Age- and Gender-dependent Differences of Asylum Seekers’ Information Behavior and Online Media Usage

This investigation is about asylum seekers’ information and communications technologies (ICT) as well as online media usage and their motivation to apply a system after arriving in their destination country. As the asylum seekers left their homeland and need to rebuild their life in a different country with a new culture and a foreign language, their (information) behavior might have adapted to the given circumstances. What online systems and social media do asylum seekers apply to satisfy their need for information, entertainment, social interaction, and self-presentation? How do different age groups behave? Are there gender-dependent differences? A mixed method approach with semi-structured interviews while filling in a questionnaire was applied. In total, 45 asylum seekers from the Middle East were interviewed in Germany. The smartphone is an essential media for communication and integration for the asylum seekers. Adults mainly use social media for information whereas children use social media for entertainment purposes, as many adults do not find time for it; and, both groups for social interaction

Digitizing Refugee Camps: Promotion of Mobile Communication for Charter Governance

Preamble: The question….is not whether billions of people will soon gather together in cities, but where and under what conditions. Under conditions of policy-as-usual, people will flock to slums that surround cities whose governments either do not want additional residents or are incapable of accommodating them. Many people will become second-class citizens in informal settlements that, by definition, offer none of the protections that formal rules can provide. Even for migrants who manage to gain access to formal systems of rules in the developing world, the protections and opportunities in the cities that will accept them will often be well below those offered by the rules in the cities where they would rather live (Fuller and Romer, 2012: p.3). Many refugees are no strangers as global citizens, highly-educated, entrepreneurial, and happen to be trapped in circumstances that waste their universal values and potential. This situation is not sustainabl

Implications of Synchronous IVR Radio on Syrian Refugee Health and Community Dynamics

With 1,033,513 Syrian refugees adding a strain on the Lebanese healthcare system, innovation is key to improving access to healthcare. Our previous work identified the potential for technology to improve access to antenatal care services and increase refugee agency. Using (1) paper mock ups and a mobile based prototype, (2) process mapping, (3) focus groups and interviews and (4) key informant meetings, we explored the concept of refugee led community radio shows to deliver peer-led healthcare. We observed the influence of community radio shows on Syrian refugee health education, community dynamics and community agency in relationships between healthcare providers and refugees. Refugees were positively impacted through situating the technology within the community. We highlight issues around trust, agency, understanding, sel-forganization and privacy that resulted from running the shows through mock ups and a mobile based prototype. Our findings inform future work in community run radio shows

Syrian Refugees and Digital Health in Lebanon

There are currently over 1.1 million Syrian refugees in need of healthcare services from an already overstretched Lebanese healthcare system. Access to antenatal care (ANC) services presents a particular challenge. We conducted focus groups with 59 refugees in rural Lebanon to identify contextual and cultural factors that can inform the design of digital technologies to support refugee ANC. Previously identified high utilization of smartphones by the refugee population offers a particular opportunity for using digital technology to support access to ANC as well as health advocacy. Our findings revealed a number of considerations that should be taken into account in the design of refugee ANC technologies, including: refugee health beliefs and experiences, literacy levels, refugee perceptions of negative attitudes of healthcare providers, and hierarchal and familial structures

Successful Collaborative Governance Building Permanent Residence Post-Natural Disaster in Palu City

This study analyses the success of Collaborative Governance in the Construction of Phase I Permanent Residential in the Tondo sub-district after the Earthquake, Tsunami, and Liquefaction on September 28 2018, in Palu City. This research used qualitative methods by collecting data through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out in the stages of data collection, condensation, display, and conclusion. The theory applied was the Collaborative Governance Model from 1) Face-to-face dialogue, 2) Trust Building, 3) Commitment to process, 4) shared understanding, and 5) Intermediate Outcomes.  The result showed that from the theoretical aspect, the triumph achieved in collaborative governance of permanent housing was because, since the beginning of the direct conversation, an agreement on the division of authority had been reached, wherein the Provincial Nasional Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) prepared the land for the project, the Palu City NDMA was responsible for providing the infrastructure, and the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation has the competence to build the constant home. The accomplishment of establishing this initial covenant was followed up well, along with the consistency toward trust building, commitment to the process, and shared understanding to attain good intermediate outcomes

Syrian Refugees and Digital Health in Lebanon: Opportunities for Improving Antenatal Health

ABSTRACT There are currently over 1.1 million Syrian refugees in need of healthcare services from an already overstretched Lebanese healthcare system. Access to antenatal care (ANC) services presents a particular challenge. We conducted focus groups with 59 refugees in rural Lebanon to identify contextual and cultural factors that can inform the design of digital technologies to support refugee ANC. Previously identified high utilization of smartphones by the refugee population offers a particular opportunity for using digital technology to support access to ANC as well as health advocacy. Our findings revealed a number of considerations that should be taken into account in the design of refugee ANC technologies, including: refugee health beliefs and experiences, literacy levels, refugee perceptions of negative attitudes of healthcare providers, and hierarchal and familial structures

Exploring the everyday life information needs and the socio-cultural adaptation barriers of Syrian refugees in Scotland.

Purpose: This paper presents the research findings of the 'Syrian new Scots' Information Literacy Way-finding practices' research project, funded by the Information Literacy Group (ILG) of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). The aim of the project was to explore the information needs of 'Syrian new Scots' (the preferred name for refugees in Scotland), their habitual and adaptive information literacy practices and the barriers and enablers they encounter within their new socio-cultural setting via their interactions with people, tools and processes. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data was collected via interviews with three Local Authority Leads for Syrian Resettlement and focus groups with Syrian new Scots in three geographical locations in Scotland: two rural areas and one urban. Syrian research subjects were also involved in a drawing exercise that helped to contextualize the findings. Findings: The main information needs expressed by participants revolved around the learning of English language which was linked to addressing health related information needs, well-being, and community engagement. All participants also highlighted the issue of socio-cultural differences in fulfilling everyday life information needs (such as health and housing). Information provision to Syrian new Scots requires a more structured process that acknowledges personalized information needs and it is tailored to the different stages of the adaptation process. The findings suggest that the 'ways of knowing' that Syrian refugees bring with them are converging information experiences of past and new knowledge structures gained via different socio-cultural and migration experiences. Originality/value: The research findings of this project will be of interest to local and regional support organizations and community volunteer groups who contribute to the social wellbeing and social integration of Syrian refugees. In addition, they may be of interest to public libraries due to their role as centres for educational and cultural orientation sessions, and as places of support for newly settled Syrian refugees and the communities that embrace them

Co-designing a chatbot for and with refugees and migrants

An information portal, HandbookGermany.de, is developed to support the integration of refugees and migrants into society in Germany. However, the information-seeking process is exhausting, cumbersome, and even confusing if refugees and migrants are not proficient at using web services. In light of this, a chatbot-based conversational service is considered as an alternative to enhance the information-seeking experience. For the purpose of designing products and services for refugees and migrants, a great deal of research proposes employing co-design methods as an effective means. The overall aim of this thesis is to explore, understand, and define possibilities of improving refugees and migrants’ experiences of social integration by proposing an engaging and efficient chatbot solution. Furthermore, this thesis aims to explore the necessity of co-design approach as a critical methodology to develop solutions. Therefore, the main research question in this thesis is how can a co-design approach contribute to designing a chatbot supporting social integration within the context of refugees and migrants. User experience, problems, and needs are unveiled in depth by listening to migrants and refugees’ problems, behaviors, and expectations (i.e., document studies, questionnaires, cultural probes, and expert interviews), and observing how migrants interact with the chatbot (i.e., participant observations and empathy probes). The research findings are then transformed into design questions. The designer, developers, and migrants jointly generate concepts leveraging generative toolkits in co-design workshops. By using surveys, the Method for the Assessment of eXperience (MAX), and property checklists, the resulting concepts are later validated with refugees and migrants. As research through design, this thesis draws three conclusions. Firstly, the co-design approach benefits defining problems in the complex context of refugees and migrants by supporting them in expressing ideas and thoughts. The defined problems can then be converted into design questions that promote the proceeding of the design process. Secondly, the co-design approach helps to develop mature concepts, which lays a foundation for the final design. Thirdly, the utilization of co-design tools plays an essential role in validating and refining the solution efficiently, as they make ideas concrete and visible so that refugees and migrants can easily reflect on them throughout the whole design process

Radar satellite imagery for humanitarian response. Bridging the gap between technology and application

This work deals with radar satellite imagery and its potential to assist of humanitarian operations. As the number of displaced people annually increases, both hosting countries and relief organizations face new challenges which are often related to unclear situations and lack of information on the number and location of people in need, as well as their environments. It was demonstrated in numerous studies that methods of earth observation can deliver this important information for the management of crises, the organization of refugee camps, and the mapping of environmental resources and natural hazards. However, most of these studies make use of -high-resolution optical imagery, while the role of radar satellites is widely neglected. At the same time, radar sensors have characteristics which make them highly suitable for humanitarian response, their potential to capture images through cloud cover and at night in the first place. Consequently, they potentially allow quicker response in cases of emergencies than optical imagery. This work demonstrates the currently unused potential of radar imagery for the assistance of humanitarian operations by case studies which cover the information needs of specific emergency situations. They are thematically grouped into topics related to population, natural hazards and the environment. Furthermore, the case studies address different levels of scientific objectives: The main intention is the development of innovative techniques of digital image processing and geospatial analysis as an answer on the identified existing research gaps. For this reason, novel approaches are presented on the mapping of refugee camps and urban areas, the allocation of biomass and environmental impact assessment. Secondly, existing methods developed for radar imagery are applied, refined, or adapted to specifically demonstrate their benefit in a humanitarian context. This is done for the monitoring of camp growth, the assessment of damages in cities affected by civil war, and the derivation of areas vulnerable to flooding or sea-surface changes. Lastly, to foster the integration of radar images into existing operational workflows of humanitarian data analysis, technically simple and easily-adaptable approaches are suggested for the mapping of rural areas for vaccination campaigns, the identification of changes within and around refugee camps, and the assessment of suitable locations for groundwater drillings. While the studies provide different levels of technical complexity and novelty, they all show that radar imagery can largely contribute to the provision of a variety of information which is required to make solid decisions and to effectively provide help in humanitarian operations. This work furthermore demonstrates that radar images are more than just an alternative image source for areas heavily affected by cloud cover. In fact, what makes them valuable is their information content regarding the characteristics of surfaces, such as shape, orientation, roughness, size, height, moisture, or conductivity. All these give decisive insights about man-made and natural environments in emergency situations and cannot be provided by optical images Finally, the findings of the case studies are put into a larger context, discussing the observed potential and limitations of the presented approaches. The major challenges are summarized which need be addressed to make radar imagery more useful in humanitarian operations in the context of upcoming technical developments. New radar satellites and technological progress in the fields of machine learning and cloud computing will bring new opportunities. At the same time, this work demonstrated the large need for further research, as well as for the collaboration and transfer of knowledge and experiences between scientists, users and relief workers in the field. It is the first extensive scientific compilation of this topic and the first step for a sustainable integration of radar imagery into operational frameworks to assist humanitarian work and to contribute to a more efficient provision of help to those in need.Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit bildgebenden Radarsatelliten und ihrem potenziellen Beitrag zur Unterstützung humanitärer Einsätze. Die jährlich zunehmende Zahl an vertriebenen oder geflüchteten Menschen stellt sowohl Aufnahmeländer als auch humanitäre Organisationen vor große Herausforderungen, da sie oft mit unübersichtlichen Verhältnissen konfrontiert sind. Effektives Krisenmanagement, die Planung und Versorgung von Flüchtlingslagern, sowie der Schutz der betroffenen Menschen erfordern jedoch verlässliche Angaben über Anzahl und Aufenthaltsort der Geflüchteten und ihrer natürlichen Umwelt. Die Bereitstellung dieser Informationen durch Satellitenbilder wurde bereits in zahlreichen Studien aufgezeigt. Sie beruhen in der Regel auf hochaufgelösten optischen Aufnahmen, während bildgebende Radarsatelliten bisher kaum Anwendung finden. Dabei verfügen gerade Radarsatelliten über Eigenschaften, die hilfreich für humanitäre Einsätze sein können, allen voran ihre Unabhängigkeit von Bewölkung oder Tageslicht. Dadurch ermöglichen sie in Krisenfällen verglichen mit optischen Satelliten eine schnellere Reaktion. Diese Arbeit zeigt das derzeit noch ungenutzte Potenzial von Radardaten zur Unterstützung humanitärer Arbeit anhand von Fallstudien auf, in denen konkrete Informationen für ausgewählte Krisensituationen bereitgestellt werden. Sie sind in die Themenbereiche Bevölkerung, Naturgefahren und Ressourcen aufgeteilt, adressieren jedoch unterschiedliche wissenschaftliche Ansprüche: Der Hauptfokus der Arbeit liegt auf der Entwicklung von innovativen Methoden zur Verarbeitung von Radarbildern und räumlichen Daten als Antwort auf den identifizierten Forschungsbedarf in diesem Gebiet. Dies wird anhand der Kartierung von Flüchtlingslagern zur Abschätzung ihrer Bevölkerung, zur Bestimmung von Biomasse, sowie zur Ermittlung des Umwelteinflusses von Flüchtlingslagern aufgezeigt. Darüber hinaus werden existierende oder erprobte Ansätze für die Anwendung im humanitären Kontext angepasst oder weiterentwickelt. Dies erfolgt im Rahmen von Fallstudien zur Dynamik von Flüchtlingslagern, zur Ermittlung von Schäden an Gebäuden in Kriegsgebieten, sowie zur Erkennung von Risiken durch Überflutung. Zuletzt soll die Integration von Radardaten in bereits existierende Abläufe oder Arbeitsroutinen in der humanitären Hilfe anhand technisch vergleichsweise einfacher Ansätze vorgestellt und angeregt werden. Als Beispiele dienen hier die radargestützte Kartierung von entlegenen Gebieten zur Unterstützung von Impfkampagnen, die Identifizierung von Veränderungen in Flüchtlingslagern, sowie die Auswahl geeigneter Standorte zur Grundwasserentnahme. Obwohl sich die Fallstudien hinsichtlich ihres Innovations- und Komplexitätsgrads unterscheiden, zeigen sie alle den Mehrwert von Radardaten für die Bereitstellung von Informationen, um schnelle und fundierte Planungsentscheidungen zu unterstützen. Darüber hinaus wird in dieser Arbeit deutlich, dass Radardaten für humanitäre Zwecke mehr als nur eine Alternative in stark bewölkten Gebieten sind. Durch ihren Informationsgehalt zur Beschaffenheit von Oberflächen, beispielsweise hinsichtlich ihrer Rauigkeit, Feuchte, Form, Größe oder Höhe, sind sie optischen Daten überlegen und daher für viele Anwendungsbereiche im Kontext humanitärer Arbeit besonders. Die in den Fallstudien gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden abschließend vor dem Hintergrund von Vor- und Nachteilen von Radardaten, sowie hinsichtlich zukünftiger Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen diskutiert. So versprechen neue Radarsatelliten und technologische Fortschritte im Bereich der Datenverarbeitung großes Potenzial. Gleichzeitig unterstreicht die Arbeit einen großen Bedarf an weiterer Forschung, sowie an Austausch und Zusammenarbeit zwischen Wissenschaftlern, Anwendern und Einsatzkräften vor Ort. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist die erste umfassende Darstellung und wissenschaftliche Aufarbeitung dieses Themenkomplexes. Sie soll als Grundstein für eine langfristige Integration von Radardaten in operationelle Abläufe dienen, um humanitäre Arbeit zu unterstützen und eine wirksame Hilfe für Menschen in Not ermöglichen

Exploring the role of technologies in building Syrian refugee community resilience

PhD ThesisWe are witnessing the largest humanitarian crises occurring within the digital age. The ubiquity of digital technologies has created a space for digital humanitarianism. Digital humanitarianism has been tied to concepts of community resilience by critics of both fields. Humanitarian academics call for a critical investigation of these concepts that accounts for the socio-political, cultural and economic contexts in which they are applied. However, empirical research at the intersection of digital humanitarianism and community resilience is lacking. In this thesis I explore how digital technologies may contribute to refugee community resilience, using an Experience-Centred Design (ECD) research approach to engage with Syrian refugee women residing in an informal settlement in Lebanon. Through the issue of food security, I engage in an exploratory study using focus groups, dialogue cards and the co-creation of an advocacy artefact to explore refugee participants’ understandings of community resilience and how a technology designed for improving refugee food insecurity can contribute to their community resilience. I further use paper prototypes to engage with participants to mimic potential future experiences of technologically mediated collective purchasing. The data collected with refugee participants is augmented by interviews with other stakeholders in the food aid system. Additionally, I use autoethnographic methods to reflect on the value of ECD within this context. I highlight the potential for community-designed humanitarian technologies to increase refugee agency, facilitate self-mobilisation and consequently contribute to refugee community resilience. I also emphasise the need, when designing technologies for community resilience, to account for subcommunities that form within geographically defined refugee communities. My findings extend the concepts of community resilience and digital humanitarianism by envisioning refugee-community-driven technology and using ECD as a methodology for designing with refugee communities