The overflow of information generated during disasters can be as paralyzing to humanitarian response as the lack of information. Making sense of this information--Big Data--is proving an impossible challenge for traditional humanitarian organizations, which is precisely why they're turning to Digital Humanitarians. This new humanitarians mobilize online to make sense of vast volumes of data--social media and text messages; satellite and aerial imagery--in direct support of relief efforts worldwide. How? They craft ingenious crowdsourcing solutions with trail-blazing insights from artificial intelligence. This book charts the spectacular rise of Digital Humanitarians, highlighting how their humanity coupled with innovative Big Data solutions is changing humanitarian relief for forever. Praise for the book: ...  examines how new uses of technology and vast quantities of digital data are transforming the way societies prepare for, respond to, cope with, and ultimately understand humanitarian disasters. --Dr. Enzo Bollettino, Executive Director, The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University ...  explains the strengths and potential weaknesses of using big data and crowdsourced analytics in crisis situations. It is at once a deeply personal and intellectually satisfying book.--Professor Steven Livingston, Professor of Media & Public and International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University Patrick Meier is a passionate evangelist for the power of big data to help us respond to natural disasters and other crises. He is also a careful scholar who thinks deeply about the limits and potential dangers of data-centric approaches. His book offers both inspiration for those around the world who want to improve our disaster response and a set of fertile challenges to ensure we use data wisely and ethically. ―Ethan Zuckerman, Director, MIT Center for Civic Media and author of Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection I dare you to read this book and not have both your heart and mind opened. Patrick Meier writes compellingly about his first-hand accounts of people around the world working together to help disaster victims through advanced computing solutions. ―Leysia Palen, Associate Professor and Director of Project EPIC―Empowering the Public with Information during Crises, University of Colorado, Boulder Something very like the fog of war afflicts crisis response. On the ground, simply knowing what is wrong ― who is suffering? where is the danger? ― is both critical and difficult. In Digital Humanitarians , Patrick Meier, a scholar and practitioner of crisis response, shows us how simple digital tools, built and staffed by a worldwide network of volunteers, are providing faster and more comprehensive data for disaster response efforts. Working from examples like the Haitian earthquake and the Arab Spring, Meier shows how tools from artificial intelligence to aerial drones, and techniques from crowdmapping to distributed fact-checking, are helping to dispel some of that fog. ―Clay Shirky, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, New York University and author of Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations An insider’s guide to the humanitarian data revolution, seen through the eyes of a thought leader, scholar, and expert practitioner on the front lines of a global movement that is already transforming how we understand and respond to crises. ―Robert Kirkpatrick, United Nations Global Pulse Business, economics and governance are transforming as traditional state-based institutions are supplemented and indeed eclipsed by non-state networks of civil society. New technologies are enabling regular citizens to connect, collaborate, and save lives. In his book, Meier shows these same trends emerging in the field of humanitarian response. Global problem solving is rapidly evolving and Meier will help get you on board . ―Don Tapscott, Global Solutions Network and co-author of Wikinomics This book breaks new ground, as Patrick Meier charts the optimism, the possibilities, and the dilemmas of a new Digital Humanitarianism from his own first hand experience. For anyone in the Humanitarian sector - ignore this book at your own peril. ―Tarun Sarwal, Innovation Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross Meier offers an illuminating look at how digital humanitarian have been creating value from big data for nearly a half-decade. He changes the narrative surrounding the "traditional" humanitarian community - often thought to be intransigent and inflexible - by presenting examples of how humanitarian organizations are actively exploring how to incorporate big data and crowdsourcing into their decision-making processes. His authoritative volume crackles with honest insights about the current and future state of humanitarian response. ―Albert Gembara, Technology Integration Officer, United States Agency for International Developm