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Resources – Mobile Phones, Political Violence and Peacekeeping

Mobile Phones, Political Violence & Peacekeeping - Resources

Journal Articles & Book Chapters

Bailard, C. - Ethnic conflict Goes Mobile

Shifting the unit of analysis to ethnic communities, research is conducted on the effects of mobile phone availability on groups seeking to organize, share grievances or potentially conduct violence.         Read More >

Bailard, C. & Bergren, A. - Information and Communication Technology and Ethnic Conflict in Myanmar

Research that investigates whether increased availability of low-cost communication technologies in Myanmar has contributed to, or weakened, the potential for inter-ethnic violence.     Read More >

Bock, J.G. - Firmer Footing for a Policy of Early Intervention: Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Comes of Age

Conflict early-warning systems are increasingly found at the local level in preventing factional violence and other humanitarian disasters. The combination of social media and cell phone technology, while risky, are increasingly used to establish early responses.         Read More >

Croicu, M. & Kreutz, J. - Communication Technology and Reports on Political Violence

Are occurences of political violence reported more accurately when in proximity to modern communication technologies?         Read More >

Dafoe, A. & Lyall, J. - From Cell Phones to Conflict? Reflections on the emerging ICT-political conflict research agenda

ICT is transforming political conflict; but alternative explanations for results abound in the literature. What problems are facing this area of research? And what are the next steps needed for the field to progress?          Read More >

Larrauri, H.P. & Kahl, A. - Technology for Peacebuilding

Most focus on technology and peacebuilding has been on bridging the gap between warning and response. But ICT can be further used for encouraging participation in conflict management, transforming attitudes and allowing for marginalized voices to be heard.         Read More >

Hawkins, V. & Hoffmann, J. - Communication and Peace: Mapping an Emerging Field

The gathering and management of digital information has grown exponentially worldwide. This offers an opportunity for communities and non-state actors to address the conditions that give rise to instability and violence.          Read More >

Firchow, P., Martin-Shields, C., Omer, A. & MacGinty, R. - PeaceTech: The Liminal Spaces of Digital Technology in Peacebuilding

Presentation and analysis of the ongoing debates on the utiltiy of technology for peacebuilding purposes, in the pursuit of increasing understanding of the circumstances where technology supports peace.     Read More >

Martin-Shields, C. - Inter-ethnic Cooperation Revisited: Why mobile phones can help prevent discrete events of violence (Kenya),

Mobile phones have drawn interest from the conflict managers of Kenya. What are the political and social factors that make mobile phones relevant in conflict prevention?         Read More >

Martin-Shields, C. & Bodanac, N. - Peacekeeping's Digital Economy

How can the utility of ICT technologies be maximized in peacebuilding efforts by organizations such as the United Nations? A growth model theorizes that ICT investment in peacebuilding can act in coordination with long term economic and social development.      Read More >

Martin-Shields, C. & Stones, E. - Smart Phones and Social Bonds: Communication Technology and Inter-Ethnic Cooperation in Kenya

There remains limited understanding of why crowdsourcing has worked only in some instances in preventing acts of violence. Is it a function of direct intra-community organizing, or an outcome of traditional media broadcasting previously unavailable information?     Read More >

Pham, P.N. & Vinck, P. - Technology fusion and their implications for conflict early warning systems, public health, and human rights

Technological developments have reshaped conflict early warning systems. However these new roles and relationships require guidelines to ensure compliance with ethical concerns.         Read More >

Pierskalla, J. & Hollenbach, F. - Technology and Collective Action: The Effect of Cell Phone Coverage on Political Violence in Africa

Research into the effects of cell phone availability in Africa shows collective action among political groups to be easier, which further demonstrates the potential for violence to be enhanced by this technological accessibility.         Read More >

Shapiro, J.N. & Siegel, D.A. - Coordination and Security: How mobile communications affect insurgency

Divergent effects of mobile communications on insurgencies are evident in different conflicts. This analysis highlights the importance of information sharing in reducing violence, and questions how officials can judge whether ICT access will enhance or hinder violence.           Read More >

Shapiro, J.N. & Weidmann, N.B. - Is the Phone Mightier than the Sword? Cell Phones and Insurgent Violence In Iraq

Does cell phone technology spur on or inhibit violent insurgencies? Testing of Iraq's cell phone network data reveals mobile communications to reduce the reach of the violence.          Read More >

Shapiro, J. & Weidmann, N.B. - Talking About Killing: Cell Phones, Collective Action, and Insurgent Violence in Iraq

Systematic test of the effects of cell phone communication on conflict in Iraq.         Read More >

Tellidis, I. & Kappler, S. - Information and communication technologies in peacebuilding: Implications, opportunities and challenges

Explores ICT's usage among local actors, particularly the marginalized, to foster peace and reconciliation, as well as whether ICT can more broadly allow for hybrid forms of peace.         Read More >

Van der Windt, P. & Humphreys, M. - Crowdseeding in Eastern Congo: Using Cell Phones to Collect Conflict Events Data

Case study of communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and how collecting information on conflict in real time via cell phones can help understand how to reduce violence.     Read More >

Warren, T.C. - Explosive Connections? Mass media, social media and the geography of collective violence in African states

Through the use of geo-referenced household surveys, different communication technologies are found to have different effects; most notably between mass media penetration and social media reach.          Read More >

Weidmann, N.B. - Communication networks and the transnational spread of ethnic conflict

Conflict Diffusion contends that violence is able to seep over borders, turning domestic conflicts into regional ones. How strong is this phenomenon, and how can it be measured?         Read More >

Weidmann, N.B. - Communication, Technology and Conflict

Technology can facilitate collective action, while also offering opportunities for censorship. How do these new technologies compare to the old, and are they producing new results? What are the empirical and theoretical effects of modern communication on conflict?         Read More >

Books

Mobile Technologies for Conflict Management

Essays outlining the disruptive application of mobile technologies; the potential for dispute resolution online; and challenges going forward for governance and security.         Read More >

Reports

Africa Center for Strategic Studies - Africa's Evolving Infosystems: A Pathway to Security and Stability

The emergence of new communication technologies on the continent have the opportunity to disrupt the cycles of misinformation and rumor that spur on political instability. New policy recommendations seek to leverage these emerging networks to foster development.       Read More >

International Peace Institute - New Technology and the Prevention of Violence and Conflict

Exploration of how ICT technologies can assist NGO's, state actors and beyond in preventing violence and conflict i.e. crowdsourcing, crisis mapping, blogging and big data.      Read More >

Maps

Communication and Democracy in Conflict Zones

This metric considers both the cell phone and internet penetration level of a nation – that is what percentage of its population has regular access to these ICT technologies.     Read More >