How social media is being used to map the conflict in Syria

Fascinating:

The Syria Conflict Mapping Project is an initiative launched by the [Carter] Center to examine the massive amounts of citizen-generated information related to the Syrian conflict that is available online.

Posts on social media, among other things, help to details the growth of opposition armed groups in each governorate within Syria; show the current geographic delineation of pro and anti-government forces and provides up-to-date analysis on the current state of the conflict.

Initially, the goal of the Syria conflict mapping project was to provide information to neutral parties working toward a peaceful end to the crisis. With no end in sight, providing information about the strength and location of armed groups in each region of Syria also helps humanitarian organizations to know where it’s “safe” to operate and where it’s not.

Read the full piece here.