create and install ad-hoc communication arrays in conflict countries

I stumbled upon this while looking at google summer of code proposals.

http://www.sahana.lk/

Sahana is a Free and Open Source Disaster Management system. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves.

Now, to browse this and identify the security vulnerabilities in this system and patch them. After all, a disaster managerment system can also be a goldmine of information for those who wish to prey on victims.

Algorithms that can use paper and the 11-bus (walking), as well as integrate with existing communication networks such as HAM radio, cellphones, internet, ipods of WTs.

The network must be able to carry messages reliabily, with significant integrity, and some level of tamper-resistance. Also, in conflict areas, the messages may have to mask the geographic origin of the sender (if it would enable other parties to locate and harm her).

A epidimeologist I met on a flight once, described how his organization hired the wives and families of certain maoist and guerilla leaders to work as medical transcribers so that their data collection would proceed unimpeeded and have some level of protection from the warring factions.