Beirut, Lebanon, 2015

Our first sprint in the Middle East with organisations from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Gulf region.

BEIRUT BY THE NUMBERS

Applications
received

83

Nationalities represented

14

Value of pro bono
work donated

$97k

OVERVIEW

Five civil society organisations (CSOs) representing Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Gulf region brought their data to our first sprint in the Middle East. These CSOs are defending human rights on the frontline, and collecting data is an act of bravery. Their data is harrowing and emotional, which can make it complicated to visualise. In just five days, the sprint teams produced interactive data visualisation prototypes on topics such as protest, political prisoners, victims of war and corruption.

MEET THE CSOS

Sakker el Dekkene asks citizens to report bribery and corruption they've witnessed or experienced across the public administration systems in Lebanon.

Violations Documentation Center collects data on victims of the violence, detainees, and missing people since the start of the Syrian Civil War.

The Gulf Center for Human Rights supports human rights defenders in the Gulf region. They engage in responsive, proactive and peaceful advocacy campaigns.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information defends freedom of the press and expression in Egypt and the Arab world.

Tadamun works to improve the standard of living for urban communities in Egypt, especially those who are marginalised and ignored by the authorities.

PROJECTS

Featured

The Price of Speaking Up

This Syrian CSO visualised their huge database with an introduction to one boy's tragic story.

From Cradle To Grave

The story of Lebanese life through the bribes they are forced to pay to get basic services done.

Displaced Lives

Visualising Egypt's controversial urban planning policies that cause mass displacement of citizens.

Egypt's Protest Ban

Using the visual metaphor of Tahrir Square to show the impact of the protest ban in Egypt.

MENTORS

Valentina D'Efilippo
Is an award-winning information designer. Her work includes editorial content, theatre, exhibitions and interactive platforms. In 2013 she published The Infographic History of the World.

Wes Grubbs
Is the founder of the data visualisation studio Pitch Interactive, responsible for a host of memorable interactive data visualisations including the drones interactive Out of Sight, Out of Mind.

Hani Asfour
Is an architect and a creative thought leader with twenty years of experience. A graduate of MIT and Harvard, Hani is a founding partner of Polypod, a multidisciplinary award-winning studio in Beirut.

Farida Vis
Is the Director of the Visual Social Media Lab and Faculty Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield. She sits on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Social Media.

Richard Kahwagi
Richard is the Creative Director at Small Media where he oversees all graphic design, branding and data visualisation work. He is a Beirut-bred polyglot problem solver who has an affinity for Arabic typography.

Yana Kunichoff
Is a Chicago-based investigative journalist who specialises in multi-platform storytelling on topics ranging from immigration to criminal justice and international social justice movements.