The idea was simple: technology can and should be used for good

Two years ago representatives from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Hewlett-Packard, NASA and the World Bank came together to form the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) program. RHoK brings together subject matter experts, volunteer software developers and designers to create open source and technology agnostic software solutions that address challenges facing humanity. On June 4-5, 2011 well hold the third Random moncler tulsa jacket brown black Hacks of Kindness global event at five U.S. locations and 13 international sites, giving local developer communities the opportunity to collaborate on problems in person.The RHoK community has already developed some applications focused on crisis response such as ImOK, a mobile messaging application for disaster response that was used on the ground in Haiti and Chile; and CHASM, a visual tool to map landslide risk currently being piloted by the World Bank in landslide affected areas in the Caribbean. Person Finder, a tool created by Googles crisis response team to help people find friends and loved ones after a natural disaster, was also refined at RHoK events and effectively deployed in Haiti, Chile and Japan.Were inviting all developers, designers and anyone else who wants to help hack for humanity,to attend one of the local events on June 4-5. There, youll meet other open source developers, work with experts in disaster and climate issues and contribute code to exciting projects that make a difference. If youre in Northern California, come join us at the Silicon Valley RHoK event at Google headquarters.And if youre part of an organization that works in the fields of crisis response or climate change, you can submit a problem definition online, so that developers and volunteers can work on developing technology to address the challenge. / for more information and to sign up for your local event, and get set to put your hacking skills to good use.Posted by Carlos Cuesta, Developer Marketing TeamLast Thursday, the Google Map Maker team, along with the World Bank and UNITAR/UNOSAT, held a unique event at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and a satellite event in Nairobi at the same time. More than 70 members of moncler tulsa jacket black the Sudanese diaspora, along with regional experts from the World Bank, Sudan Institute, Voices for Sudan, The Enough Project and other organizations gathered together to map what is expected to become the worlds newest country later this year: the Republic of South Sudan. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the international community to assist all Sudanese towards greater stability and developmentduring and beyond this period of transition.South Sudan is a large but under-mapped region, and there are very few high-quality maps that display essential features like roads, hospitals and schools. Up-to-date maps are particularly important to humanitarian aid groups, as they help responders target their efforts and mobilize their resources of equipment, personnel and supplies. More generally, maps are an important foundation for the development of the infrastructure and economy of the country and region.The Map Maker communitya wide-ranging group of volunteers that help build more comprehensive maps of the world using our online mapping tool, Google Map Makerhas been contributing to the mapping effort for Sudan since the referendum on January 9. To aid their work, weve published updated satellite imagery of the region, covering 125,000 square kilometers and 40 percent of the U.N.s priority areas, to Google Earth and Maps. The goal of last weeks event was to engage and train members of the Sudanese diaspora in the United States, and others who have lived and worked in the region, to use Google Map Maker so they could contribute their local knowledge of the region to the ongoing moncler grey jacket wool quilted hooded mapping effort, particularly in the area of social infrastructure. Our hope is that this event and others like it will help build a self-sufficient mapping community that will contribute their local expertise and remain engaged in Sudan over time.We were inspired by the groups enthusiasm. One attendee told us: I used to live in this small village that before today did not exist on any maps that I know of...a place unknown to the world. Now I can show to my kids, my friends, my community, where I used to live and better tell the story of my people. The group worked together to make several hundred edits to the map of Sudan in four hours. As those edits are approved, theyll appear live in Google Maps, available for all the world to see. But this wasnt just a one-day undertakingattendees will now return to their home communities armed with new tools and ready to teach their friends and family how to join the effort. We look forward to seeing the Southern Sudanese mapping community grow and flourish.Posted by France Lamy, Program Manager, Google.org|