PEACEGEEKS harnesses technology, industry & knowledge to empower changemakers to become more effective and impactful in advancing peace and human rights

Media Kit 2016

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WHAT WE DOTechnology has rendered individuals more powerful than ever. We put technology and communications tools in the hands of peacebuilders, human rights defenders and humanitarian responders.

We connect them with our own skilled volunteers so they can gain access to relevant technology, tools and training. With these tools, we empower civil society organizations to build safer and more stable societies, cultivate good gover-nance, promote gender equality, respond to humanitarian crisis, and share critical knowledge.Through our capacity building work and public engagement initiatives we provide an opportunity for any Canadian to have a real impact on peace and humanitarian issues by contributing, volunteering and advocating.

OUR STORY:PeaceGeeks is a global non-profit, volunteer organization that uses technology to build the technological, communications and management capacities of grassroots organizations who work to promote peace, accountability and human rights. We develop partnerships with these organizations to provide meaningful support designed to increase their skills, effectiveness and impact.

Today, PeaceGeeks has helped 26 non-profit groups to tell their story and reach people around the globe by connecting a network of 700 PeaceGeek volunteers, including corporate partners, to help build our partners’ technological and communications capacities.

CONNECT LOCALLY

EMPOWER GLOBALLY

FOUNDER’S STORYRenee Black

Stories create change; they inspire us and move us to action. My story with PeaceGeeks began in 2010 at the UN during the 10-year anniversary of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. I was struck by the incredible stories of brave men and women who worked in very difficult situations to end conflict and promote human rights - but mostly and how little we hear about these stories out the confines of policy circles. I committed myself to helping grassroots organizations from around the world to be seen and heard on the issues that matter most to them.

Since PeaceGeeks was founded in 2011, we have grown into a global organization of over 1,000 volunteers and worked with over 26 partners.

Aid Watch Palestine Aid Watch Palestine is making international aid accountable to rebuilding Gaza.

Our Impact: We helped enable the organization to better craft their message and define their project goals. By the end of 2014, PeaceGeeks had partially completed AWP’s website discovery process and initial concepts for a new logo.

Maisha Initiative Kenya Creating healthy and empowered communities through art, theatre and technology.

Our Impact: We are supported them by designing and creating a custom website. We are also offered brand expertise to help the organization raise its online profile and exposure to more Kenyan youth.

CODE [Connected Development]Improves access to information and empowers local communities in Africa.

Our Impact: The PeaceGeeks Team supported CODE’s efforts with Uzabe, an on-the-ground and online initiative to observe and report on elections at polling stations and in communities across Nigeria.

PAST PARTNERS

CRISIS OVERVIEWSyria has been engrossed in a devastating civil war since mid-2011. More than 220,000 have been killed, and 9.5 million displaced. The majority of Syrian refugees (approximately 620,000) have fled to neighbouring Jordan. 80,000 take shelter in the Za’atari refugee camp, while the rest attempt to integrate into local communities. With the eruptions of riot, weather disasters, and the economic strain of harbouring refugees, Jordan struggles to cope with the influx of Syrian refugees as the crisis rages on. The UNHCR is currently on the ground in Jordan providing support for refugees, and promoting positive relations between local and refugee populations.

WHAT THEY DOThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is mandated to protect refugees worldwide, and coordinate international action to solve refugee situations. These include mass exodus of people across borders due to natural disaster or armed conflict. UNHCR responds to emergency refugee situations by providing shelter, food, and basic health and sanitation services. Long-term, they work towards the voluntary repatriation of refugees to their homeland, their local integration in neighbouring communities, or their resettlement to a sponsor country. At the heart of the UNHCR’s mission is to save lives, restore hope, and find homes for those who are displaced across borders.

OUR IMPACTPeaceGeeks developed a Services Advisor application for the UNHCR designed to improve information sharing between refugees and humanitarian service providers in Jordan. The app effectively narrows the location of various humanitarian aid offices from 60 different service providers into one single portal. This tool helps save time and money, and improves the efficiency of the humanitarian delivery system. It makes it easier for refugees to find where they need to go to receive any and all resources available to them while they remain in exile.

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

CRISIS OVERVIEWThe Kenyan government has attempted to limit the space of civil society actors and leaders to hold government and their representatives accountable for their actions. This includes the recent de-listing and de-funding of a number of civil society organizations, along with the introduction of the Security Law bill, which limits the size and activities of civil society organizations, which many believe was introduced to reduce the effectiveness of civil society organizations in their capacity to advocate for accountability.

WHAT THEY DOThe National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders - Kenya (NCHRD-K) is a national organization that aims to strengthen the capacity of human rights defenders (HRDs) to work effectively in the country and to reduce their vulnerability to the risk of persecution, including by advocating for a favourable legal and policy environment in Kenya. Established in 2007, NCHRD-K is the only national organisation that works primarily for the protection of HRDs, representing over 1000 human rights organizations around the country. NCHRD-K is managed by firmly committed and capable professionals. These include its staff, Board of Trustees and a team of volunteer regional representatives. They have a track record in advocacy and protection of the rights of human rights defenders (HRDs).

OUR IMPACTPeaceGeeks supported NCHRD by strengthening their processes to electronically document violations against Kenyan human rights defenders. These interventions will improve efficiency, information security and accessibility for reporting. Building NCHRD-K’s digital security capacities was also of our utmost concern as this project focused on the handling of very sensitive information. We developed a secure online database for capturing all critical information related to human rights incidents. We provided them guidance on data cleaning practices in order to ensure quality of data. We conducted a digital security assessment with the NCHRD team to ensure a safe chain of custody of information was maintained. We continue to work with NCHRD-K to strengthen their ability to produce useful reporting from the data collected.

NATIONAL COALITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

The most crucial thing PeaceGeeks has done is to help us develop a website. Thanks to PeaceGeeks, we will not need an expert to update the contents of the web as they have made it easy by training us on how to update and upload content.

Bruno Owiti Program managerYoung Women Entrepreneurs Kenya

WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE SAYING

PeaceGeeks has exceeded our expectations and we look forward to continuing to working with PeaceGeeks in serving the refugees by developing new web tools and systems.

Working with PeaceGeeks, has been an AMAZING experience, they succeeded in translating our vision, thoughts and objectives into beautiful website design that reflects the spirit of our initiative and captures the core ideas we’re interested to convey. They pay attention to the smallest details while keeping in mind the overarching message, in their own creative, sensitive and proactive way. Today, amidst the excitement of launching the website, I feel proud and confident that we have an excellent one!

Nora Lester MuradCo-FounderAid Watch

Murad AlsamhouriUNHCR

A dynamic and interactive website is enabling the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders to showcase the work of the network, including the various joint programs we carry with our members at national and regional level. It is also allowing the coordinating team to share with its members and partners information on the continuing advocacy work on women peace and security that the network undertakes at global level in New York.

Helena GronbergCo-Founder/ Program ManagerGlobal Network of Women Peacebuilders

Raising Awareness and Engagement through Events and VolunteeringPeaceGeeks hosts and facilitates events designed to engage skilled volunteers, the corporate sector and academic institutions in raising public awareness and engagement on international peace and human rights issues. We also curate and distribute news reports to help stimulate awareness and action, especially on issues that may not be covered extensively by mainstream media but are, nevertheless, extremely important to publicize.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Creating understanding through live dialogue with PeaceTalks

Our signature product, PeaceTalks, regularly brings together experts on a wide variety of subjects that reflect the work of PeaceGeeks, to tell their stories from the field, inform and educate and stimulate constructive discussion. Topics covered to date have ranged across a wide humanitarian spectrum including children in mining, homes for Syrian refugees, the Ebola crisis, conflict rape, poverty, women’s rights, foreign elections monitoring and much more. PeaceTalks are typically held once a month in Vancouver.

MEDIA ATTENTION

‘PEACEGEEKS’ IN VANCOUVER HOLD HACKATHON TO DEVELOP REFUGEE APPNadia Stewart, November 29, 2015

WATCH: A Vancouver-based humanitarian technology organization is doing its part in the refugee relief effort.

WATCH: There has been an outpouring of support here in B.C. for those affected by the fighting in Syria.

P eaceGeeks, a Vancouver-based

organization that helps aid groups connect with those in need kicked off its latest hackathon. The two-day event focuses on bringing together those skilled in technology and communications to develop solutions and communications strategies for aid groups on the ground in conflict zones.

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GEEK SPEAK:Renee Black, executive director of Peace Geeksby Stephen Hui on October 28th, 2011

Renee Black’s mission is to empower nonprofits doing good work on peace and human rights in non-democratic, developing, or conflict-affected countries. The Halifax-born, 34-year-old policy analyst and entrepreneur is the cofounder and executive director of Peace Geeks.

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We’re trying to develop an inventory, first of all, of open-source tools that we know about, that are being used interestingly by nonprofits around the world, so they can learn about the tools that are available to them. In some cases, we will also work with some of these organizations in order to help them get access to relevant tools that can solve critical pain points within their organization.

LOOKING FOR INTERVIEW SUBJECTS OR STORY TOPICS? In our ranks, we have thought leaders from almost every neck of the “tech” woods. Here’s some things you could ask us:

TALK TO US

How to counter ISIS with social media?

How to use Technology to make universities safer for women?

How mobile apps can help refugees?

How technology can play a role in democratic elections?

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Changemakers helping changemakers

Media ContactRenee Blackrenee@peacegeeks.org

www.peacegeeks.org

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