Policy Briefs on Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding

This is a report on an international workshop for 45 peacebuilders, co-hosted by Toda Peace Institute and the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in June 2024. Emphasizing citizen participation and collective intelligence, the workshop explored the intersection of digital democracy and algorithmic technologies designed to enhance democratic processes. Central to the discussions were deliberative technologies, a new class of tools that facilitate collective discussion and decision-making by incorporating both qualitative and quantitative inputs, supported by bridging algorithms and AI. The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of how these innovative approaches and technologies can contribute to more inclusive and effective democratic processes, particularly in contexts marked by polarization and conflict.

Affective polarization has been a persistent feature of Afghanistan’s society and politics in the past decades. However, with the return of the Taliban, the country has witnessed heightened affective polarization along ethnic and ideological lines, intricately linked with the elite’s behaviour and social media use. This article attempts to conceptualize the complex causal relations of affective polarization, elite behaviour, and social media platforms in Afghanistan’s fragmented social and political landscape.

This policy brief examines the way that women are disproportionately affected by online harassment, cyberstalking, and other forms of online abuse, and the effect this can have on democratic participation. Women play a crucial role in sustaining and enhancing democratic societies. Research shows that women’s political participation in fostering a cohesive and nonviolent community is integral to sustainable peace. However, women directly involved in social and political discourse are targeted and harassed both online and off. This policy brief details examples of misogyny on line and highlights targeted strategies for countering this phenomenon.

This policy brief seeks answers to the question “How are activists using social media to bring political change in Myanmar and Pakistan?” It examines the activism of political and civil society activists on social media in countries where anti-democratic forces including an alliance of military and right-wing political factions are dominating political affairs. These forces have kept tight control over traditional media (television, print) by silencing the voices of common people using force and violence. However, social media has empowered pro-civilian rule activists to raise their voices and has helped to mobilise the public in favour of political change in their societies. The policy brief explains the methods, strategies, and their impact on political and social space in Pakistani and Myanmar societies.

This Policy Brief delves into the paramount significance of social media in contemporary warfare, shedding light on the critical need for effective measures to counter online radical narratives and prevent the spread of violent extremism. It explores how autocratic and repressive groups like the Taliban exploit social media platforms to their advantage and how these platforms have become a fertile ground for violent extremist groups to establish a novel front in warfare by allowing them to directly engage with civilians and the public, thus effectively closing civic space. This paper argues for heightened vigilance and proactive measures to counter misinformation, glorification of violence, and radicalisation online, ultimately safeguarding the integrity of information dissemination and societal well-being.