There are numerous social problems in the world that could and should be mapped, including population explosion, global warming, AIDS, refugee crises, famine, slums, street children and slavery, there is a deep need to take a far more strategic approach, at a different order of magnitude. To do this the problems have to be defined strategically and made as easy to understand as possible. Maps containing ' best available information' can swiftly 'tell the big picture' to an internet audience from many different countries and levels of authority.

In terms of qualitative suffering, the African continent has the worst famine problems of any continent, so Global MapAid has decided to start work there. The famine problems are so serious in southern Africa, that we propose, backed up by Stanford related people, to spend the next 5 years making humanitarian maps to help aid workers better advocate, or plan, famine response. In 2003 25 million people were on the verge of death, now it is back down to 6 million. However in 2004, after three years of drought, it is very likely the situation will repeat. World Vision International in Johannesburg have indicated that our services would be of substantial help.