The 2022 full scale invasion of Ukraine provides and opportunity to learn how spontaneous volunteers act when disaster strikes. The first few weeks following the invasion, millions of Ukrainians were displaced and relied on information exchanges in online groups for housing, employment, and aid. This MQP used data collected from the Telegram platform. By utilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) we analyzed how these spontaneous volunteers coordinated how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can leverage these networks. Furthermore, under the guise of offering help bad actors such as human traffickers, prey on vulnerable people. NGOs can also learn about trafficking recruitment approaches happening online in and develop initiatives to mitigate recruitment.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Coelho, Leonardo

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 121806
• E-project-042524-160207

Advisor

• Konrad, Renata

Year

• 2024

Date created

• 2024-04-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Industrial Engineering

Source

• E-project-042524-160207

Rights statement

• In Copyright