About
Google Earth serves as an easily accessible outlet for various humanitarian and outreach organizations to raise awareness about their efforts and causes. These organizations include large, widely known bodies such as the United Nations as well as smaller, non-profit groups organized by a few individuals. Humanitarian aid is generally defined as “the aid and action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity…” (Kellett et al., 2010, para. 1). Essentially, Google Earth gives the public information about these causes and, thus, the power to act for some positive change. It also aids in outreach efforts not necessarily aimed towards humans, but also the environment and other inhabitants of the world. Our webpage will serve as a tool for highlighting these efforts and raising awareness for a plethora of causes. In our blog, we will discuss one of the largest, most publicized layers, Crisis in Darfur, along with fairly new and unheard of layers such as Appalachian Mountaintop Removal and others created by one of the most influential international organizations, the United Nations. Although they stem from from different sources, they all share the common theme of promoting awareness and fostering change.
Image from http://www.stbenedictschurch.org/Pages/outreach.aspx
References
Kellett, J., Walmsley, L., Sweeney, H., Keylock, J., Smith, K., Poole, L., Stoianova, V., & Sparks, D. (2010). Defining Humanitarian Aid. Retrieved from http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/data-guides/defining-humanitarian-aid