On April 12, 2013, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), along with the International Peace Institute (IPI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), held an interactive discussion and the launch of a series of case study reports on the role of new technologies in the prevention of violent conflict.
How can new information and communications technologies (ICTs) support international actors, governments, and civil society organizations to strengthen their voice and action in order to more effectively prevent violence and conflict? With this core question in mind, this joint research initiative has explores how innovative forms of communication, information gathering, information sharing, and information analysis over the internet (such as social media, information mapping, GIS mapping, etc.), via mobile phone applications, and text messaging can be utilized in the service of conflict prevention. The case studies presented at the event were selected to cover multiple tools in different contexts, including responses to crisis, conflict, and criminal violence, long-term prevention, use in restrictive government environments, and the potential of "Big Data" in conflict prevention.
Frederick S. Tipson, USIP's Senior Adviser for Science, Technology & Peacebuilding, moderated the discussion.
Panelists
Francesco Mancini, Senior Director of Research, IPI
Jose Garzon, Deputy Director, Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, USAID
Ozonnia Ojielo, Coordinator, Conflict Prevention and Recovery, Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP
Emmanuel Letouze, PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley; Co-author, Big Data case study
Video Presentations
Helena Puig Larrauri, Author, Sudan & South Sudan case study
