NATIONAL PEACE ESSAY CONTEST 2011-2012 TOPIC AND QUESTION
The Impact of New Media on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management
Across
the globe, innovations in technology are changing the way people
consume information and communicate with those around them, and
consequently, are influencing peacebuilding and conflict management.
Traditional media, like television and radio, once dominated mass
communication and information flow. However, we are now witnessing a
“new media” revolution: social networking websites (Facebook and
Twitter), participatory media (YouTube and blogs), and mobile phone
technologies are the new face of global media. Individuals and groups
are leveraging these tools to connect and collaborate together to
develop novel approaches to overcome violence and build a sustainable
peace. For
example, these tools have been used to hold governments accountable and
protest violence. In the wake of Iran’s recent elections, activists
mobilized a resistance movement through mobile phones and Twitter, while
exposing regime violence on platforms like YouTube. The “No Mas FARC”
Facebook group sparked worldwide protests against kidnappings and
killings by the Colombian rebel group. From Sri Lanka to Sudan, citizen
journalists have used their cell phone cameras, their blogs, and their
intimate knowledge of local realities to fill in vital information gaps
in conflict zones. These
tools are also helping to meet post-conflict reconstruction and
development challenges. They are improving coordination between
humanitarian groups, creating access to public health, and delivering
innovative educational programs. In Haiti, humanitarian organizations
used these tools to coordinate earthquake relief efforts, and mobile
phones are helping patients in remote parts of Afghanistan get the
healthcare they need. The
use of new media, however, has not always yielded results that further
equality, civic participation or peacebuilding. In response to the
prevalent and effective use of new media by protesters, the Iranian
government blocked the use of cell phones and Facebook. It has also been
used to thwart peace movements, fuel hatred, and promote the agenda of
violent actors in fragile societies. For example, Al Qaeda and online
hate groups like Stormfront have been able to bypass national
restrictions on media and reach new audiences through new media. How can new media best be leveraged to help build peace and prevent conflict? In 1,500 words:
- Choose,
and briefly describe, two foreign (non-U.S.) cases from the past ten
years of countries in transition from violent conflict to peace, where
new media played a role. The two cases may be from one country or two
countries that face ongoing violent conflict or are in a post-conflict
environment.
- Analyze
the ways that new media, including relevant technologies, were used. If
use of new media changed the conflict environment, explain what it
changed and how. If not, explain why not.
- What are the risks, trade-offs, and/or limitations involved in using new media as a peacebuilding tool?
- What recommendations would you make to policy makers for how new media can best be leveraged in building peace?
Contest Deadline: February 1, 2012, 11:59 PM EST
-
On November 1, 2011, coordinator and student registration will
open online. The process will be similar to years past: coordinators
will register online first, receive a link to the student registration
system by email, and then students will be able to register and submit
their essays using that link. In the case that a coordinator or student
does not have access to the Internet, the student or coordinator should
contact the contest staff for instructions on how to make a submission
by mail.
Contest Resources
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