In response to the devastating aftermath of the twin earthquakes (on January 12 and then on January 20) in Haiti, Crisis Commons has come to serve as a key forum for the coordination of professional volunteers in the development of rapid solutions to the diverse array of information-based challenges facing the aid effort.

Crisis Commons volunteers are drawn from experts in the fields of geospatial mapping, software development, graphic design,  language translation, NGO and government work, and general logistics.

Teams collaborate most intensively and perhaps productively at live meetings called “Crisis Camps”, which have met and will be meeting in cities across North and South America, from New York to Los Angeles, and from Bogota to Ottawa.

Projects resulting from Crisis Camps include a Creole-to-English mobile app, and a platform enabling the sharing of resources between relief organizations called the We Have, We Need Exchange.

Many other projects have been conceived and are in development.  View the full project list here.

In order to learn more about becoming a collaborator on a Crisis Camp Haiti project, click here.