The non-profit aid group CrisisCommons has inspired people from around the globe to join together and help communities facing disasters. On July 16 more than 80 tech-industry leaders from five countries convened for the first international CrisisCongress in Washington D.C. The event was held to look for new and better ways to provide aid to both governments and citizens affected by crisis. One of the plans discussed was the implementation of additional social media and technology strategies in the event of future disasters or humanitarian issues.

Thus far the group has been successful through its use of social media tools to build a dedicated community spanning 10 countries, create CrisisCamps and eventually the Congress itself, and recruit and retain volunteers. The online community allows different countries to learn from other nation’s experiences and successes in order to prepare for and handle their own situations. Social media has also proven instrumental during a disaster because of the speed necessary to create and deploy tools and applications in the field.

While the Congress is a step in the right direction, CrisisCommons faces the challenge of preparing younger, less advanced countries for major catastrophes. As the internet and the use of social media continue to grow worldwide, one can only hope that these young international governments can learn from CrisisCommons and prepare themselves before the next major disaster strikes.

What are some other social media strategies CrisisCommons could look into?