The research area of leveraging digital transformation and artificial intelligence for sustaining peace and democracy is highly relevant in today’s world. As digital technologies continue to advance rapidly, they have the potential to significantly impact various aspects of society, including governance, the economy, and social interactions. Every citizen is aware that digital technologies have transformed our individual and collective lives. Scholars from peace research and democratic theorists have started to take stock of this transformation and to trace how democratic theory and institutions should respond (Bernholz, Landemore, & Reich, 2021). Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach peacebuilding and democratic processes. However, there are also concerns about the potential risks associated with these technologies, such as issues related to privacy, security, and accountability (Thiel, 2022). The United Nations has launched a strategy for the digital transformation of peacekeeping to drive technology innovation and maximise the potential of current and new technologies to help peacekeeping missions carry out their mandates, and ensure the responsible use of digital technologies by peace operations (United Nations, 2022).
Democratic peace theorists argue that digital technologies can enhance democratic processes by increasing citizen participation, promoting transparency, and facilitating the flow of information and they are also concerned about the potential risks associated with these technologies, such as issues related to privacy, security, and the spread of misinformation (Reiter, 2019). There is ongoing research and discussion on this topic, as scholars continue to explore the potential benefits and challenges of these technologies for promoting peace and democracy. It is therefore crucial to carefully consider how we can leverage digital transformation and AI in a responsible and ethical manner to promote peace and democracy.
We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- Impact of Blockchain on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and peace.
- Innovations and ways of promoting peace and justice.
- Digital Platforms and AI in promoting transparency and accountability.
- Digital Technologies and AI on the media and the public sphere
- Digital transformation to promote economic development and reduce inequality.
- Ethical considerations of using technologies in peacekeeping and conflict resolution practices
- New technologies and Artificial intelligence on democratic processes and institutions
- The challenges and opportunities of regulating AI to promote peace and democracy
- Technological advancements and commitment for Minimization of Ecological Footprint and sustainable practices
- The potential of digital technologies to enhance citizen participation in democratic processes.
The conference also aims to address some of the cross-cutting themes:
- Arts, Performance and Creative Methods to Promote Peace
- Climate Justice, Just Transition and Sustainability
- Conflict Resolution, humanitarian aids, and disaster response on Peace Building
- Dynamics of migrations and mobilities of people
- Entrepreneurship, Empowerment and reconciliation for sustaining peace and Harmony
- Entrepreneurship and Peacebuilding
- Existing challenges to Peace in Asia-Pacific regions
- Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights, and democracy for sustaining peace and reconciliation processes
- Media, Human Rights and Peacebuilding
- Peace journalism, human rights journalism, communicating with communities (CwC) and nonviolent communication.
- Shifting power structures and world orders in international Relations