Easy Hajj Demo using Swara and FrontlineSMS wins Kabul Innovation Lab

The Kabul Innovation Lab (Jan 23-26) in Kabul was a rare privilege for me to attend. I was invited to the event by Internews, with whom I have been engaging since deploying Swara at RuaiTV in Pontianak, Indonesia.

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RuaiTV launches two new Swara deployments in Indonesia

RuaiTV has launched three news service channels for its audiences in Indonesia on 15 February 2012. Since the coverage of RuaiTV is limited, to reach out more audiences not only to get the news but also to submit the news, RuaiTV has developed RuaiSMS, RuaiSwara and Swara Publik. Continue reading “RuaiTV launches two new Swara deployments in Indonesia”

Swara goes “hyperlocal” at Jan Swasthya Sahyog, Ganiyari, Chhattisgarh

Earlier this month I turned on the first of what I hope will be many “hyperlocal” deployments of the Swara platform at Jan Swasthya Sahyog in Ganiyari village, just outside Bilaspur in Chhatisgarh (Central India).The platform will be used by the community health workers associated with JSS, to record health related information from the field using their mobile phones.
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Voices Across the Digital Divide — Using Audio Portals to Connect Communities

A communication channel

Human beings are the only species on earth with the ability to communicate complex ideas through language. Speaking and listening have been the basis of human society since people started living in communities. In fact, the words “community” and “communication” share a common etymology.

Swara Installation on Ubuntu

In order to install Swara, you need to be reasonably proficient with Linux in general and your distribution (in this case Ubuntu) in particular.
This means you shoudl be able to install your own applications using apt-get and be able to troubleshoot broken downloads and dependencies.
If this is all g(r)eek to you, please find someone who know their way around a Linux system to at least look over your shoulder, so that you don’t waste time with trivial issues. Of course spending time solving trivial issues is the best way to get good with any system.
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Swara in Indonesia

Note: This article draws on several comparisons between India and Indonesia in terms of connectivity and chinese culture. As more replications of the Swara technology happen across the developing world, I hope to draw a baseline that is shared by many countries.
Ever since the CGNet Swara pilot in Chhattisgarh (India) went viral, we’ve been looking to replicate the Swara platform and citizen journalism model in other parts of the world. So when Sam De Silva of Internews contacted me about setting up an installation in Indonesia, I jumped at the opportunity.
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