This is a short article looks at the use of information technology and social media in peacebuilding. Information and communication technology (ICT) serves an important role as a force multiplier and as a peacekeeping operation tool to provide a monitoring, situational awareness, and intelligence capability to communicate and cooperate directly with each other. The integration of ICTs assets provides the capacity for local actors to digital organize the sharing of information toward local conflict transformation in developing sustainable peace development activities. Basically, the ICT is used by peacebuilders to empower local actors in changing the conflict narrative to both to de-escalate violence and prevent violence.
ICT
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are technological tools that peace leaders can use, not as a solution in and of itself. But to build peace development strategies connecting conflictual parties and local actors toward conflict resolution and peacebuilding activities. Thus, many ICT platforms are being used for conflict resolution, governance, and peace development. Social media and networking (as important communication technologies).
a. COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Social media and social networking are communication technologies that peacebuilder organizations and leaders employ to forge open communication lines to resolve political, economic, social, and ideological disputes. Social media and networking is increasingly being used as a medium to spotlight the challenges of building peace and help bridge the divide between adversaries. With today’s youth being one of the most engaged and active users of social media, it is important to encourage their participation towards preventing and ending cycles of conflict. Where social media captures the imagination of citizens, it can be a genuine means to empower communities and take ownership of conflict prevention.
It is certainly true that social media alone cannot resolve some of today’s most entrenched conflicts; the hard work of classical diplomacy is still very much essential here. However, social media, by virtue of reaching out to all people, is a great facilitator of conflict resolution and diplomacy. For that reason, within communities, conflict transformation can only occur when people from all walks of life start to act on their sentiments for peace. With more people tweeting, noticing and acting upon each other’s call to peace. Now, the power of harnessing social media is realized as a positive “social change multiplier”. Hence, the strategies and toolbox of peace leaders must evolve to combat these new challenges. In essence, these technological tools facilitate communication pathways to share information and ideas. Also, it must incorporate the values of peace itself, as Chinn puts it: “peace is intent process and outcome”.
b. SOCIAL MEDIA
The advancement of user-generated technological tools (like Youtube, Wiki and Twitter blogs) is part of social media and social networking. Also, media assets begin more independent, individualistic production of text messages and blogs. Community media operates on a local level through traditional platforms such as television, radio, and print. That said, many examples are cited in which communities were mobilized quickly for both constructive and violent purposes on the basis of the new so-called Web 2.0 collaborative technologies. In one of the most politically volatile regions in Kenya, Chief Kariuki used the micro-blogging site Twitter to radically transform the historical deliberative space known as baraza. The intent showed how a local actor (the chief) uses social media with varying degrees of success to fight crime, respond to emergencies, and heal.
Lastly, through well designed and well-implemented ITC peace-building activities, affected communities can utilize more traditional communication methods. Also, combine that with more modern communication and social media technology in order to implement change and create peace. www.iplinstittue.com
What are some of the ways and means that peacebuilders employ to resolve conflict?
Dr Andrew
