--- title: Humanitarian Aid layout: single description: Self-Sovereign Identity for Humanitarian Interventions excerpt: > When forced to flee your home from one moment to the next, grabbing birth certificates, school diplomas, and other papers that prove you are who you say you are might not be the first thing that comes to mind. And without those credentials, everything is more difficult when it comes to starting a new life or picking up the pieces of an old one toc: true toc_sticky: true permalink: /application/humanitarian/ redirect_from: - /organizations/humanitarian/ - humanitarian - humanitarian/ tags: ["Humanitarian","iRespond","Ukraine","Tu Delft","Gravity Earth","Human Rights","Inclusion","Trinsic","Affinidi","Aid:Tech","GlobalID","Onfido","Biometrics","Avast","Berkman Klein","World Bank"] categories: ["Application"] last_modified_at: 2023-06-15 published: true --- ## Explainer * [Can digital identity help with the world refugee crisis?](https://blog.avast.com/digital-identity-world-refugee-crisis) 2022-05-24 Avast > At the moment, a lack of documents isn’t too much of a hindrance to Ukrainian refugees, who are largely being welcomed in neighboring states. Dr. Dzeneta Karabegovic, PhD, an expert in migration and human rights and a childhood refugee herself, tells Avast that Ukrainians currently don’t need a passport in order to get through most borders of the European Union (EU). * [Fixing Aid | Can blockchain help fix the I.D. problem for a billion people?](https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcast/2022/03/31/Fixing-Aid-can-blockchain-help-fix-the-ID-problem-for-a-billion-people) 2022-03-31 The New Humanitarian > When forced to flee your home from one moment to the next, grabbing birth certificates, school diplomas, and other papers that prove you are who you say you are might not be the first thing that comes to mind. And without those credentials, everything is more difficult when it comes to starting a new life or picking up the pieces of an old one: applying for asylum, applying for a job, or registering to receive aid and other kinds of support. * [Ukraine: Why centralized Identity systems can cause a problem](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ukraine-why-centralized-identity-systems-can-cause-problem-freitag/) 2022-02-25 Andreas Freitag > Let's imagine a country that has a modern digital identity infrastructure. Citizens can use it to identify themselves online and offline, communicate with authorities online, they can quickly log into private services and websites and any documents can be created and digitally signed. * [Blockchain Can Empower Stateless Refugees](https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1095148/blockchain-can-empower-stateless-refugees) 2018-12-02 Law360 > InternetBar.org Institute, or IBO, a global NGO, developed the idea for a project to pursue these goals, and presented it at the World Justice Forum V in July 2017, in a presentation titled "The Invisibles: Digital Identity for Stateless Refugees." Then, earlier this year, IBO recorded music with top musicians living in refugee camps in eight countries, in order to make these refugees owners of digital assets. ## Report * [Digital Identity: Enabling dignified access to humanitarian services in migration - PrepareCenter](https://preparecenter.org/resource/digital-identity-enabling-dignified-access-to-humanitarian-services-in-migration/) 2021-06-07 PrepareCenter > The primary objective of the report is to inform humanitarian organizations working with migrants of the opportunities and risks in the use of digital identities in providing services throughout the migrants’ journeys. * [Gravity’s work with refugees in Turkey featured in latest report from Oxford Centre for Technology and Development, “Digital Identity: An Analysis for the Humanitarian Sector”](https://medium.com/gravity-earth/case-study-gravitys-work-with-refugees-in-turkey-featured-in-latest-oxford-centre-for-technology-ecb515a18464) 2021-05-25 Gravity Earth > “Gravity’s work is selected as a case study here because their solution included close collaboration with four other organizations from the start. It thus offered a rife example of interoperability challenges associated with digital ID systems, as well as how the same systems may be used to overcome existing coordination challenges. Moreover, Gravity has made more documentation of this project publicly available.” * [Self-Sovereign Identity Systems for Humanitarian Interventions—A Case Study on Protective Cash Transfer Programs](https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:6cdb5450-9a81-47a9-8ffa-f9bd77c72448/datastream/OBJ1/download) 2018-08-01 L. Stevens Tu Delft > This research creates a functional blockchain based system, that enables identities for the use-case of Cash Transfer Programs.\ > Results: We present a validated set of ten design decisions that represent the trade-offs that have been made and prescribe a blueprint for a technical design.\ > Next steps: Future research should be done on how such a system could be implemented and used. This would require a process design approach that has to be developed, Also, elaborate research into user experience and user interfaces should be conducted. ## Ethics * [Pro-social behaviours](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosocial_behavior) 2023-06-14 Wikipedia   > those intended to benefit others, or society as a whole — for example, helping, sharing, donating, co-operating, and volunteering. Within a community, they’re the behaviours that make it an attractive space to belong to, and which encourage its growth and/or development. It’s a central part of the value cycles that underpin the Communities of Practice model. * [Radical generosity](https://provocations.darkmatterlabs.org/radical-generosity-8063d9edc3aa) 2022-08-31 Dark Matter > Could we establish an alternative market economy, one that is structured around a distinct set of principles centred on care, trust, generosity, the importance of collective intelligence and deep sets of relationships; what would fall away and what would remain in place? ## Human Rights * [Tech Tools for Human Rights Documentation](https://documentation-tools.theengineroom.org/) 2022-04-06 The Engine Room > Insights from research & practical guidance for civil society documenters of human rights violations * [Human Rights Documentation](https://documentation-tools.theengineroom.org/findings-documentation/) The Engine Room > For this research, The Engine Room and HURIDOCS conducted a combined total of 36 one-on-one interviews with civil society documenters of human rights abuses and direct support organisations. Our findings are supplemented by insights from interviews with eight tool developers working in the human rights documentation space. * [Tool Development](https://documentation-tools.theengineroom.org/findings-tool-dev/) The Engine Room > For this research, The Engine Room conducted eight interviews with tool developers, and carried out independent research into relevant tools. * [Transitional Justice](https://documentation-tools.theengineroom.org/findings-transitional-justice/) Tech tools from a transitional justice perspective > For this research, PILPG conducted interviews with 15 transitional justice experts and held three focus groups. * [TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR COMMUNITY CALL ON INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN DATA & DIGITAL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE](https://www.theengineroom.org/takeaways-from-our-community-call-on-intersections-between-data-digital-rights-and-social-justice/) 2022-03-21 The Engine Room > On February 15, we held a community call to discuss our newly-published [research findings](https://www.theengineroom.org/new-research-community-call-intersectional-approaches-to-data-and-digital-rights-advocacy/) on intersectional collaboration between social justice communities and data and digital rights (DDR) communities. We were joined by speakers Temi Lasade-Anderson from Alaase Lab, Luã Cruz from IDEC, Patronella Nqaba from Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity and Paromita Shah from Just Futures Law. ## Inclusion * [Disrupting the Gospel of Tech Solutionism to Build Tech Justice](https://ssir.org/articles/entry/disrupting_the_gospel_of_tech_solutionism_to_build_tech_justice#) 2022-06-16 SSIR > What does it mean to include new voices unless we create a context in which those voices are welcome and heard? To create those conditions, leaders in civil society and the private and public sectors must challenge institutional power and center the discussion on core social justice issues such as racism and structural inequality. * [Over 1 Billion People Worldwide Lack Legal ID](https://www.continuumloop.com/inclusion-in-digital-identity-products/) 2022-05-17 Continuum Loop > Inclusion is important in all aspects of life, including digital identity products. By ensuring that everyone is included in the development process, we can create products that meet the needs of everyone [...] > > Input from many people from diverse backgrounds is essential to our work on the SSI Harm’s Task Force. I hope you’ll consider [joining us](https://wiki.trustoverip.org/display/HOME/Human+Experience+Working+Group) – whether you want to contribute or just observe, everyone is welcome! * [Decolonial Humanitarian Digital Governance](https://medium.com/berkman-klein-center/decolonial-humanitarian-digital-governance-48b35b05b110) 2021-04-16 Berkman Klein > Can humanitarian digital policy be decolonized? > > As humanitarian organisations do not tend to traditionally have the requisite digital or technology expertise in-house, they partner externally to achieve their aims. > > The provocations: > > 1. What if shared well-being became the standard of success for our nations? > 2. Are we ready to move from an era that rewards extraction to one that prioritizes regeneration? > 3. How will we move from an era of destabilizing information into an age of trusted wisdom? > 4. Can we dismantle industrial-age silos between work, home, education, play, and community? * [World Bank Inclusion Challenge](https://stateofidentity.libsyn.com/world-bank-the-inclusion-challenge) 2020-10-15 State of Identity Vyjayanti Desai > Vyjayanti Desai, Practice Manager for the ID4D and G2Px, two global, multi-sectoral initiatives of the World Bank Group joins State of Identity to discuss The Mission Billion Challenge. The solutions-focused challenge highlights the fundamental role that digital platforms can play in helping a country to effectively provide assistance to its people. ## Business * [What are the limits of the private sector in serving the poor?](https://medium.com/caribou-digital/what-are-the-limits-of-the-private-sector-in-serving-the-poor-3ee9a9a468fc) 2021-08-17 Caribou Digital > A large set of impact investor, international donor, and government anti-poverty policy is based on the notion that for-profit companies can be induced to serve the poor with life changing services like banking or schooling but the limits of the for profit model are not always taken into account * [Layering Digital ID on Top of Traditional Data Management](https://hiplatform.org/blog/2020/5/20/layering-digital-id-on-top-of-traditional-data-management) 2020-05-20 HIP > While Digital ID could offer benefit to humanitarian agencies and beneficiaries, alike, many questions remain to be answered. The cost effectiveness of ID solutions remains to be established. Given that many of these systems are only operating at pilot-scale, it is difficult to know what the primary drivers of cost are and how they can be mitigated. In addition, the digital ID space is fairly young and while initiatives like ID4D and ID2020 are working to drive meaningful interoperability among providers in the space, it remains to be seen what the most effective factors, in addition to open source software, open APIs, and common data formats, can be used to general meaningful interoperability. ## Projects * [Can Blockchain and Self-Sovereign Identity Systems address the Refugee Crisis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewMZQoyGxCs) 2022-08-09 ETH Global, Lyonna Lyu > Zora’s Metabolism hackathon is a virtual space for creative experimentation, bringing together some of the world’s best creators from a broad variety of categories and inviting them to design new digital spaces, on-chain tools, artistic experiments and more. Web3 is both one of the biggest paradigm shifts since the advent of the internet age and an ever-evolving inquiry into the societal possibilities of creative technology: no matter if you are a developer, an engineer, an architect, a musician, a theorist or seasoned NFT artist - we invite you to build hyperstructures with us with focus on NFTs, on-chain music ecosystems, a new generation of DAOs and Zora’s vast ecosystem of tools and smart contracts. * [Opportunities for Integrating Functional Digital ID into Humanitarian Action](https://hiplatform.org/blog/2022/5/18/opportunities-for-integrating-functional-digital-id-into-humanitarian-action) HIP 2022-05-18 > The [Dignified Identities in Cash Assistance (DIGID)](https://hiplatform.org/digid) project was initiated by a consortium of humanitarian organizations. In 2021, a pilot project was carried out in Kenya implemented by the [Kenya Red Cross Society](https://www.redcross.or.ke/) to enable people without any form of ID to receive cash assistance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by means of a digital ID. * [Dignified Identities in Cash Assistance: Lessons Learnt from Kenya](https://cash-hub.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/02/DIGID-Lessons-Learnt-from-Kenya-Jan-2022.pdf) 2022-02 > Because of “know your customer” (KYC) requirements, the targeted community members who did not have a legally recognized ID could neither own a SIM card nor have an M-Pesa account, so a cash transfer via M-Pesa was not a viable option for this pilot project. Cash distribution was done via Flex, a money distributor contracted by KRCS. * [Trinsic Launches Identity For Good in Response to Ukraine Crisis](https://trinsic.id/trinsic-launches-identity-for-good-in-response-to-ukraine-crisis/) 2022-03-09 Trinsic > Trinsic is partnering with companies building ID products for underserved populations. Through Identity for Good (ID4G), participating partners will receive access to Trinsic’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, enabling them to build their ID products quickly, safely, and compliantly * [Dignified Identities for Cash assistance project](https://hiplatform.org/digid) 2021 > The first phase was implemented by KRCS to meet the needs of the vulnerable populations without official IDs * [Affinidi Partners with AID:Tech — Exploring New Horizons in Digital Identity and Verifiable Credentials](https://academy.affinidi.com/affinidi-partners-with-aid-tech-exploring-new-horizons-in-digital-identity-and-verifiable-661c9e61f7e8) 2021-08-18 Affinidi > The relationship continues to grow, as Affinidi and AID:Tech are now collaborating on a new initiative to build infrastructure to power a verifiable credential-based [digital wallet](https://academy.affinidi.com/5-reasons-to-use-an-identity-wallet-c289ba2980cf) with multiple services geared for women in Southeast Asia to help them access government programs, banking, insurance, etc. * [GlobalID and Onfido to offer Authenication services to Malaysias Mycash Money](https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2020/09/166678-global-id-verification-provider-onfido-to-offer-authentication-services-to-malaysias-mycash-money/) 2020-09-14 CrowdfundInsider > MyCash Money is a digital marketplace that’s focused on serving migrant workers based in Malaysia and Singapore. MyCash aims to support financial inclusion by providing convenient and secure online services to foreign workers in said countries who might not be able to access digital banking platforms or credit cards. * [From stateless to self sovereign. A project that gives life long identity to the worlds invisibles, beginning at birth](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202007/from-stateless-to-self-sovereign-a-project-that-gives-life-long-identity-to-the-worlds-invisibles-beginning-at-birth) 2020-07 Biometrics Update [[iRespond](https://www.irespond.org/)'s] solution is built around verifiable credentials. Only the holder, which in this case is the mother, can access and share the credential through biometrics, in the form of an iris scan. This digital credential provides redundancy for the paper-based credential, and allows individuals to recover their paper documents if they are ever lost or stolen. Conversely, digital credentials can be recovered using their physical document. * [Rohingya turn to blockchain to solve identity crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/21/rohingya-turn-to-blockchain-to-solve-identity-crisis) 2018-08-21 Guardian > Dilek Genc, a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh who studies blockchain-type applications in humanitarian aid and development, saysif the aid community continues to push innovation using Silicon Valley’s creed of “fail fast and often,” and experiment on vulnerable peoples they will be fundamentally at odds with humanitarian principles and fail to address the political roots of issues facing refugees. ## Biometrics * [Biometrics in the Humanitarian Sector](https://www.theengineroom.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Engine-Room-Oxfam-Biometrics-Review.pdf) 2018-03 The Engine Room Oxfam > The seminal 2013 study by Alan Gelb and Julia Clark researched 160 cases of biometrics deployment in 73 developing countries (excluding biometrics systems primarily for border control or law enforcement means), and noted two primary categories of biometrics identification systems: foundational systems and functional systems > - Foundational systems are those which supply general identification for many official uses, such as national civil registries and national IDs. > - Functional systems are those which are introduced in response to a demand for a particular service or transaction, such as voter IDs, health records, or financial access.