Localizing peace initiatives through Social Media

Wrote this yesterday and thought appropriate to share it here ...

Localizing peace initiatives through Social Media

Nidhi Shendurnikar

Peace deserves a chance and what better than utilizing the potential of social media to expand and usher in networks of peace. Social media by its very nature is interactive, feedback oriented and user-friendly. These very characteristics of social media forums make it attractive to peace-builders who can engage in discussions, commentaries and debates with the ‘other’ (here the ‘other’ can be just about anybody with whom a conflicting relationship is shared). Such extensive and diverse interactions may not be possible in the realm of the mainstream media known for its affinity to homogenous content, mass production and increasing alienation from alternative views. Especially in the case of deep-rooted conflicts (such as the one between India & Pakistan), social media forums possess immense potential to provide a platform to one-on-one interactions on a wide range of issues.

However, the prospects of social media in translating peace-oriented discussions to peace- oriented action need to be tapped. What is required is the ‘localization’ of such peace initiatives by building a group of volunteers equipped to carry out peace activism. The power of connections and interactions developed in the virtual world ought to be proactively transferred to the real one, since the realization of peace is sustainable if it is closer to the grassroots and connected to people. Peace narratives should address the aspirations of the masses and social media can be trusted to take the cause forward. The answer to dominant conflict narratives in South Asia can be found in localizing peace efforts by their dissemination in every nook and corner of the subcontinent. This should also incorporate people who may not be a part of such initiatives on social media.

Presently, we have an array of well-meaning initiatives singing the Indo-Pak peace song (Aman ki Asha, Aaghaz-e-Dosti, Indo-Pak heart to heart, India Pakistan Families Solidarity Association (IPFSA), Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein to name a few) on well known virtual forums. These facilitate a democratic space for deliberations on complex issues of identity, politics and conflict. With sustained and rigorous interaction, these forums also work well to shatter many a myths and stereotypes about the ‘other’. The participatory nature of social media allows freedom of thought and direct access to people who have long been labelled as ‘enemies’. A cursory examination of content on selected social media pages/group/blog posts is a revealing exercise in itself. With no constraints of space and time, and the added tool of technology, the intricate and personally expressive nature of content is a reader’s delight. No doubt, state (official) narratives are questioned, resulting into the official and ideological apparatus feeling threatened by a sudden surge of alternative views (embodied in the recent remarks of Union Home Sushil Kumar Shinde referring to crushing the media, and later clarifying the remark being made in the context of social media, Feb 24, 2014).

Despite the fact that these forums are a welcome and refreshing change in a scenario dominated by hate-mongers, I envision two major drawbacks which these networks must address in the future.

• A large section of the populations in India and Pakistan are bereft of access to internet and somehow their experiences and narratives are not accommodated on these forums.
• The possibility of discourse on these forums turning into elitist and selective to few.

This needs to be addressed by the way of democratizing the peace discourse and making concerted attempts for it to reach to people who are not active on these social networks. This is where the ‘localization’ of such initiatives can be of immense value. Such issues could be addressed by collaborating with local NGOs, civil society organizations, media houses, universities, students’ groups, cultural groups or anybody spearheading a socio-political cause. This shall help build a team of volunteers trained in the tradition of peace and responsible for taking peace to the masses. The current graph of conflict between India and Pakistan is a complex one and we need to question as to who produces knowledge about the conflict, from where and why? Social networking forums may initially act as mobilizing forces for people to unite for a cause and become the basis on which real-time action for peace is positioned. A parent social network forum can be the basis of a model for other such forums to be replicated in other parts of each country. This will enable each city/village to formulate its own mechanisms and chart its own course for peace. While this may seem too ambitious and unviable at present, this can be the best possible manner by way of which peace initiatives can ensure maximum possible participation and therefore a questioning of attitudes hardened over the years.

The discourse on Indo-Pak peace today still remains relegated to the margins as we are overwhelmed by the opinions of people who want to disrupt the peace process; their voices loud and clear. Social media forums can allow young people on both sides to be important stake-holders in peace for which the social media experiment would do well to be replicated at the ground level. Even non-participants (on social media) can contribute meaningfully to the process if sensitized about the benefits of peaceful engagement.

Peace by itself is expansive and accommodative; it cannot be limited to the centre – it should be distributed to the periphery as well. Knowledge is indeed power as rightly expressed by Foucault, and the knowledge of peace will reap fruitful dividends if more and more people are involved in the same. Let each one be engaged in questioning, let each one know the possibility of multiple truths, let each one devise their own way to achieve peace – let everybody talk and act peace. With increasing number of people hooked to social media, we ought to seize opportunities for expanding and localizing peace narratives. Let the political masters know that everybody is interested in peace – that peace voices are raging from every quarter – impossible to ignore and suppress. In the future, I envision peace communities in every city and village of the subcontinent (the way we have gram sabhas/village committees) – to counter the hate being spread. Such forums may also borrow practices and interact with their counterparts. We do not need Khap panchayats, we need Peace panchyats! This way peace will not be restricted to political capitals and intellectual elites – after all in peace every voice matters.

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Author is a Doctoral Candidate in Political Science at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat. 

BPP 2014 - Lets Learn!

All excited to be a part of the Building Peace Project 2014 by The Red Elephant Foundation. Its a great time for me to on this project and connect with Sehr Nisar, my partner for the project. I am sure it is going to be a wonderful journey of exchange and interaction, building new friendships and learning about new cultures. A cumulative exercise for peace-building! Most importantly, it is a learning opportunity - to learn from people who are like you, but have been stereotyped and labelled for years of existence dominated by hate filled narratives. It comes across as an opportunity to exchange views on most pertinent issues and in some ways also unlearn what you had learnt about the 'other'. I am indeed looking forward to this wholesome journey with Sehr. Contributing, exchanging, interacting and facilitating dialogues is the idea way for peace since peace is a partnered initiative - possible only through collaborations. I am at this time reminded about a virtual classroom project for global understanding that I was a part of in 2009 in my University here at Baroda, whereby we established virtual connections with students from three different countries. We engaged in discussions about culture, rituals, beliefs and understandings of the 'other'. It was an enriching experience for me because similar to what BPP has proposed, we undertook extensive and deep interactions with our counterparts in different countries through video-conferencing and email chats and in the end came up with a beautiful documentation of what we had learnt from each other. It was my first exposure to such a process - the memories and learnings still afresh! In the end it was all enlightening - we were all the same in so many ways - but so different also - and we reveled in this knowledge - accepting the 'other' as he/she was. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and wish for the same here too. I believe this a holistic journey not just for learning, but also for 'unlearning', shattering myths that we harbour, creating everlasting friendships and strengthening human bonds. This is our humble attempt. Because peace belongs to everyone!

Nidhi