster. It then uses the Google mapping API to display the information in a convenient form that is easy to track and follow. It is an amazing collaboration that relies on the spirit that exists in OpenSource, that of equity, equality and equal access.
More and more we are seeing the benefits of sharing of information and ideas, whether it be just sharing trivia with friends, or helping disseminate news of disaster or even assisting in gaining international support for a revolution. Open Source, not just the software, but the ideals, are starting to change the world in ways that nobody could ever have foreseen.