Call to action! Help update maps of Southern Sudan

CraigD

Hi Folks,

As you may know, I am looking for help from anyone with local knowledge of the Southern Sudan region, or time to log on and pitch in, to help us update Google Maps online. Currently there is a focused effort to update the map data of Southern Sudan in the face of their historic elections, but help is needed right now. The help that I'd like, is to be informed of online communities that could assist in the effort to improve the accuracy of the map data using Google Map Maker. These would be folks that are familiar with, or have local knowledge of the Sudan region, and have web access. Also anyone interested in adding to the effort is encouraged to use the links below to become familiar with the region and start adding map data with Google Map Maker.

Here's why this is important: As stated here, (http://www.satsentinel.org/blog/lets-build-better-map-southern-sudan), "Without basic geospatial information, it’s difficult for humanitarian agencies and first responders to monitor and evaluate the risks and current needs, target their efforts, and mobilize proper resources. At times like these, it is critical to have good maps on roads, settlements, voting stations, hospitals, buildings and other services - with both local and official names - to generate better, faster responses."

The United Nations, Harvard University, Google, and the NGO Enough (co-founded by actor George Clooney) have just launched a project using imagery, field reports, and Map Maker to conduct human rights monitoring along the border between North and South Sudan.
The Project site is live at: http://www.satsentinel.org/

Here's what we need: your local knowledge and mapping contributions on schools, hospitals, and landmarks, along with their local names, will be extremely useful to support human rights monitoring and reporting. More specifically, over these areas of interest (see attached kmz), provided by our colleagues from the Sudan Sentinel project -- let’s map extensively:

towns and town names (multiple names especially)
roads (in-town roads as well) and trails
displaced persons camps
cultural landmarks
geographic landmarks
schools
orphanages / shelters etc
hospitals
community centers
border crossing points
nomadic camps,
markets and large gatherings of cattle

Here is a link to up-to-date map imagery:
http://www.satsentinel.org/maps

Here is some basic information about using Google Map Maker:
http://maps.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=30028

Begin mapping Sudan here:
http://www.google.com/mapmaker?hl=en&q=Sudan&gw=30&ll=13.325485,30.19043&spn=27.624482,32.167969&z=5

If you have any questions, or would like to contact me personally, please use the Private Message system of this forum and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

I thank you for any help!

Cheers,

CraigD

If you're interested in becoming part of the online Map Maker community, here's where!
http://sites.google.com/site/mapyourworldcommunity/

SouthernSudan.kmz

thomthom

Craig - I think some of your links are broken.

Rich O Brien

Hope some members here can help out

@thomthom
They all work for me except the mapmaker help page?

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

They all work for me except the mapmaker help page?

Yea the two links towards the bottom.

CraigD

Got 'em! Thanks for the heads up!

  - CraigD

CraigD

Hi folks! I am back from some travels and wanted to ask if anyone has been able to jump in and do any editing. I also am very interested in finding out if you had any trouble with the Map Maker tool. Any feedback is appreciated and of course any mapping of the Sudan region is just stellar!

Thanks guys!

Cheers,

 - CraigD

harnstein

If i get you right, the task is to fill empty maps of sudan with information, eg. road names, landmarks etc.?

What about providing existing (analog) maps eg. scanned? Or are there really none?

Or maybe i just didn't understand it clearly, then please correct (or ignore ) me.

So far, i cannot offer any knowledge of the sudan region..sorry.

CraigD

Hi harnstein!

The request is for people with local knowledge of the region to jump onto Map Maker and start filling in details like roads, road names, important features such as hospitals, police stations, water service, etc.

Many of these regions to NOT have paper/analog maps (this would be much easier if these maps did exist) so we are asking for help from the world.

I'm also very interested in getting information on organizations of Sudanese diaspora, or folks who've been displaced from the region, to help join the call to action.

I hope that helps explain more, and very shortly I will have a link to a guide with more detailed information.

Talk to you all again soon!

Cheers,

- CraigD

CraigD

Hi folks, I wanted to update you all on how you can help. Here is a site that shows what we need help with and how you can get involved.

Please help if you can.

https://sites.google.com/site/mapyourworldcommunity/events/sudan

Thanks!

 - CraigD

mptak

With the preliminary election results posted I have seen the first photography of the
Sudan Sentinel Project in the press. (kind of buried considering all that is occurring in
Tunisia and Egypt. For those following this thread here is a good place to help keep
track of the overall picture.

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