Social Entrepreneurs im IT Sektor

Seit einigen Jahren höre und lese ich verstärkt vom weltweiten sozialen Unternehmertum, wie kleine und feine Unternehmen es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht haben ein gesellschaftliches Problem zu lösen. Erst an zweiter Stelle geht es ihnen um den Gewinn, wobei sie wirtschaftlich/finanziell unabhängig sind. Eine winzige Unternehmung dieser Art (Soliwein) habe ich letztes Jahr in Dresden praktisch unterstützt. Und: das Geschäft läuft.

Seit dem frage ich mich, ob es Social Entrepreneurs auch im IT Sektor gibt? Oder: Wie kann man als Informatiker in diesem Feld tätig werden?

Dazu habe ich bei den beiden größten und bekanntesten Geldgebern im Bereich der Social Entrepreneure (Schwab Foundation, Ashoka) recherchiert und immerhin fünf Unternehmen finden können, die durch ihre IT Kompetenz (auch) Lösungen für gesellschaftliche und soziale Probleme anbieten.

Benetech Initiative: Sichere Kommunikation und Datenhaltung für Menschenrechtsaktivisten

Through its human rights programme Benetech developed Martus, a software programme that permits human rights groups to collect and store sensitive information on a secure database. Today, human rights groups in over 100 countries are using Martus to document incidents of human rights violations and abuses. The Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) develops database software, data collection strategies and statistical techniques to measure human rights atrocities. This technology and analysis are used by truth commissions, international criminal tribunals and non-governmental international human rights organizations.

Ushahidi: Monitoring und Messungen per Crowdsourcing

Ushahidi (“testimony” in Swahili) builds the technology required to collect and synthesize data received from mobile phones, emails and web-based applications. It develops tools that democratize information, increases transparency and lowers the barriers so individuals can share their stories. Within inefficient markets the Ushahidi platform crowdsources information, to enable actionable insight into disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, election monitoring and pricing/localizing

These software platforms have been used by Ushahidi and its numerous non-governmental organization partners around the world to: monitor post-election violence; assure election transparency in Kenya and Brazil; measure and report on teacher absenteeism in Uganda; provide portable water in post-earthquake Haiti; and, for community and government organizing after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Accessibility Maps: Karten barrierefreier Lakalitäten (siehe TED Talk von Raul Krauthausen)

There are 1.6 million wheelchair users in Germany, and many more individuals who use wheelchairs occasionally or rely on mobility aids such as rolling walkers. These numbers are expected to triple by 2050 as the German population ages. These individuals all face a simple yet powerful problem — not knowing whether a public place is accessible to wheelchairs. As a result, wheelchair users are often excluded from public life. Raul Krauthausen is promoting the inclusion and awareness of urban wheelchair users through his online map, www.wheelmap.org, the first crowdsourced online map of wheelchair-friendly places around the world.

Kav-Or: Fernunterricht für Kinder im Krankenhaus (siehe Webseite)

Using computers and tailored software for distance learning provides hospitalized children with education, companionship and opportunities to play, while having classes through a website supervised by teachers and volunteers offers continuous learning. One of the organization’s objectives is to train educational medical staff members and volunteers to be at the forefront of technology. A computer-literate staff can better assist hospitalized children to enjoy the resources provided by Kav-Or computers.

Specialist People Foundation: IT-Jobs für Autisten

Specialisterne focuses on providing employment for people with ASD, a supportive work environment, and the skills required in the labour market. To start, the IT sector has been the focus with services provided within software testing, data entry, quality control and logistics, where consultants can perform valuable services at or above the market rate. Specialisterne is now moving into other businesses like health, pharmaceuticals and finance.