While many eyes were on the US election last week, many eyes were also on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially those working on Ushahidi.  A N2Y3 Mashup Challenge winner, Ushahidi means 'testimony' in Swahili, but as a web tool it enables citizens to use mobile phones, emails or web forms to report and map crisis information. The first deployment of the new Ushahidi Engine into a crisis zone took place only a couple of days ago as Ushahidi released the platform for the DRC.

According to Pambazuka News:

"The UmNyango Project will use SMS technology for rural women and men to access information to, and report incidences of violence against women and children, as well as violations of women’s right to land.

This initiative will be tested out in Dondotha, KwaDlangezwa, KwaGcwensa, Limehill and Muden, and if successful, will be rolled out on a wider scale.

As well as using text messaging, the project will enable women in these areas to produce their own radio programmes which will be made available to local radio stations, as well as being distributed over the internet as ‘podcasts’".

Like everything in life, we have a choice to use our tools, skills and knowledge to help, or to hurt.  Here are NetSquared, we focus on how technology can be used to help people, but sometimes it is used to hurt.  Take Back the Tech is raising awareness about the role of technology in violence against women with a 16-day blogathon.  During the 16 days, from November 25-December 10, the Association of Progressive Communications, Women's Networking Support Programme is asking bloggers to write about how technology increases, or can stop violence against women with stories like these from the Take Back the Tech site: