The National Security Council (NSC) just released the US National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats (PDF), a framework for US Government planning efforts in support of the overall National Biodefense Strategy that dates back to 2003-2004.

A Cloud: US National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats

I don’t need to tell you that biological threats, natural or man-made, are an international issue, so, the strategy provides a broad approach. While placing significant emphasis on acts of bio-terrorism, it intends to reduce biological threats by (my emphasis):

(1) improving global access to the life sciences to combat infectious disease regardless of its cause; (2) establishing and reinforcing norms against the misuse of the life sciences; and (3) instituting a suite of coordinated activities that collectively will help influence, identify, inhibit, and/or interdict those who seek to misuse the life sciences.

Going on, it identifies roles and responsibilities and provides seven main objectives (PROTECT):

• Promote global health security
• Reinforce norms of safe and responsible conduct
• Obtain timely and accurate insight on current and emerging risks
• Take reasonable steps to reduce the potential for exploitation
• Expand our capability to prevent, attribute, and apprehend
• Communicate electively with all stakeholders
• Transform the international dialogue on biological threats

So, how do we balance our resources toward a bio-terror threat versus that of naturally occurring disease? Furthermore, are we looking at the issue in a holistic sense? Lastly, how will open government and/or technology play a role in the future of bio-threat reduction?

Promoting One Health

In my opinion, central to emerging biological threats is the concept of ‘One Health’ or, the local and global influences impacting human health, including the interdependence of people, animals, plants, and the environment, as well as the associated food and water availability, safety, and security.

The local and global influences impacting human health, including the interdependence of people, animals, plants, and the environment, and the associated food and water availability, safety, and security. Source: A “One Health” Approach to Address Emerging Zoonoses: The HALI Project in Tanzania

While not explicitly acknowledging the ‘One Health’ concept, the strategy does an okay job addressing each component. Specifically, the strategy seeks to develop:

A robust understanding of the nature, prevalence, and severity of infectious diseases both at home and abroad is critical for effective decisions for prevention, protection, preparedness, and response. In addition, a clear understanding of scientific capabilities and medical, veterinary, and public as well as agricultural health capacity abroad is essential to inform decisions on policies, programs, and investments that can best manage current and emerging risks.

and

Supporting efforts in partner countries and regions to develop mechanisms and capabilities for reporting to the WHO, OIE, FAO, and other partners validated data on human, animal, and plant outbreaks of infectious disease;

…and improve international capacity against infectious diseases by:

Supporting efforts of partner countries and regions to advance the capability of medical, public health, agricultural, and veterinary systems to respond to and recover from disease outbreaks of any origin;

Open Government Governance

Reducing the risks presented by biological threats requires the use of all aspects of national power and coordination and effective partnerships among all sectors of government. Furthermore, expanding access and building knowledge as to the global disease burden and technological capabilities will, among other things, depend on transparency in nationally and international institutions both public and private. This falls in line with the Obama administration’s open government initiative, by

• Supporting efforts in partner countries and regions to develop mechanisms and capabilities for reporting to the WHO, OIE, FAO, and other partners validated data on human, animal, and plant outbreaks of infectious disease;
• Engaging Federal, nongovernmental, and international partners to advance awareness and understanding of global outbreaks of infectious disease;
• Promoting the development and use of mechanisms for reporting, preserving, and—as appropriate to improve transparency in government—sharing data on Federal programs and investments in international scientific, agricultural, medical, and public health collaborations.

The New (Old) Biotechnology…from biosurveillance to Twitter

As the strategy points out, advances in the life sciences are progressing globally at an unprecedented rate. We are witnessing the globalization of life sciences information, and as the clouds continue to form, an avalanche of data from academic institutions, research centers, and private laboratories in basements and garages, will drive innovation and open access to the insights and materials needed to advance individual initiatives. This revolution spans biotechnology, information sharing systems and even your more commontech, like Web 2.0 applications. Thus, as you might imagine, the strategy addresses numerous technology-centric objectives.

For instance, under the first objective, the NSC seeks to continue building global capacity for disease surveillance, detection, diagnosis, and reporting (a subject close to my heart) and to advance access to and effective use of technologies to mitigate the impact from outbreaks of infectious disease, regardless of their cause.

The Strategy is hopeful to stay ahead of the life sciences revolution by:

• Ensuring appropriate Federal investments in “technology watch” initiatives that provide cutting edge insight and analysis from those currently engaged in the science;
• Encouraging the broad distribution of technology watch findings to those engaged in risk management activities across the Federal Government and appropriate nongovernmental partners;

There is emphasis on working closely with partner countries and international organizations like WHO, OIE, and FAO to share disease reporting requirement compliance and to ensure efforts:

• Is integrated and interoperable with their existing logistical infrastructure and sensitive to their public and agricultural health priorities;
• Is sustainable within the often limited resources of the country/region, either unilaterally or with other partners;
• Improves coordination between human, plant, and veterinary disease reporting systems, especially in relation to zoonotic diseases; and
• Is transparent and enables the sharing of information with international human, plant, and animal health agencies and the United States.

So, what about Web 2.0?

There are a couple of examples where the NSC places emphasis on social networks. How technology supports a local Kenyan village may differ from Silicon Valley, but at least the Strategy begins to acknowledge our global interconnectedness and how information will be shared:

• Much of the information needed to provide situational awareness is derived from social networks within distinct and disparate communities. We will emphasize the need for each of these groups to enrich and expand their networks and ability to share data in a manner that appropriately protects individuals’ privacy and other relevant sensitivities.
• We must seek to encourage the development of social networks that derive from positive and productive relationships among our law enforcement and security communities and members of those communities at unique risk of exploitation.
• Evaluating the role for novel technologies in facilitating intradepartmental, interdepartmental, and open sharing of information in a manner that protects those elements deemed critically sensitive.

Since I moved in this past March, I have found my block and the Shaw neighborhood in general to be a great place to live. This realtor’s video does a pretty good job showing you around…

So, when are you moving here?

Do you know where this is?

I bet you don’t; and neither did I.

I recently heard about this awesome project, and while I can’t get there to personally help, I figure I can at least help spread the word.

It’s called Map Kibera and it’s a project dedicated to mapping Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, widely known as Africa’s largest slum, using open source technology called OpenStreetMap (OSM).

Why?

“Kibera remains a blank spot on the Kenyan map, though it holds as many as one million inhabitants according to UN-HABITAT. Its limited health and water resources, traffic patterns, and housing layouts remain largely invisible to the outside world and to residents themselves. Though many organizations have collected data on Kibera, the information is not yet shared as a resource for all to use. Map Kibera will fill in this gap by producing free, open-source digital map data using the techniques of OpenStreetMap, a user-edited map of the world. The resulting information will be freely available to residents, NGOs, private companies, and others interested in working with and for Kibera.

Twelve young residents of Kibera will first be trained on current mapping techniques during a two-day workshop. Individuals from the growing Nairobi technology scene will help train and network with the larger community. The group will then map all of Kibera over a two-week period in mid-November and share the results through OpenStreetMap, joining a growing global community of tech-savvy grassroots mapmakers. “The project will provide open-source data that will help illustrate the living conditions in Kibera. Without basic knowledge of the geography of Kibera it is impossible to have an informed discussion on how to improve the lives of residents of Kibera,” said Mikel Maron.

Following the completion of the map, raw data will be made available at no charge to upload into collaborative mapping platforms. A workshop with local interested civic organizations will introduce them to the final map, and spark follow-up initiatives. The new group of mappers will share the information with their own communities by distributing paper maps, and will be able to keep information current as conditions change in Kibera.

Map Kibera is a collaborative project lead by Mikel Maron of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team and supported by JumpStart International. Partners include Jubal Harpster of WhereCampAfrica, the Social Development Network (Sodnet), Pamoja Trust, Hands on Kenya, Carolina for Kibera and others.”

I was very interested to see that the State Department has launched the Civil Society 2.0 Initiative, which is designed to “help grassroots organizations around the world use digital technology to tell their stories, build their memberships and support bases, and connect to their community of peers around the world.”

Announced in Marrakesh, Morocco at the 6th Forum for the Future, Secretary Clinton described the initiative as a way to provide new technologies to civil society organizations and indicated the US will send experts in digital technology and communications to help build capacity.

“Civil Society 2.0” includes the following components:

1. Deploying a team of experienced technologists to work with civil society organizations around the globe to provide training and support to build their digital capacity. The competencies developed in the trainings will include:
   • How to build a website
   • How to blog
   • How to launch a text messaging campaign
   • How to build an online community
   • How to leverage social networks for a cause
2. Partnering these technologists with local civil society organizations and governments to develop and implement
   technology-based solutions to local problems.
3. Publishing interactive “how to” programs and curriculum online to help organizations that do not have access to in-person assistance.
4. Creating a curated open platform that allows any citizen or company to develop, share or suggest content for the curriculum.
5. Allocating $5 million in grant funds for pilot programs in the Middle East and North Africa that will bolster the new media and networking capabilities of civil society organizations and promote online learning in the region.

I’m curious how the initiative will be implemented, its timeframe/funding opportunties, and goals. How do you measure the success or failure of a program like Civil Society 2.0? One assumption is that the funding for this will likely include efforts like Global Technology and Innovation Fund or the New Empowerment Communication Technologies opportunity funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

There are those with concerns for Democracy-building efforts like this, as they could “enable the enemy”, but I feel that addressing a core enabling issue – infrastructure development - especially one that allows for the free exchange of ideas is a good first step towards enabling a sustainable democracy.

By now, if you haven’t heard the story of the Balloon Boy, well, you must live in a bubble (I know, sorry). Frankly, I could care less whether poor little Falcon Heene was hiding in the attic or actually trapped high above Ft. Collins, Colorado in the belly of his Dad’s jiffy pop creation. Nor do I care if the whole thing was a hoax. What does interest me is how a story like this can evolve, or shall we say, balloon, in the media.

…more and better information is being put out on the Internet every day, information that can be valuable to Institutional investors who are constantly looking for an edge. And these investors were not very sophisticated about how to best access this information; Monitor110 would use technology to help them get that edge.

I just finished reading Steven Levy’s piece in this month’s Wired, Booting Up Baghdad: Tech Execs Take a Tour in Iraq, where at the invitation of the State Department’s “diplo-nerd”, Jared Cohen, several Silicon Valley executives from companies like Google, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, and AT&T met with Iraqis to talk about using technology to spread democracy (the same trip was covered in Business Week in June).

Not too long after the trip to Iraq, it was Cohen who asked Twitter to hold off on a system upgrade during the Iranian elections as it appeared that, according to P.J. Crowley, the assistant secretary of state for public affairs, “Twitter is playing an important role at a crucial time in Iran.” and “We are proponents of freedom of expression. Information should be used as a way to promote freedom of expression.”

Open Source Software Soft Power

I appreciate Cohen’s ideas but I don’t think his approach to U.S. diplomacy through technology is overly unique. However, it got me thinking about how we can internationalize the OpenGov momentum building in the U.S. After all, we live in an increasingly networked society, there is a history of exporting U.S. technology for democracy and, in the US, there has been a growing movement toward participatory democracy through open data like Data.gov and Open Source for America, whose mission is to educate and encourage the U.S. Federal government about the advantages of using free and open source software.

We have recently witnessed a shift in the diplomatic lexicon from “soft power” to “smart power”; whatever you decide to call it, we are talking about “the ability to obtain what you want through co-option and attraction” (wikipedia). So, if “information should be used as a way to promote freedom of expression”, as Crowley described above, is it fair to associate information technology with this goal? Naturally, I’m inclined to say “yes”.

But, exactly how can open source software play a role in “smart power”?

Maybe more importantly…

Does open source software provide an existing model upon which to base the concepts of an “open source diplomacy”?

As expected, I’m not the first to consider applying the open source technology model to diplomacy. In 2002, the Aspen Institute’s round table on How the Internet is changing International Politics and Diplomacy (PDF) suggested “Netpolitik” as a more encompassing framework for understanding the trends, forces, and characteristics of our emerging network society. Another example can be found in Ali Fisher’s Music for the Jilted Generation: Open-Source Public Diplomacy, where he references Rothkopf’s 1998 ‘information revolution’ as

The realpolitik of the new era is cyberpolitik, in which the actors are no longer just states, and raw power can be countered or fortified by information power. The mighty will continue to prevail, but the sources, instruments and measures of that might are dramatically changed.

Fisher describes the battle between hierarchical bureaucracies and community networks within public diplomacy as akin to Raymond’s The Cathedral and the Bazaar and suggests:

It is about achieving your goals through helping others achieve theirs. Effectively, it is about realizing that an organization is part of a wider community…Communication ‘is not all about warfare, about winning “hearts and minds” for the sake of achieving military victory. It is, as Karl Deutsch long ago emphasized, the method of community’. It is in this area of community where the potential for creativity exists in the adoption of new methods of working in public diplomacy; where the opportunity to achieve ‘creative diplomacy’ lies…

The proliferation of transnational open source platforms, where Java or PHP is the common language, lower the barriers for activists to raise awareness to their cause, expands access to those with a shared interest, and enable opportunities where none exist locally. Furthermore, these technologies allow globally dispersed diaspora to influence the internal politics and external policy of their homelands through innovative application of the software. I’m sure the same could be said for closed source software, but it makes sense to me that I address the lowest barrier to entry, and that is open source.

A recently popular example of cyber activism is of course Ushahidi, which arose during the civil unrest in Kenya in early 2008. Today, the software is supported by developers in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, Netherlands and the US. While Ushahidi is a somewhat specialized application (mobile-to-web for “crowdsourcing crisis information”), there are other large-scale open source software projects like Drupal, Joomla!, or Wordpress with a global development core whose abilities could help open international governments to improve transparency, international collaboration, and opportunity, as well as providing for activism or open source diplomacy.

A Quick Glance @ Drupal Demographics

I decided to explore the global reach of one of the larger open source platforms, Drupal. Before thinking about how open source software networks like Drupal can help open the “digital public square”, I first wanted to determine the extent its reach. What I initially determined was that this exercise was going to be interesting but that I would not accomplish it in one post, so I will continue this theme in future updates. In case you were wondering, Drupal is an open source content management system (CMS) that dates back to 2001 and has a wide community supporting the platform with whom you can interact in the Drupal Groups that:

…serves the Drupal community by providing a place for groups to organize, plan and work on projects. Real world local user groups in particular are encouraged to setup their online presence here.

According to the Drupal Groups list, there are around 650 active groups and over 71,500 group subscriptions. Of the active groups, I selected those that are identified by geographic location – this accounted for 280 active groups and almost 19,000 members in over 80 countries.

I believe it’s fair to say that Drupal has an extensive following around the globe. For instance, there are developer groups throughout Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Africa, including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morrocco, South Africa. The largest groups appear to be the U.S., Canada, and Germany.

Have I proven anything?

Well, probably not yet; but, my initial observation is that Drupal does provide a valuable global development core that can be used to help open international governments for the sake of transparency or for activists or, possibly, open source diplomacy. Over the next few posts, I will attempt to dig a little deeper into the the concept of “open source diplomacy” and determine what role open source software can provide as a model for this concept. Additionally, I will attempt to look at ways a network, like Drupal Groups, can be leveraged during times of crisis, or assisted through training or internationalization of the platform.

Thanks for checking out my new blog. It’s been a couple of months since I left my previous gig at The Global Resource Initiative (where I was co-founder and CTO) and I’m just getting started on some new concepts. As I share some of these ideas with you, feel free to drop me a line and if you are interested, take a look at my bio or follow me on twitter.

Cheers,

Ben