How many eVolunteers does it take to make a difference in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and Africa – without leaving home?  The answer is: very few.

Technology volunteers (lately known as “eRiders”) are fast becoming a useful, even vital part of humanitarian teams.  Aid and relief workers, faced with such unprecedented challenges as reconstruction in Iraq and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, are looking increasingly to volunteer experts in technology for information on Internet access, computer support, and communications in remote areas.  HumaniNet, a non-profit based in Portland, Oregon, is providing this assistance at no cost, thanks to the work of expert volunteers and the support of our donors.

HumaniNet provides:

• current information on best practices, favorable service and pricing, and new technology opportunities
• assistance and information on reliable, cost-effective satellite and terrestrial telecommunications equipment and services
• access to relevant technology information from selected service providers, business partners, non-profit organizations, and government agencies
   

When humanitarian organizations moved into Iraq in 2003, a HumaniNet volunteer team evaluated satellite communications technologies that would make email and Web access possible and affordable from the crisis zone.  The answer: the RBGAN, a new lightweight satellite terminal the size of a laptop computer.  Within a few days, the first terminal was on its way to Iraq with Mercy Corps.  Since then, HumaniNet eVolunteers have helped numerous aid and missionary organizations to get RBGAN Internet access from distant villages and even from the earthquake zone in Bam, Iran, and the refugee camps in the Sudan.  In 2004, our eVolunteers are already researching and prototyping new low-cost solutions for global aid and relief teams, with particular emphasis on identifying affordable, integrated, easy-to-use satellite and wireless communications in remote regions and disaster responses.

For information on HumaniNet, contact Gregg Swanson, Executive Director, at humaninet@sterling.net, 503-957-2960.