Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding
Latest from USIP on Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding
- May 17, 2013 | Publication
Experts from technology companies, universities and advocacy groups examined the possibilities for analyzing social media information flows for trends during the war in Syria and beyond for potential techniques to track and maybe even prevent violent conflict in the future.
- March 12, 2013 | Publication
A young woman who saw her home burned to the ground as a child, and another who ended up homeless for 1 ½ years after Kenya’s election violence of 2007 and 2008, are among the youth leading a movement to end the destructive cycle. A roundtable at USIP co-sponsored with Mercy Corps explored a program aimed at strengthening the constructive force of youth in Kenya.
- February 12, 2013 | Publication
As natural disasters and extreme environmental events increase in severity, it is time to consider how vulnerabilities brought on by population growth, urbanization, economic fragility, and climate change could lead to deadly conflict. This new report argues that policymakers should look beyond the familiar, more imminent threats and make plans to deal with the natural security implications of less likely but higher impact scenarios.
- January 29, 2013 | Event
The fourth meeting of the Roundtable presented insights and updates on three projects which are being developed in the four activity areas targeted by the Roundtable. Still in the early stages of the development, these pilot projects include: Preventing Election Violence in Kenya and Afghanistan, Enabling Agricultural Extension in South Sudan and Afghanistan, and Platforms for Collaboration in Myanmar. Roundtable members also approved a new Roundtable activity area for 2013 called "Linking Global Environmental Stressors to Local Conflict."
After a brief overview of each project, moderated discussion followed, allowing co-chairs to receive guidance from the Roundtable membership on the goals, strategies, and resources related to the project. More broadly, members discussed the Roundtable's changing function as activities move from workshops to pilot projects during Year 3. Roundtable membership also received an updated on the proposed "PeaceTech Lab" technology incubator.
- January 18, 2013 | Publication
Some surprising findings in this USIP report on the effect of social media during the Arab Spring got a shout-out by a resource project at Harvard.
- January 7, 2013 | Publication
A poor communication infrastructure further hampers the prospects of the Central African Republic to overcome political, social, and economic challenges. With USIP support, several NGOs are working to improve the situation.
- January 4, 2013 | Publication
USIP’s Andrew Robertson explains how agricultural extension systems—a common feature in rural areas including those afflicted by conflict—might be utilized in the service of preventing and managing conflict and promoting positive change.
- December 20, 2012 | Publication
How can the power of social media be harnessed to prevent conflict? What kind of success could it have – and how can such success be measured? USIP’s Sheldon Himelfarb explains.
- December 19, 2012 | Publication
On May 1, 2012, the Roundtable on Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding – a partnership between the U.S Institute of Peace and the National Academy of Engineering – held a workshop in Washington, DC, to identify the needs a data sharing system must address to secure widespread NGO and USG adoption for use in managing peacebuilding activities. This summary provides a synopsis of the day’s discussion.
- December 19, 2012 | Publication
The “fog of war” has given way to the information tsunami in, to and from conflict zones with the proliferation of social media. But is that helping or hurting, and how do we know?
- December 12, 2012 | Publication
Libya’s liberation fighters and their people have inspired and mystified observers as the country’s revolution and its aftermath play out on television, the Internet and in print media across the world. Their very charm and grit have helped them overcome myriad obstacles to progress.
- December 5, 2012 | Publication
In fragile states, violent conflict is the principal impediment to food production, and land rights are often a central issue. Agriculture extension agents, whose job is to assess local farming needs and to connect farmers to agricultural experts and resources, can use the extension approach to help farming communities deal with conflict.
- October 30, 2012 | Publication
On May 1, 2012, the Roundtable on Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding – a partnership between the U.S Institute of Peace and the National Academy of Engineering – held a workshop in Washington, DC, to explore whether and how extension activities could serve peacebuilding purposes. This summary provides a synopsis of the day’s discussion.
- October 11, 2012 | Event
This workshop brought together experts in peacebuilding and data scientists to consider how various sensing and communications technologies might be used by local populations to more effectively recognize and avoid violent conflict. This focus for discussion is distinct from the forms of information gathering and analysis used by large organizations, such as the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. intelligence community, to inform resource allocation and decision-making by outsiders.
- October 2, 2012 | Event
As part of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Blogs & Bullets initiative, this event provided analysis and insight into the influence of new media in the Syria crisis, specifically on three types of actors: activists on the ground, journalists and media-makers who are reporting on the crisis, and policy-makers around the world.