The mapping community has done an incredible job of mapping Haiti over the last couple days. Efforts from the OpenStreetMap community, the International Community of Crisis Mappers and Crisis Commons (among others) have been significant. Let's get more people involved in this. [caption id="attachment_1197" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Drawing Together Campaign"][/caption] (Thanks to Nathan Felde for these banners and buttons to be used to help spread the word about the mapping campaigns and get this data out and open) "Drawing Together" seeks to enlist a community of interest for Haiti, to create maps, of the people, by the people and for the people, using the tools and resources of ushahidi.com and azarask.in/projects/haiti.

Challenge

Prior to the earthquake Haiti was already in dire need of vital information about its people and resources to better govern itself and plan its future. Adequate maps of school and clinic locations were not readily available, even to policy makers. An atlas / catalog / directory of information, services and resources is needed; a shared reference document with which to mediate a common understanding of local and national goals, activities and priorities.

Response

Our belief is that maps with immediate value to relief workers can be enhanced, improved and enriched to have an ongoing and increasing value across a broader scope of Haitian interests. Lessons drawn from the conversations this mapping generates can inform and enable collaborative work for years to come in building a just and sustainable society, culture, economy and ecology in Haiti and beyond.

Need

The initial and growing community mapping the crisis created by the January 2010 earthquake is a valuable resource for this continued mapping of the needs and resources of Haiti. Just as this recent crisis has drawn people quickly together to share in drawing a map of an epic calamity, our hope is that many more people will draw inspiration from that work and continue to enrich these maps to increase our shared awareness of Haiti's longer term needs and resources.

Call to Action

We solicit engagement from all interested in Haiti's success to join in community with this nation and its diaspora to begin this important task.

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