Disaster Collectivism on an App with Meena Palaniappan

The last decade has shown us that information on social media cannot always be trusted. In fact, it's oftentimes weaponized by nefarious forces. So how do we ensure that the information that is being shared during particularly sensitive periods — such as during natural disasters — is accurate and timely? Enter Atma Connect.

Atma Connect on an award-winning organization building the digital infrastructure to connect people together so they can share vital information and create bottom-up change.

Meena Palaniappan is the Founder and CEO of Atma Connect. She's an Ashoka Fellow, Fulbright Fellow, and awardee of the Million Lives Club. Since 2014, Meena has led Atma Connect to become a globally recognized technology company focused on helping vulnerable people connect, neighbor-to-neighbor, by sharing practical information and solutions, taking collective action, and building community resilience.

AtmaConnect built and deploys AtmaGo, a neighborhood-level mobile app in Indonesia and Puerto Rico for users to share real-time information and solutions to better prepare for disasters, to improve their access to basic needs, and to address chronic vulnerabilities. AtmaGo has reached over 10 million people in Indonesia and Puerto Rico.

Episode credits:

• Host and exectutive producer: Tom Llewellyn
• Presenter and editor: Robert Raymond
• Theme Music: "Meet you on the other side" by Cultivate Beats

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The Response is a podcast series from Shareable.net exploring how communities are building collective resilience in the wake of disasters