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The mDirectory is the most comprehensive database of information on mobile tech for social change on the Web.

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Featured Case Study

Reports from the Frontline: How Small World News Trains Citizen Journalists and Captures Footage from Libya

Armed with a few Kodak Zi8 cameras, 6 HTC Wildfire mobile phones, energy, expertise in training citizen journalists, Small World News is working to share stories from Libya with the larger world.

Small World News is on the ground in Benghazi training Libyans to capture and tell video stories of events in this volatile region. Along the way, the team has also captured footage that no other main stream media outlet has been able to get. MobileActive.org chatted late last night with Brian Conley, founder of Small World News, to hear how things were going. What we learned is that capturing and sharing stories from Libya is as much about technology as it is about establishing trust and connections with the journalists on the ground.

Small World News and Alive.in

Small World News is a documentary and new media company that provides tools to journalists and citizens around the world to tell stories about their lives. We wrote about Small World News last when it helped an independent Afghan news agency integrate mobile phones and SMS into news reporting. 

As part of its work in Libya, Small World News captures audio reports from individuals on the ground to broadcast to a larger international audience. It does this via Speak2Tweet, a collaborative project from Google, Twitter, and SayNow, which allows a caller to Tweet by calling a phone number and leaving a voicemail. 

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Featured Mobile Tool

PoiMapper

The PoiMapper application allows a user to create a case-specific questionnaire, collect data, and upload it to a database. PoiMapper also allows the user to take photographs of specific points of interest (POIs) being recorded and these images are also uploaded to the database. Another feature is that the system can be used to update existing data.

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Featured How-to

Mobile Tactics for Participants in Peaceful Assemblies

If you are participating in a peaceful assembly as a journalist, rights defender, or activist, your mobile phone is an invaluable asset. It allows you to communicate with allies, to document the event, and bear witness to what is happening around you. At the same time, you should take certain precautions in your mobile use and communications. The following Guide can help you to utilize your mobile phone during peaceful assemblies effectively and, at the same time, better protect yourself.

In most public assemblies, you face risks from:

  • Loss and seizure of your mobile phone;
  • Disruptions to service from hardware or network failures;
  • Surveillance of your communications.

Each of these risks can be mitigated to some extent so long as you plan ahead, know your phone, and the basics of how mobile communications works. Remember though, that every situation is different and that mobile phones are inherently insecure communication devices. We urge you to review this Primer on Mobile Risks for more guidance in assessing your mobile risks.

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