Digital Bridges: Bringing Hope and Healing to Those Hurting Most

This presentation will describe the work of Wings of Hope, an aviation based NGO that has been changing and saving lives throughout the world for nearly 60 years. Despite the impactful work, the recent pandemic exposed gaps when flights to some of the most vulnerable communities Wings of Hope serves, were stopped. Moreover, Wings of Hope recognized that newer technologies, like telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, artificial intelligence and drones, would deepen and strengthen the organization's impact even when the planes are not on the ground in vulnerable communities. Thus, began a journey in defining the future of digitally enabled humanitarianism and the creation of the Global Humanitarian Network. With pilots underway in Latin America, Africa and Asia, the Global Humanitarian Network is built around 5 core values: sustainability, scalability, stewardship, simplicity and empowerment. Our work is aligned with UN sustainable development goals and focuses on food and water security, health and education. Through partnerships, democratized access to technology, knowledge, workforce and resources we believe that the future of humanitarianism will be defined by innovative models that leverage digital bridges. Thus, bringing hope and healing to those hurting most.

VIDEO:  Hear Dr. Manish Kohli's insights on this session.