Technology’s “dark side” gets a lot of attention. The challenge, according to Professor Francesco Mancini, Vice Dean for Executive Education and Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, is to look “at the better angels of our technology to strengthen what it can do to foster peace and social cohesion and to bridge divides.”
Yet he’s quick to point out that “we're not naive. We know what is happening and how societies’ social fabric can even be torn apart by some of these technologies.”
How technology has created and exacerbated conflict
The mere fact that technology gives us access to a huge amount of information poses its own set of problems. Information pollution creeps into the deluge of information from countless sources and makes it difficult to determine what is objective and true. The term ‘fake news’ was recently added to our vernacular, after the US elections drew focus to the fact that there was so much misinformation being spread around on social media. With so many media outlets available at our fingertips, it becomes difficult to determine which one to trust and how to avoid being drawn into falsehoods.
The spread of misinformation or one-sided information can also serve as a catalyst for conflict. In Sri Lanka for example, incendiary posts on Facebook fuelled anti-Muslim sentiments in the country which led to riots that left three people dead. Similarly, in Myanmar, a number of Facebook users spread hate speech against the Rohingya community on the platform, contributing to the widespread violence and thousands of deaths.
Technology has also played a devastating role in warfare. Automated weapons for example, have been introduced into conflict situations under the reasoning that they reduce the loss of human life. However, there are several ethical implications of using automated weapons, such as whether removing the aspect of human judgment makes killing, in fact, easier. It also diminishes the responsibility of being directly involved in the violence.
The promise of Peace Tech
What constitutes Peace Tech? It is a movement to use technology which includes but is not limited to, mobile phones, digital applications and social media, to help reduce conflict and foster peace.
Firstly, it helps to build communities. Technology provides the tools to help leaders better tackle critical issues. However, there may be a gap in knowledge and skills to actually utilise these resources. Peace Tech in particular focuses on ease of access to allow governments, activists, journalists and even students, to empower and strengthen their communities.
Professor Mancini states that especially in a multi-racial and multi-religious context, technology gives people tools to create dialogues among parties, collecting data to improve the way we engage with others.
Peace Tech can also help to stop the spread of misinformation. Una Hakika, for example, is a project that seeks to moderate misinformation in Kenya, where there has been an increased spread of inaccurate or entirely fabricated information through channels such as WhatsApp. Una Hakika allows subscribers to report rumours so that they can be verified. This is especially important in an area where people may only have access to limited or biased sources.
Secondly, it allows people to share their stories. In Southeast Asia for example, many governments have significant control over media outlets and access to information. In Myanmar, the ongoing coup has seen the military imposing a complete internet blackout in order to hinder citizens from protesting. Yet, because citizens are still managing to circumvent these measures and post on social media, the rest of the world can remain informed about what is occurring and in turn, place pressure on the military.
In December 2015, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) began a year-long project to support the political transition in the Central African Republic with global non-profit, Build Up. They asked participating citizens to express their views on security and peace in the region through art, either by drawing, writing or making music.
In reaching out to these communities, technology tools such as cameras are an effective way to get these citizens excited to participate in sharing their stories with photos and videos. That’s why a partnership with InsightShare was formed to run participatory video and photography workshops. The resulting participation can be seen through Build Up’s YouTube channel.
Additionally, Build Up also worked with the Dinka-Misseriya Joint Border Peace Committee to reinvigorate cross-border economic ties, restore and improve relationships, and address divisions between the Sudan-South Sudan Border. With a participatory video initiative, young men and women can act as peace actors — sharing their experiences with conflict and their perspectives on peace or security.
Thirdly, Peace Tech allows for data to be collected to implement solutions to protect people in conflict areas. Early examples were apps developed in Syria to crowdsource information to inform citizens about possible missile strikes. More recently, companies such as Ushahidi provide platforms that allow people to rapidly collect, manage and analyse information from their communities. This also keeps people on the ground informed of potential danger occurring in real time.
The challenges of adopting Peace Tech
Privacy remains a huge concern. For example, if the personal information of human rights activists, journalists or politicians falls into the wrong hands, their lives could be placed in danger. Personal data could also be misappropriated by malicious parties to incite tension and destroy social cohesion.
Secondly, big data could give authoritarian governments even more power. This was the initial concern of the public when contract tracing apps and apps that track movement were rolled out in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the hands of an oppressive regime, such data would allow governments to track the movements of the public, giving them greater surveillance powers and overall control.
There are also challenges in ensuring that Peace Tech initiatives can actually be implemented effectively. As Professor Mancini points out, these initiatives tend to be small, piecemeal projects. In order for them to have any sort of impact, they need to be scaled up. He explains that one of the main issues is that thinking about these problems tends to be an afterthought for most technology designers.
He explains, in companies there are usually people working on safety and security policies, but they tend to only be brought into the picture when there is a problem. Instead, he says, companies should “Bring these people up in the value chain. These people should work with the designers.” If they aren’t brought in at the design stage, the conversation on peacebuilding does not happen.
However, Professor Mancini points out that organisations such as Build Up are already using a multi-faceted approach to encourage peacebuilding. Although it may take a while for their efforts to achieve the scale they require, these initiatives are already making important and necessary steps in reducing divides and fostering peace.