As radio has been instrumental in large scale ethnic cleansing before, the Sentinel Project is using cell phones and text messaging to bring genocide prevention into the modern age. 'Are You Sure,' or 'Una Hakika' in Swahili, is a violence-quelling service that asks text senders to confirm or deny rumors before it leads to killings.
The service is currently being trialed in the Tana Delta region of Kenya. Between August 2012 and January 2013, ethnic massacres claimed the lives of 166 people. While the situation has since stabilized, tension is still thick in the area. If Una Hakika is successful in Tana Delta, there are hopes to expand the service.
Rumors and conspiracy theories in such situations often lead to pre-emptive action being taken on one side. This is where this crowdsourced, fact-checking genocide prevention service comes into play.
Crowdsourced Anti-Violence Services
Genocide Prevention Comes in the Form of Rumor-Squashing Texts
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourcing - Opportunity to develop crowdsourced platforms for fact-checking and rumor-squashing in various industries.
2. Mobile Technology - Potential to leverage mobile phones and text messaging for violence prevention efforts in different sectors.
3. Genocide Prevention - Disruptive innovation opportunities in developing technologies and services to prevent large-scale violence and ethnic cleansing.
Industry Implications
1. Media and Communication - Creating platforms and applications that utilize crowdsourcing and mobile technology to combat misinformation and violence.
2. Human Rights and Activism - Applying similar crowdsourced fact-checking models and mobile technology to prevent the escalation of violence in conflict zones.
3. Social Impact and Non-profit - Exploring innovative methods, such as crowdsourcing and mobile technology, to address and mitigate social issues like genocide and ethnic cleansing.