Welcome to RefRoulette, a session where advanced technology for displaced persons takes centre stage.

Creative folks from REFUNITE have come up with an interactive way of getting members from different teams to collaborate and gain more insight into technology trends to help refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).

Introducing RefRoulette, a weekly brainstorm for REFUNITE team members from different countries. How can we leverage new technology in support of refugee families and IDPs? In the coming weeks, this question will be explored through various perspectives.

How does RefRoulette work? Every Monday, the whole organization receives an email announcing the RefRoulette team of the week. They are given a topic to research, discuss and create a presentation about, which is then shared with fellow colleagues by the end of the week.

Topics so far have ranged from wearable technology and Augmented Reality (AR) to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Team members join forces to explore how these trends may impact refugees and IDPs living in refugee camps.

With more than 50 million forcibly displaced people in the world, and ignited by a wide range of emerging technologies, it is crucial to stay abreast of trends affecting refugees.

One group explored AR and created the presentation “A step into the future of refugee camps.” Another group did research on trends, such as “the Internet of Things” and created a mockup of a so-called RefuBand.

The group tasked with research on AR shared ideas around a camera phone that overlays information on geographical location, potential relatives and buildings in a camp.

They also educated their colleagues on how refugees can use AR to construct a house, or how they can use it for education on human anatomy and language translation.

The RefuBand presentation focused on how to ease the registration process for new refugees in camps. Oftentimes, refugees will spend hours and days trying to register with local organizations.

The group asked: What if we created a wrist band with all necessary information? After all, not all refugees own a phone. After data is collected, it is uploaded onto RefuBand and backed up by a so-called RefuCloud for data storage.

The sessions aim to spur global conversations around the future of technology and humanitarian innovation. It also gives team members a chance to kick back, collaborate while at work and learn about subject areas outside their daily experience, irrespective of job titles or professional backgrounds.

REFUNITE will also use these sessions to enhance the use of advanced technology in interventions and programs for IDPs in camps.

This week, a new group will be looking into Cryptocurrency for IDPs.

By Ida Jeng and Rachel Ombaka

CONTACTS

Ida Jeng, Director of Global Communication and Strategy for REFUNITE (ij@refunite.org)

Rachel Ombaka, Online Editor for REFUNITE (rom@refunite.org)