About Peace Tech LabTHE LAB HAS THREE MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY: Developing technology tools that are customized to meet the needs of citizens and organizations working for peace and positive social change in conflict zones around the world. MEDIA: Producing curriculum-based radio, television, and other multimedia content to inspire changes in attitudes and behavior. DATA: Using new methods of data collection, analysis, and visualization to improve peacebuilders' decision-making and collaboration capabilities.PeaceTech LabPTL_4b11de6c-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b3The Lab continues USIP's long history of ongoing work with technology and media tools for peacebuilding. As recently as 2008, USIP established two Centers of Innovation on media and technology. In 2012, they merged to become the PeaceTech Initiative, a precursor to today's Lab.USIPUnited States Institute of Peace (USIP) created PeaceTech Lab in 2014 as a separate entity to further advance USIP's mission: prevent, mitigate, and reduce violent conflict around the world.EngineersTechnologistsData Scientists_4b11dffc-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b3To further advance USIP's mission: prevent, mitigate, and reduce violent conflict around the world._4b11e0ba-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b3TechnologyA NEW ENVIRONMENT -- The spread of technology has shifted the power of media and mass mobilization from corporate and state-controlled organizations to communities and individuals. At the same time, new data on human dynamics and sentiment -- the DNA of conflict -- is being shared on social networking sites and analyzed more rapidly and profoundly than ever before.CommunityIndividualismAnalysisTransformationA NEW OPPORTUNITY -- The confluence of these factors is producing a transformation in conflict management and peacebuilding. From Kenya to Colombia, Afghanistan to Indonesia, we are seeing media and technology being used in innovative ways to counter age-old drivers of conflict, ranging from election violence and interethnic hatred, to resource shortages and gender violence.InnovationCollaborationA NEW APPROACH -- But we can do better. We can accelerate the development of solutions. We can distribute them faster. We can engage more people in generating ideas and collaborative problem-solving. We believe the answer lies in moving beyond ad hoc innovation towards a more deliberate model, where engineers and scientists from industry and academia work each day alongside experts in peacebuilding from government, NGOs and the conflict zones themselves. DeliberationProblem-SolvingConflict Management & PeacebuildingTo design, develop, and deploy new and existing technology tools for conflict management and peacebuilding._4b11e164-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b3The Lab brings together engineers, technologists, and data scientists from industry and academia, along with experts in peacebuilding from USIP, other government agencies, NGOs and the conflict zones. These experts collaborate to design, develop, and deploy new and existing technology tools for conflict management and peacebuilding.CollaborationHarness the power of cross-discipline and cross-generational collaboration._4b11e22c-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b31Conflict Management ProfessionalsTech SectorAcademiaGovernmentCONVENE -- FOR RADICAL COLLABORATION -- PeaceTech Lab will harness the power of cross-discipline and cross-generational collaboration among conflict management professionals, the tech sector, academia, and government.ToolsDevelop tools for early warning, decision-making, collaboration, and evaluation._4b11e2d6-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b32Social MediaBig Data CompaniesCONNECT -- FOR SPEED AND AGILITY -- The Lab will be a data hub, having partnerships with social media and big data companies to develop tools for early warning, decision-making, collaboration, and evaluation.SolutionsBuild solutions for environments where violent conflicts occur._4b11e38a-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b33BUILD -- FOR LOCAL ADOPTION -- Unlike many tech developers, PeaceTech Lab is focused on building solutions for environments where violent conflicts occur, which are often low-bandwidth, power-deprived, and dangerous.InspirationInspire an industry of peacetech entrepreneurs who innovate and build products that both save lives and invite private sector investment._4b11e448-c3d0-11e5-b015-e40c134596b34Peacetech EntrepreneursINSPIRE -- A GLOBAL INDUSTRY -- PeaceTech Lab will inspire an industry of peacetech entrepreneurs who innovate and build products that both save lives and invite private sector investment.2016-01-25http://www.peacetechlab.org/about/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net