Event: Mobile Phones and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan
Mobile phone technologies are the subject of considerable enthusiasm in the peacebuilding sector. In the past few years, they have been used in connection with campaigns to restrain election violence, reduce corruption, develop the news media, and support counter-insurgency to name just a few. Success has been significant, but mixed. Yet little has been done to evaluate systematically the factors of success or failure in the use of mobile phones for peacebuilding.
So to best understand the true potential of these increasingly powerful tools, USIP — in partnership with cell phone pioneer Mobile Accord (who raised a record sum of over $37 million within three weeks of Haiti’s earthquake crisis with their “Text HAITI to 90999” campaign), the National Defense University, the United Nation’s-mandated UPeace, and TechChange — will bring together experts on international peacebuilding and mobile phone technology to focus on the use of mobile phones in one of the most difficult conflict environments today: Afghanistan.
Using techniques pioneered in the 2009 Smart Tools for Smart Power program, we will evaluate the reality of cell phone deployments along three vectors:
* Improving governance – rule of law and anti-corruption
* Countering extremism – media development and counter-insurgency
* Delivery of essential services – education, health, agricultural development, commerce
Agenda
* Amb. Richard Holbrooke, Keynote Speaker, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Panel 1: “Mobile Phones for Tackling Corruption and Improving Governance”
* Patrick Meier Ushahidi
* James Eberhard Mobile Accord
* Todd Huffman (invited)
* Zahir Khoja (invited) Roshan
* Eric Gundersen (invited) Development Seed
* Ivan Sigal (invited) Global Voices
Panel 2: “Mobile Phones for Countering Extremism and Counter-insurgency”
* Ashley Bommer SRAP Team
* Vikram Singh SRAP Team
* Sanjana Hattotuwa ICT4Peace Foundation
* Kathleen Reen (invited) Internews
Panel 3: “Mobile Phones and Essential Service Delivery”
* Qudratullah Jahid DAI’s IDEA-NEW program
* Katrin Verclas Mobile Active
* Josh Nesbit FrontlineSMS: Medic
* Merrick Shaefer (invited) UNICEF Innovation
* Iqbal Qadir (invited) Grameen Phone
Partners
* Mobile Accord
* UN-mandated University for Peace
* TechChange
* National Defense University
RSVP now
Start Date:
June 24, 2010 – 9:00am
End Date:
June 24, 2010 – 1:00pm
Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd floor conference room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036