As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote ways of meeting and working have become more accepted throughout the world. Videoconferencing and document sharing technologies have become more known, accessible and affordable. They get used in areas, in which they were not used before, like in peace and conflict work.
This is the first post in a series of four looking at the possibilities, practical difficulties and societal impact of internet-based technologies for peacebuilding.
You find all kind of technology developments in areas like sustainable development, governance and state-society relations, international security, and a search for governing of cyberspace itself. In the area of peacebuilding several initiatives have been popping up as well.
Communication, Conflict Prevention, Networking
When I think of work in peace and conflict, I mostly think of dialogue, meetings and support for local actors. A logical thought is therefore to develop internet-based platforms for exchange, dialogue and empowering local actors. Other possibilities are developing tools for peacekeeping or early warning systems to reduce the gap between warning and response.
A very interesting report Digital Pathways for Peace[1], was published this year by Peace Direct, after extensive consultations with people working the the peacebuilding sector. It identifies communication, conflict prevention and networking, as the three areas to focus on in relation to its use in peacebuilding. In particular, the report mentions several elements of importance for developing peacetech initiatives:
- Find ways to keep the story going between communities and across borders
- Build online communities for mutual support and exchange
- Gather and analyse stories to identify risks
- Prevent misinformation and hate speech
- Protect data and identities of people active on these platforms
- Balance offline and online methods
- Support development of further peacetech initiatives
In the following posts, I will look more in detail at possibilities for communication, conflict prevention and networking, including examples of using internet-based technologies.
Impact and Ethics
But I look at these ideas, service and platform with caution. After all, after first euphoric reception in at the end of the last century, the internet gave rise to many unwanted societal effects. It’s not very difficult to imagine drawbacks and negative effects: troll factories, social media shaming, services becoming platforms for misinformation, misuse of data after data breaches. Social media has been disrupting political processes. Troll factories produce fake news. The internet never forgets what you have posted. You might get Pwned or doxed before you know it!
So yes, there may be interesting opportunities for the use of communication technology in peacebuilding sector, but platforms are a vulnerable place to be in. Several questions have to be asked of an ethical and societal nature:
- Are these platforms secure and safe enough to meet?
- What happens with the data produced when there is a breach?
- How to deal with bullying and trolling?
- What kind of ground rules should there be? In what way are these different from ground rules for dialogue and negotiations?
- Who has access to these platforms? Who provides these platforms?
In the end, peacebuilding is a social process, not an online one. It is about working towards a stable and just society, in which everyone enjoys some security. Internet platforms can only play a role on part of this journey, and should not develop into a bubble or echo chamber. A very important part is how to transfer the results whatever process there has been online into something that can be implemented offline.
Questions?
In the following posts, I will also focus on one technology at the time and on questions of ethics and impact on society. In the meantime, the comment box is open. Do you have examples? What do you see as opportunities and drawbacks of developing internet based technology for peace and conflict work?
References
- (2022): Digital Pathways for Peace. Insights and Lessons from a Global Consultation. Direct, Peace (Ed.): 2022.