John Green Otunga
John is the East Africa program manager for the Sentinel Project. In his role, he leads project teams in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, overseeing the planning and implementation of various initiatives in these countries. John possesses over a decade of experience in project coordination and management, with a strong emphasis on humanitarian contexts and fragile environments. In 2018, John received recognition for his work when he won the Commonwealth Digital Challenge Award in the United Kingdom. His expertise in utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) for promoting peace has garnered attention on international platforms, where he has been invited to speak and write about this subject. John's academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Makerere University of Kampala, a Masters in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi, and a Masters in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration from the University of London School of Advance Studies.
Intervention
Rumours and misinformation increasingly contribute to instability and violent conflict around the world. The proliferated use of the internet and social media has escalated and ramped up the speed of misinformation-sharing, contributing to offline violence. Many communities routinely face threats from misinformation online, as well as from other sources such as television, radio, and word of mouth. Information deficits and this link between misinformation and violent conflict urgently need to be addressed, especially in conflict-prone settings. Since 2013, the Sentinel Project has been developing and expanding initiatives to manage misinformation in unstable environments, to prevent and mitigate violence. These projects have become effective mobile phone-based participatory information services for engaging communities in monitoring, verifying, and countering the spread of harmful rumours and misinformation that contribute to conflict. The inspiration for these projects was the Una Hakika pilot project, first developed in the Tana Delta, Kenya. Participants report rumours, which are investigated by the project team and a network of trained volunteers and stakeholders. Once a rumour has been verified, the facts are reported to the affected communities. The most common communication channels are SMS, voice calls, and the engagement of volunteer community ambassadors. This intake and verification process involves gathering a large amount of information from various sources, such as open mapping, open data, and GIS, and attempting to make sense of it. The next step involves mapping reports of rumours to see how they develop and spread through the area. The interface then profiles rumour reports according to the risk levels posed and provides an analysis that reinforces and determines responses and interventions. Additionally, the existing Una Hakika system can also provide real-time information on increased volatility in its operational area. More broadly, Una Hakika supports positive behavioural change among citizens by establishing, training, and equipping a broad community of practice focused on countering misinformation and other forms of harmful online content.