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Sexual-Harassment-Reporting Apps Help Stop Abuse in Global City Streets

Sonia Weiser

October 12, 2018 |

New York Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

Using data collection and visualization, apps like SafeCity, HarassMap, and #WalkFreely are crowdsourcing locations where individuals have been sexually harassed or assaulted so that others know to take precautions. Some operate on a global scale, others locally, but what they all offer is a platform for people to share their story and hopefully prevent it from happening again. Such apps have led to action from community members, the media, and officials who have taken notice of the high rates in certain places and taken action.

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The Crime Machine, Part II

PJ Vogt

October 12, 2018 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

CompStat seemed like a miracle of technology and data when it was rolled out in New York City in the 1990s. Crime dropped as police leadership demanded precincts report every crime and what they were doing about it at weekly meetings where they were pressured to conform to this new system. But this also resulted in police distorting actual crime data to avoid reporting crimes in their districts and the push for increased police activity resulted in cops targeting minorities for minor offenses.

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The Crime Machine, Part I

PJ Vogt

October 11, 2018 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The creation of CompStat fostered a huge drop in crime rates in New York City by the 1990s. The idea came from an odd and obsessive transit cop was to track every single crime daily in every precinct and use that data to systematically go after everything from murders to low-level crimes once ignored by police. It was a drastic shift in the way NYPD worked and was credited with making the city far safer, but was also flawed.

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Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women

Jeffrey Dastin

October 09, 2018 |

Reuters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Amazon trashed its automated resume-reviewing software after the company discovered that the software had taught itself to discriminate against women applicants. The situation shows the limits of machine learning in human resources.

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Kenya's Government Is Evicting Indigenous People. Tech Helps Them Fight Back.

Dan Nosowitz

October 04, 2018 |

New York Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Nairobi

Kenya's indigenous communities are fighting the government's attempts to seize the land they live on using an app called This is My Backyard, or TIMBY. The app helps users to securely encrypt videos and pictures that can then be used for legal and publicity purposes, allowing community members to gather evidence and hold leaders accountable.

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This crowdsourced map helps people find the kind of bathroom they need

Ben Paynter

October 04, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbia, Missouri

Road trips are hard for people who have special needs when it comes to using the restroom, whether that be for health or gender or other reasons. Inspired to make a change after having a daughter with a specific type of illness, Christina Ingoglia, who has a GIS background, created a crowdsourced “Restroom Map” where users can note inclusive restrooms to better improve the travel experience for many, with up to 260 spots plotted so far.

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"Integrity Idol"

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

October 02, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal

With support from Accountability Lab and Transparency International, seven countries have held “Integrity Idol” contests to recognize their most honest and helpful public servants. Winners have become people others want to emulate. The contests help fight corruption and inspire civic participation.

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This startup lets villagers create mini power grids for their neighbors

Adele Peters

September 28, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh, Shikarpur

Solshare, a fast-growing startup in Bangladesh, created a system in which “neighbors can sell extra electricity to each other.” The number of home solar panels has been increasing since a 2014 government program put solar power as a priority on its agenda. Even though more and more people have power, up to 30% is estimated to be wasted. Solshare created a microgrid in which cabling connects people who want to buy and sell power.

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How Indonesia is using data to protect its oceans

Nithin Coca

September 27, 2018 |

Devex |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Jakarta

Indonesia's fisheries are responsible for a significant portion of the country's gross domestic product and job market. The industry is also one of the most threatened outlets due to a history of abuses including illegal fishing by foreign vessels. Although still a problem plaguing the county, the combination of policy, open data and technology has shown significant success in bringing the fishing economy back to life.

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Smart Stimulation for People with Dementia

Nick Holland Tom Colls Susila Silva Claire Bates

September 25, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: England

Jelly drops, board games, and a box that projects interactive images and is sensitive to movement, are all examples if products being created to help people with dementia. “She enjoys that rather than being at home and watching T.V.” Some of them, like the “Tovertafel” or “Magic Table” have shown to decrease apathy levels in people that have dementia.

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