I always love a World Globe when I see one.
Like so many children of my time, I was fascinated by this
intelligent toy/ Educational aid so prominently displayed
in many a living room I visited back in India.
Relatives who returned to India from their work overseas
used the Globe to sneak in many an exciting tale of villages
in Africa; Colonels in the Indian Army leaned back at their desks
and expertly flicked their wrists to outline regions where they
had seen combat, and my school teachers came up with truly
creative ways to incorporate the Globe into subjects other than
Geography and History. The ability to pinpoint a country location
in the shortest time was something we considered a great talent,
simple pleasures in the days before computers, Google
Maps and GPS entered our lives. The importance of these
World Globes have thus receded but their history and unique
designs will always have a respected place in our memories.
Nowadays, it's all about high-speed locating of areas of critical
importance, as we know from the 'pinpointing' of targets in Iraq,
and the locating of missing personnel in similar situations.
Enter MapAction.
' When disaster strikes, getting relief help to the right places
quickly hinges on rapid transfer of information. MapAction
delivers that vital information in the form of maps, created
and distributed in the field. By conveying a 'shared operational
picture', our maps make a crucial difference in delivering
humanitarian aid to the right place to relieve suffering.....
...the fact that relief agencies can 'hit the ground running'
and make decisions based on accurate data can only help to
save lives and reduce suffering.'
This week the UN is deploying a MapAction team in the
African nation of Benin where severe flooding has affected
20,000 or more people in 43 communities.
Click here to find out how you can play a role in keeping
MapAction’s volunteers ready to respond to disasters
around the world.
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