Where Global MapAid came from – Blog Two of Three
09/09/2024
Where Global MapAid came from – Blog Two of Three
Global MapAid (GMA) or simply “MapAid” was started at the end of a Stanford University fellowship project in 2003, led by Rupert Douglas-Bate with a team of Stanford University students, faculty and associates. It was financed by a philanthropic arm of the Reuters news agency, the Reuters Digital Vision Program and hosted by the genial program director, Stuart Gannes and his capable assistant, Amy Sanger, based at the Centre for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI).
Rupert who is a humanitarian aid worker, had applied for the program in April 2002 and arrived in June 2002 to begin the project, to build the Integrated Communications and Mapping System (ICMS), described in Blog One. This team completed this ICMS prototype, the following summer:
The Integrated Communications and Mapping System
Social entrepreneur survives on the smell of an oil rag
To help offset living costs, he swiftly managed to find a part time job as a house cleaner and as a child minder, with Stanford academics Amy Abby & Terry Sanger and their young family, for which he was most grateful !
Another tactic to keep body and soul together involved researching and writing a paper for the British National Space Centre, about communication strategies in disaster zones, such as Kosovo, Bosnia or Abkhazia, where previously he had been working.
The transport problem, for getting around Stanford and Palo Alto, was also solved, by being kindly lent a bicycle by another Reuters fellow, giving freedom to cycle around the campus and from his accommodation nearby. Being a social entrepreneur has its satisfactions, while goals are often set in concrete, a lot of time seems to be spent overcoming numerous and diverse obstacles.
Anyone thinking of becoming a social entrepreneur definitely needs to have a sense of humour !
Who were the people that founded MapAid ?
The fellowship project ended up with the most wonderful informal team of people, listed here below, from which several became the initial board members and lifelong friends.
This is team that collectively founded Global MapAid:
| Informal Research & Development Team | |
| Rupert Douglas-Bate | Reuters Digital Vision Program Fellow |
| Adam Falls | Stanford University, Student, marketeer |
| Carrie Whitehill | Stanford University, Student, geographer |
| Hank Jones | Stanford University, Student, project manager |
| Jon McAlister | Stanford University, Student, computer scientist |
| Kevin Gill | Stanford University, Lab technologist |
| Michael Fleishman | Stanford University, Student, analyst |
| Simon Schuster | Stanford University, Student, analyst |
| Victor Marsh | Stanford University, Student, analyst |
| Informal Key Advisors | |
| Leif Gjestland | CfMC, Market research company |
| Ken Novak | CG Net, tech company |
| Stephanie Race | Geo Consultant |
| Bruce Janigian | Global Development Partners |
| Greg Swanson | Humaninet |
| Ellyn Peabody | Omidyar Foundation |
| June Sugiyama | Vodafone US Foundation |
| Rob Rosen | Remote Satellite Systems |
| Amy Sanger | Reuters Digital Vision Program, Administration |
| Nick Fulton | Reuters Digital Vision Program, Fellow |
| Stuart Gannes | Reuters Digital Vision Program, Director |
| Tom Munecke | Reuters Digital Vision Program, Fellow |
| David Gutelius | Meedan |
| Peter Tavernise | Cisco |
| Paul Herman | Ashoka |
| Dain DeGroff | Stanford University, Alumni |
| Gordon Bloom | Stanford University, Faculty |
| Julie Sweetkind-Singer | Stanford University, Geo. Library |
| Meredith Williams | Stanford University, Geo. Library |
| Katia Alves | Stanford University, Student |
| Zachary Pogue | Stanford University, Student |
| Mark Parnes | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Attorney |
| Randy Strash | World Vision International |
From time to time, others informally collaborated with this team, in short bursts, and to them a debt of gratitude is also owed. If anyone reading this feels they have been omitted or alternatively should not be included, please reach out to Rupert Douglas-Bate, via [email protected]
An example of the map we had in mind that ICMS could help create
The map above is an example of what our integrated communications and mapping system, described in Blog One, could have helped to create at high speed, independent of any land communications or mobile network, anywhere on the planet.
What happened next ?
Upon completion of the Stanford Fellowship, the project was submitted to the Business Association of Stanford Engineering Students. It emerged as a finalist and won a cash prize.
On winning the BASES prize money, a couple of questions then needed answering:
In the summer of 2003, a couple of parallel democratic discussions followed these questions. The first directed the establishment of the name, Global MapAid or GMA, with many names submitted and and ranked by individual team members and the scores for different names being counted. The team also voted that would become a charity.
One of the arguments for becoming an organisation rather than doing nothing, was due to the challenges posed by the erratic funding cycles in humanitarian work. In other words, if at the outset of any humanitarian intervention, visual knowledge layers about the needs on the ground, are speedily and accurately available on maps, it will mean money is saved by the operational aid agencies working to help improve or save the lives of ordinary people in need.
In disaster zone, such layers would include emergency items such as food, water, shelter and medical support. In development zone the layers my include items such as vocational education, start up loans, and business mentoring.
Thanks to our Funding Partners
Therefore, a 501c3 status was deemed necessary for ensuring smooth revenue streams to adequately prepare for field operations and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati were most helpful in setting this up.
At that time, our important and most helpful funders were the Omidyar Foundation (now known as the Omidyar Network) and the Vodafone US Foundation (now known as the Vodafone Americas Foundation) , which helped to launch the charity.
Global MapAid was officially registered as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity in 2004 and mission at that time was dedicated to addressing long-term poverty and development challenges. These often lead to complex emergencies like famines, diseases, and natural disasters, that affected approximately 200 million people annually at the time. However, this figure has significantly increased since then, to about 500 million in 2024.
Real life and today’s Vision at MapAid
However, as real life often demonstrates, more than twenty years later, new and more efficient ways of working arise and as of 2024, the charity transitioned into a confirmed Omprakash Partner, which brings several administrative efficiencies. Omprakash is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt U.S. non-profit charity and serves as Global MapAid’s Fiscal Sponsor.
Over the years our offering has also become crystal clear. Our Vision today it is to support more food, clean drinking water and irrigation for small farmers, while our Method to do this, is to create a groundwater map, by developing an AI system with esteemed university partners, that will be the subject of the next blog.
Small farmers and their families represent 2,500 million people across the planet, and in developing countries, often about 80% of the population are involved in agriculture, where the huge majority are small farmers. At the root of so much impoverishment and subsequent fear and violence, is the lack of water, represented by UN SDG6, and it is this water SDG that absolutely underpins nine other SDGs. This is the subject of Blog three.
Visit our timeline
Initially, the charity aimed to provide general information and mapping services to enhance decision-making efficiency in humanitarian development aid and occasional disaster relief efforts and at our website is a timeline that shows some of our work.
Global MapAid’s work is critical in tackling unemployment, mitigating climate change, ensuring food security, and fostering peace. We invite you to join us in broadening our impact. For more information, visit our website or contact Rupert Douglas-Bate at [email protected]
