Fri 19 Nov 2010 // Danish brothers Christopher and David Mikkelsen founded Refugees United, an NGO that uses secure web and mobile technology to enable refugees to find loved ones throughout the world.

It started with a web-based system allowing refugees to create and search profiles in order to find loved ones by name or identifying characteristics. By expanding the program from web-based to mobile phones, the organisers hope to reach people in areas with poor computer access and training. Now, people can utilise the Refugees United system over simple SMS or WAP-enabled phones.

“Even the most remote refugee settlements, you still find mobile phones everywhere,” David Mikkelsen says.

There's a series of keywords, so if you send 'REG' to the number, it assumes you're registering and it sends you back a request that starts off by asking your name. Then it asks your age and your gender and so forth. You can search for people on the system, and if you find someone you think might be family you can send a message as well.

The site urges people contacted by other users to ask a series of personal questions to establish that the contactee is in fact who they claim to be.

The expansion of the platform to mobile phones will be implemented in collaboration with Ericsson, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ugandan mobile operator MTN, and Delta Partners.

Links

http://www.mobileactive.org/case-studies/refugees-united-goes-mobile
http://www.refunite.org/