"This paper begins by describing hybrid information ecosystems and their role in sustained peace processes. Public interest news media is essential for democratic decision-making and successful peace processes. Digital media interacts with legacy media, such as radio, television, and newspapers. Ult
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imately, solutions require supporting both online and offline public interest news media. Next the paper maps digital risks. Both state and non-state political actors are weaponizing tech platforms which by their very design tend to amplify divisive and antagonistic content. The digital space can dramatically increase risks by enabling the rapid spread of false information aimed at undermining an election or referendum. Digital risks likely outweigh the current contributions of the digital space to peace, as illustrated in a variety of case studies in this paper. Digital risks to sustained public peace processes likely outweigh the current contributions of the digital space to peace. This brief then reviews how digital tools and spaces can contribute to sustained public peace processes. This section explores conflict analysis, information ecosystem analysis, planning interventions, and a review of the types of digital tech tools and approaches useful for peace processes. New digital forms of communication can scale public inclusion and improve efficiencies in peace processes. Digital spaces can transform how people share information and communicate with one another. Digital spaces can offer more inclusive and equitable avenues for participation and can incentivize the development of policy options. The final section of the paper identifies trade-offs and dilemmas, practical strategies for analysing and intervening in digital spaces, and policy recommendations to governments, tech companies and civil society groups on a variety of themes." (Introduction)
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"This research report explores the strengths and weaknesses of four different frameworks tech companies, governments, and civil society can use to assess harms and benefits of new technologies. The four frameworks include human rights, conflict sensitivity, ethics, and human security. The research m
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ethodology involved interviews among diverse stakeholders in technology and civil society sectors. This research contributes policy recommendations for developing practical, operationalizable guidance that could have an immediate impact on tech companies’ work in countries or regions at risk of human rights abuses and violent conflict." (Abstract)
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"Social media technology is having a dramatic impact on social and political dynamics around the world. The contributors to this book document and illustrate this "techtonic" shift on violent conflict and democratic processes. They present vivid examples and case studies from countries in Africa, So
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uth and Southeast Asia, Latin America as well as Northern Ireland. Each author maps an array of peacebuilding solutions to social media threats, including coordinated action by civil society, governments and tech companies to protect human minds, relationships and institutions. Solutions presented include inoculating society with a new digital literacy agenda, designing technology for positive social impacts, and regulating technology to prohibit the worst behaviours." (Publisher description)
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"Social media’s relationship with violent conflict is complex; there is no simple cause-effect relationship. These ten case studies indicate that there are a variety of factors at play that im-pact how social media affects conflict dynamics. This report documents an array of observable patterns as
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published in ten policy briefs (see links above). We argue there is a “techtonic shift” happening; people are using technology in ways that exacerbate some of the most concerning trends and challenges inhibiting democracy and fueling violent conflict. 1. Social media is a double-edged sword having both good and bad effects on society [...] 2. Social media is a “strategic space” for diverse stakeholders [...] 3. Fundamental characteristics of digital communication seem to be responsible for both negative and positive social media impacts [...] 4. The unique profit motives, design, and algorithms of social media platforms seem to be responsible for some of the problems related to social media, democracy and conflict [...] 5. Social media technology aggravates and enflames existing neurological, social, and institutional vulnerabilities [...] 6. Negative social media impacts seem to interact with each other ... 7. There are observable patterns between online speech and digitally enflamed threats to democracy and direct violence [...] 8. Because of the complex system driving negative social media impacts, a multi-stakeholder approach is necessary to address social media threats." (Pages 3-7)
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"This report identifies social media threats - surveillance, addiction, disinformation, polarisation, dangerous speech - on social cohesion, human rights, violence and democracy and then identifies creative options for addressing those threats through: building a better bridge between offline dialog
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ue and online platforms; helping tech companies improve their platform design and moderation; supporting civic tech and peace tech options for addressing social media threats; mobilizing civil society to develop campaigns to address social media threats directly or through leveraging pressure on tech companies and governments; leveraging financial and legal pressure on tech companies; recognizing the education and research necessary to develop better long-term solutions." (Introduction, pages 1-2)
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"The media’s impact on the escalation of conflict is more widely recognized than the media’s impact on peacebuilding. Yet it is not uncommon to hear experts pronounce that the media’s impact on peacebuilding must be significant given its powerful impact on conflict. However, this simple relati
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onship must not be taken for granted and should be critically examined in order to most effectively use the media for conflict prevention and peacebuilding. There are ways the media can assist peacebuilding. The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Conflict’s Awareness Raising Toolkit (this document can be downloaded from www.gppac.net and www.peoplebuildingpeace.org) details, amongst other things, how to use the media. Knowing why and when to use the media for conflict prevention and peacebuilding is the focus of this issue paper." (Introduction, page 7)
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