The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Conflict

Abstract

In this digital age, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are rapidly transforming the social landscape. ICTs have appeared as a great enabler of sociostructural changes since disadvantaged individuals and communities can more readily participate in national and global policy decisions and strategic choices by virtue of a more horizontal media landscape. While ICTs can be used to build positive relationships within society, they can also be a force of division. This chapter first covers the use of ICTs to mitigate violence. It summarizes the work of HarassMap, a social movement in Egypt launched by a group of innovative women who use crowdsourcing and digital mapping to track and highlight sexual harassment and violence using the Ushahidi platform. It then explains the work of Sisi Ni Amani, an organization that used a mass texting tool, FrontlineSMS, to counter violence during a presidential election in Kenya. This chapter also explores two examples of how ICTs have helped fuel violence. One is how rumors spread rapidly, resulting in ethnoreligious riots in India. Another example summarizes how YouTube is being used to cultivate violent extremism. The chapter then explains how transnational organizations, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and corporations are seeking to enhance the use of ICTs for violence mitigation while minimizing their use to fuel violence. Finally, it discusses the moral and ethical challenges that accompany efforts to control how ICTs are used.