Vinay Gupta probably did not expect to serve as an inspiration for a DoD research project. As a programmer, master of Nepalese magic, editorial staff-member at the Rocky Mountain Institute and, most recently, the founder of the Hexayurt Project – where he promotes easy-to-assemble shelters for disaster-stricken communities – Vinay’s background doesn’t smack of a strong connection with the U.S. defense community. Regardless, in his work with Hexayurt, he has approached disaster-relief with a “6 Ways to Die” model, which argues that humanitarian aid is most effective when targeted at the 6 top causes of human death: extreme heat, cold, thirst, hunger, illness, and injury. Little did he anticipate that it would help inspire the STAR-TIDES project (Sharing to Accelerate Research, Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support) at the National Defense University, and guide our efforts to assemble a searchable database of low-cost, sustainable technologies for a variety of missions.
STAR-TIDES does not distribute disaster-relief supplies. Instead, we share information and research ways to support the needs of populations under stress: those in post-war, post-disaster, or impoverished conditions. STAR-TIDES is focused on contributing to the DoD missions of S&R (Stabilization and Reconstruction), HA/DR (Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief), BPC (Building Partnership Capacity) and DSCA (Defense Support of Civil Authorities.) We help NGOs, governments, and other interested parties identify the right strategies, tactics and tools for projects pertaining to these four priority areas. In this effort, we not only share the knowledge of an international network of 1500+ partners in the civil-military and technology communities, but also compile an open, collaborative database of low-cost, sustainable, and durable technologies on the www.star-tides.net website.
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