A Closer Look: Google Earth Darfur Awareness
I don't claim any special knowledge of the current crisis in Sudan. But after spending some time flying over and zooming in the Darfur region via Google Earth I am a lot more informed. I'm also impressed at Google Earth as a software program and its ability to use the software to do more than just view satellite images of my backyard.
Largely the genocide in Darfur has been ignored by the world. But thanks to Google, in partnership with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the crisis is getting more attention by me and others via Google Earth.
(Picture of Sudan via Google Earth)
Google Earth has added a Global Awareness layer to its maps program that lets you learn about the crisis in Darfur. By selecting the Global Awareness layer (in the lower left-hand corner of Google Earth) you can fly over enhanced satellite images of the war-torn region. Sprinkled over the map are icons that link to photographs, data, videos, and narratives of eyewitnesses to the genocide.
Using Google Earth I not only learned something about the 1600 villages destroyed in fighting between government militias and rebels, I was also able to learn about the conflict from the ground level via video clips, compelling photographs, and narrative text. Each Google Earth placemarker includes a "How Can I Help" link with links to relief organizations and government Web sites.
(One of many photos that tell the Darfur story)
Hovering over a burned out village that looked eerily like a barren and pocked photo of the surface of the moon I read first-hand accounts from some of the thousands of villagers who have been displaced. Within a few clicks I found a video testimony of former United States Marine Brian Steidle who describes what he saw while in Darfur with the African Union Monitoring Force.
(This village has been burned and abandoned)
I'm struck as journalist how powerful a medium Google Earth can be in raising awareness, telling a story, and teaching. Google Earth does a very good job of putting topical information about the Sudan in context with the rest of the world. Not only do you get a handle on the literal scope of the problem, but when seen in a geographic perspective one gets a real sense of the size of the humanitarian tragedy.
Seeing satellite images showing the burned the out villages for myself and reading the personal stories breaks my heart. It reminds of seeing satellite images offered by Google Maps of New Orleans days after it was devastated by the hurricane Katrina. Like with New Orleans, I didn't get a sense of the detestation until I saw it with my own eyes - be it via Google Earth.
I hope Google Earth's Global Awareness layer is a catalyst for education and action. It brings to mind the Google's mantra "Do no evil" that is part of the company's philosophy. Google takes it one step further today and actually is doing good.
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They should do one for the genocide against Palestine. Then I would believe their "do no evil" mantra. Otherwise it is nothing but racist hypocracy.
Dear Google;
This is the most biased bull I have ever seen. The problem in Palestine created in 1948, and the number one concern for the world is mideast and the failed war in Iraq has everything to do with Palestine, yet you find some logic to create and show forth whats happening in Darphur before Palestine.
Google continues to push the Information Age envelope into the new millenium in functionality & give it to us today. Besides having a great programming & IT support staff, their vision is second to none. I use Google Language tools all the time dealing with business associates and suppliers around the globe. Picasa is a handy image processing tool, just to mention a couple of the many offered programs & services. I can invision enhanced Google Earth with hotlinks will revolutionize Geography & History school studies with rich, factual, accurate data, almost making such book learning hard to even be compared with.
Ok, first Sudan. Then what? What about the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians? That sick ideology Zionism is continually destroying Palestinian lives everyday and has been for more than 60 years. Come on, Google, let's see more justice in action.
Instead of immedietely shifting focus to other atrocities in the world, I feel the others posting comments here should congratulate Google for developing a technology, and making it freely available, that allows insight to what is happening across the planet. If you want to expose Palestinian injustice, develop your own satellite network, underwrite the cost yourself and make it available to anyone who wants to see it for free...don't waste your breath criticising those who are taking action.
Lighten up all of you anti-semetics, Tom Spring in his "Google Earth Dafur Awareness" was just citing an example of how Google Earth is so much more than just arial photos.
Well, the Google Earth system is extremely extensible, not just by Google Earth staffers, but by the public at large. If you wanna see other conflicts covered, then get some imagery, add some overlays, post it on the Google Earth boards, blog about it, get it known about, and it'll be out there. None of this will cost you anything but time to so, so stop whining about how x conflict hasn't been covered and do something about it. As mentioned before, this is the stepping stone to further developments with Google Earth, and users can easily and freely be part of that too.
this is a tool to aid in informing a public that has grown comfortable with apathy. a country where more people voted for American idol contestants then the president of this country. At a time when our world is being led by reckless greed and lacks the insight or care and compassion of the quality of life we are leaving to our children and their children. I believe only with truthful information can we hope to lift ourselves out of this plight. Hate is such a common response of ignorant peoples. And it serves no greater purpose. See the potential in this tool and use it to help bring people together for a peaceful change. We are the future and therefore have a responsibilty. RESPONE + ABILITY
Great article - I'm glad to see these excellent uses of Google Earth get publicity.
Also, they should do one on Global Warming, instead of this. What were they thinking! What hypocrites! Seriously, for those who have another issue they'd like to see created in Google Earth, consider spending a few minutes reading the excellent documentation and examples Google provides on how to create KML files, and you use the exact same technology, for free, to highlight areas of interest to you.
Whining when someone else does builds something good, because it's not the thing you wanted built, is not that impressive - you don't need to spend millions of dollars buying satellite photos to do something like this - you just need to spend a tiny bit of your time creating instead of complaining.
Yes, my only regret is that Google didn't exist in the 70s and 80s when the Palestinians were massacring the Lebanese in Damour, Hamra, Chekaa and other Lebanese villages. Now the Palestinian play the victim...
They should also provide details of iraq and afgan, let the world see what US has done there
It is amazing the amount of US and Israeli bashing by a bunch of "stuck on stupid" liberals. I am sick and tired of you America Haters. Please just move to Palestine or any other Muslim country so you can fight against the US and Israel. We damn sure don't need or want you in this country. Then you can feel like you are doing your part to SAVE THE WORLD from the US and Israel.
Concerning the Palestinians, unfortunatley, they are victims of their own radical Muslim leaders. Too bad that Google Earth can't show that situation.
"...a country where more people voted for American idol contestants then the president ".. For American Idol, people can, and DO, call in and vote multiple times for thier favorites. MANY, many times in the case of some teenagers. That is why it LOOKS like more voted on Idol than for the president and it makes a cool sound-bite.
Too bad Google Earth does not mark the locations in Iraq where those peace-loving Muslims have detonated truck bombs and killed all those other peace-loving Muslims. Yep. Muslim killing Muslim, and yet somehow it is Evil America's fault that these peace-loving Muslims can't refrain from blowing each other up.
Darfur is about black Muslims killing Africans practicing ancestral traditional African religions or Christianity.
Where are the protests from the rich, famous and influential Blacks of the world. They could send a message to Khartoum and to the Chinese who support them for oil.
Long overdue.
I wonder if google allows people within China to visit this site (yes thats right google is used by the Chineese Gov't to filter web results). So a comment regarding China's support may not pass through that filter. Its also terribly ironic that the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is sponsoring this, but other instances of such atrocities are, perhaps, less significatn in their eyes?
"Too bad Google Earth does not mark the locations in Iraq where those peace-loving Muslims... blah blah blah"
what you don't understand, is that Google does not do anything. YOU do it. Get off your ass and read some documentation about how to use Google earth. It's OPEN to the PUBLIC. Have you heard of "INTERACTIVE"?...YOU can add layers on Google earth, and YOU can highlight anyrhing you wish about the world, add texts, images, stories, links, etc, and it will be on Google earth. Get it?
Well, theres obviously something funny in Muslim drinking water.
I wonder if google allows people within China to visit this site (yes thats right google is used by the Chineese Gov't to filter web results). So a comment regarding China's support may not pass through that filter. Its also terribly ironic that the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is sponsoring this, but other instances of such atrocities are, perhaps, less significatn in their eyes? BTW Musims are also being killed in Darfur, its ethnic not religious.
d agree with everyone who says that people should take action to draw attention to what they wish. For example, my school is participating in rasing money to help the displaced in Darfur. The townspeople around us had no idea that this conflict even existed. Now many more people do.
I know this will draw comment, but:
Perhaps Google released this particular overlay to draw attention to the little-known conflict in Darfur. They are leveraging their power over the media, and using it for good. They know that the media eats up whatever they do, and are thus using it to get Darfur national and international coverage. (Which I may point out Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine recieve nightly).
Finally, I'm sure a significant part of the posters here live in developed countries. It is OUR countries which can take action to stop violence worldwide. Lets not debate the history of any particular group or conflict, or the merit of ending it. Just do what is right, and stop the bloodshed.
Oi metasoma face some facts. This was about Darfur but since you want to bring in the Palestines and hence Islam into this discussion, chew on these facts.
1 Israel = 5? Million Israelis Surrounded by 350 Million Arab Muslims!!!
2 90%-95% Of all the conflicts on this planet today involve muslims fighting non-muslims or each other
3 Over the last 50 years,
The world population of Christians increased by 47%
The world population of Buddhists increased by 63%
The world population of Muslims increased by 235%
The world Jewish population has DECREASED by 4%
The above are facts, so do not tell me about the poor Palestines, they are murdering facist scum. http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/ shows that.
Islam is today being portrayed as a peaceful and tolerant religion. History proves otherwise! Anyone that cares to look on the net can find that out for themselves as I've done.