Global Outlook Articles by Jordan Ryan

Curated expert opinion on intractable contemporary issues

Global Outlook Articles by Jordan Ryan

Jordan Ryan is a member of the Toda International Research Advisory Council (TIRAC) at the Toda Peace Institute, a Senior Consultant to the Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden) and former Vice President for Peace at The Carter Center. He recently completed an assignment as the lead author of the UN integration review for the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Mr. Ryan served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator from 2009-2014, was Deputy Special Representative in Liberia, and UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam. He holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and George Washington University and received his B.A. from Yale University. He was also a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School.

Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding

When Algorithms Rewrite History: Governing the Digital Erosion of Democratic Memory

By Jordan Ryan | 06 December, 2025

As Spain marked the fiftieth anniversary of Francisco Franco’s death in November 2025, the country’s reckoning with its past collided with social media platforms amplifying distorted versions of the dictatorship to millions of young Spaniards.

Cooperative Security, Arms Control and Disarmament Climate Change and Conflict Peace and Security in Northeast Asia Contemporary Peace Research and Practice Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding

Digital Polarisation and the Future of Peace: Why Governance Must Catch Up With Power

By Jordan Ryan | 24 November, 2025

Democracy today is at a critical juncture. Political systems worldwide face pressures that once would have been extraordinary: accelerating authoritarianism, deepening civic fragmentation, and collapsing public trust.

The New Fragility: Peacebuilding Meets Digital Democracy

By Jordan Ryan | 18 November, 2025

Established democracies are exhibiting governance stresses that were once associated primarily with fragile and conflict-affected states. Polarisation is weakening institutional trust, fragmenting civic norms, and reducing societies’ ability to solve problems collectively. This is the new fragility.

The views and opinions expressed in Global Outlook are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toda Peace Institute.