Parallel Session 2 | Connect | 13 June 2018, 13.30h - 15.00h | Room 6.01

Online and offline polarization – the impact of social media on peace, and how to turn the tide

The worldwide spread of social media opens new horizons and poses new challenges to peacebuilders at the same time. Social media platforms contribute to freedom of speech, but the filter bubbles they create can also foster polarization and hate-speech, with serious offline implications. Recent elections – in the Global North and the Global South alike – have shown both the potential and dangers of this dynamic.

The session will focus on the phenomenon of online and offline polarization, discuss how it impacts the way we think about peacebuilding, and explore what role peacebuilding approaches can play to tackle polarization. The workshop aims to connect peacebuilders with social media experts. We will reflect and discuss based on concrete experiences and examples in Colombia, South Sudan, the USA and Germany.

Format

Moderated expert dialogue followed by an interactive world café with the participants of the session.

Inputs

• Susan Benesch, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and Dangerous Speech Project, USA
• Kate Mytty, Build Up and The Commons-Project, United States of America
• Suzan Kim Otor, r0g – #defyhatenow, Southsudan
• David Scheuing, Lovestorm, Germany