When Artificial Intelligence Takes Over, We'll Say, "You didn't take it. I gave it to you."

One of the earliest posts I wrote on this blog as about how technology -- particularly drones -- have put us under the the gaze of the state in a way we thought was only possible in science fiction: "Drones, 1984, and Foucault's Panopticon." I've written a lot more about drones, 1984, Foucault, and surveillance in subsequent posts.

Since that time, I've also internalized what I understand to be Foucault's central premise: the temptation to have power over other people is enormous, and it's particularly difficult to resist when it is accomplished in the guise of something else, something that we tend to consider very positive -- observing, comprehending, recording, organizing.

That has spiritual implications at the level of individual experience -- the observing, comprehending, recording, organizing that we do as we seek to navigate the external world -- and that is something I plan to write about in a future post.

But it also has implications for the ways in which we are subjected to observing, comprehending, recording, organizing. I've become more and more aware of the way that the many tiny bits of data that we now slough off each day, like so many dead skin cells, add up  -- in the hands of large computer operators (Big Data) -- to terrifyingly complete and intimate pictures of our personal lives. 

Some time in late 2020, I watched the documentary, The Social Dilemma, on Netflix: "This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations." The whole documentary is insightful, and the commentary by Jaron Lanier is particularly good. My key takeaway from that documentary was: don't talk about "if" artificial intelligence (A.I.) takes over, as if it is something in the distant future; AI is already operating on us in the form of the social networks that we participate in day after day.

What I've particularly struggled with since then is this: how can we ordinary people use social media to benefit us, without all of it falling into the maw of A.I.?

It made me think of this picture that one of my kids drew when they were about three (above).

(At the time it was amusing, and my main feeling was pride at how clever my child was. It reminded me of Grendel, and I wondered if they had been reading Beowulf behind my back. Now I'm more terrified .... )

The thing that is so painful is that, each day as any of us interacts with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin -- or even this blog -- not to mention every Google search or credit card purchase, we are not being strong-armed into coughing up our deepest secrets -- we're willingly surrendering them! (To quote Roy in the movie Matchstick Men, "You didn't take it. I gave it to you.")

So, yes, Foucault ... power, observing, comprehending, recording, organizing. Yes: drones. Yes: Big Brother; yes: surveillance. 

But maybe the BIG question we each need to ask ourselves when we wake up each morning is:

"How much – and what type – of data will I surrender today?"

The Multimedia Church: Movie Night

Poster for screening of The Interrupters
at St. Luke's Logan Square, Chicago.

A friend brought up the idea the other night of having movie night at church.

It reminded me that we did quite a few screenings at the church I attended in Chicago, St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square. It occurs to me that the list of St. Luke's film screenings is not yet assembled in a single place, so here it is:

From Art to Action: The St. Luke’s Social Justice Film Series Continues [The Interrupters]

Screening: The House I Live In
(also: "A Gigantic Prison Enterprise" … As Seen By a Chaplain in Prison and Family Ministry)

Community Dinner and Screening of A Place at the Table

Bonhoeffer Movie Screening

Screening of The Response on Sunday, December 11th after worship

Call Me Kuchu Screening and Discussion

(We also screened Gasland, Love Free or Die, Encounter Point, and 9500 Liberty.)

The recent conversation reminded me that there were a few things we learned from our "Social Justice Film Series" at St. Luke's:

* Purpose - It's important to know what you are trying to do. We thought of ourselves as trying to encourage conversation on issues of concern to people in the congregation, and in the larger community.

* Connection to congregational activities - Often we were able to make a direct connection to one or more of the missions or activities of the congregation.

* Spread the word! - As the links above suggest, we did a number of things to tell people about each screening -- before and after each event. 

* Guest panelists - We were fortunate to be able to find one or two (or sometimes more!) knowledgeable guests to help with discussion following each film. Chicago has a wealth of community organizers and social justice activists.

* Discussion time - We learned that we needed to plan in order for there to be adequate time for discussion. Often we used Sunday afternoons for the film screenings/discussions (because after an evening film screening many people don't have the energy for discussion), and we tried to select films that were not too long.

* Steering - We had quite a robust social justice committee, and the process of programming the "Social Justice Film Series" was itself quite rewarding to the participants.

* Food - Last but not least: we always had a more lively participation and discussion if we provided ample refreshments.

Of course, this is not to say that we had all the answers. But we did start to understand some of the questions!

Now . . . I'm curious to learn about what other churches are doing with their movie nights!


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A Checklist for Critically Reading (and Writing) About North Korea

cover, Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars,
January - June 2000

I recently began doing something I wish I'd done forty years ago when I was a college student: reading and thinking about the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars (now Critical Asian Studies) - the publication of the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars.

You can read this publication free online:

Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars (1968-2000)
Critical Asian Studies (2001 onward)

I plan to talk in a more general way about this important publication in a future post. Here I will begin with a relevant example of its important work.

In a 1994 issue of the Bulletin, there is a group of articles about North Korea and nuclear weapons: "Notes from the Field: The Korean Nuclear Crisis." The articles are:

* Robert Perkinson - "Introduction"

* Bruce Cummings - "Old and New Korean Wars"

* Minn Chung - "'Seoul Will Become a Sea of Fire . . .'"

* Reunification Committee of National Council of Churches in Korea - "Statement on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula"

* Catherine B. Wrenn - "The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in Retrospect: The Case of North Korea"

* Tom Clements - "Nuclear-Free Korean Peninsula: Visit of "MV Greenpeace" Spotlights South Korean Nukes"

* Minn Chung - "Chronology of Crisis: Important Developments for Peace, Reconciliation, and Denuclearization in Korea"

(You can read all these articles in pdf form In the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars Volume 26 (No. 1 and 2).)

Robert Perkinson's introductory article calls our attention to the need to read critically -- in general, and as we comment on places and cultures that are not our own, and especially in charged contexts like the relationship between the United States and North Korea.

I jotted down some words from Robert Perkinson's article:

Western media spin . . .

monolithic ideological line  . . .

portraying . . .

condemning . . .

demonizing . . .

target the North Korean people as well . . .

overt racism . . .

mocking . . .

demeaning anecdotes . . .

"hysteria" . . .

epithets . . .

jingoistic . .

anti-Asian racial stereotypes . . .

denigrating . . . 

All of these are examples of behaviors that we who write about countries and cultures not our own must be on guard against. At a minimum, our unending effort to produce "colorful writing" -- stuff that people actually feel compelled to read -- is filled with the risk of leading readers by the nose instead of giving them the material to think for themselves. At a deeper level, the power we wield as observers and interpreters and writers generally needs much, much, much more acknowledgement, not to mention careful, measured, respectful, peaceful application.

I decided it would be valuable to spend some time examining how my own writing might be improved by paying attention to these behaviors.

I also decided to examine some specific examples of recent writing (by others) about the US, about North Korea, and about the US-North Korea situation, and try to highlight the ways in which these (and other) behaviors play a role in forming the impression that might be formed by readers.

The good news is that much is being written and shared today about North Korea.

The bad news is that we -- readers, writers, all of us -- have a lot of unexamined biases.

Let the critical reading begin . . . . 


Follow-up posts:

North Korea: Who Am I To Look At You?

When Writing About North Korea Is a "Downer"

Can You Judge a Nuclear Confrontation by Its Cover?

The US and North Korea: Suspense, Discomfort, Regret


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By Any Means Necessary: Using a Graphic Novel to Get More People Talking About Drones

I'm digging into Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance by Pratap Chatterjee and Khalil.

(Shoutout to Eastwind Books of Berkeley for featuring the book and inviting the authors to a public event in February.)

I've decided to read a chapter a day and share some some comments.

Get a copy and read along with me!


Chapter One

Aha! Putting two and two together. The author Pratap Chatterjee is (at the time the book begins) with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism -- the prime source of information on what's really happening with drone warfare -- especially civilian victims of drone attacks.

Main takeaway for me from Chapter One: the number of outlets of all different types that need to work together to get the word out to the general population about the carefully crafted hidden nature of modern warfare!

(Very "meta"! Verax itself is a demonstration of that fact!)

Bonus reading: search for content on mainstream media response to the problem of drones


Chapter Two

Remember when everyone was up in arms about the NSA?

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Two: I've been paying attention to how out of hand surveillance and information technology are getting ... in theory ... but I (and all of us) need to start to deal with it seriously as part of our daily routine. Starting right now ....

Bonus reading: another tale of scientists who did work for the government and then expected the government to be grateful for their warnings: Unfinished Business in Chicago (Nuclear disarmament, that is)

Chapter Three

True, true, true . . .

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Three: I flashed back to CODEPINK's 2012 "Drone Summit: Killing and Spying by Remote Control" in Washington, DC. That's where I saw Shazad Akbar speak, and it was after that that I came home determined to Make Drone Killing 100% VISIBLE!

Bonus reading: There was a period in 2014 when it seemed as if members of Congress might succeed in getting the US government to come clean with the facts on drone killing.


Chapter Four

It's all about software? That makes it hard for most ordinary citizens to get interested in. (And that's exactly the way the government likes it . . . . )

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Four: I know a little bit about tech . . . AND . . . every day I crawl a little further away from it, because it is so "boring." We need to do anything we can to get people to care about how technology is being used.

Bonus reading: Give science fiction a chance . . . These classics are painfully relevant today ("science fact"): 1984 . . . I, Robot . . . Ender's Game . . . Hunger Games . . . .


Chapter Five

Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Go directly to watch CITIZENFOUR.


Chapter Six

Well this was supposed to be a paced read of a chapter a day but it's now getting into the breaking of the Snowden revelations (per CITIZENFOUR) and pretty un-put-downable . . . .

(Oh, and a line spoken by Snowden in CITIZENFOUR that made me feel sheepish about my book recommendations two chapters back: "It's not science fiction. It's happening right now . . . . ")


Chapter Seven

Reading this chapter (and watching CITIZENFOUR) brought back memories of when the Snowden story first broke. At that time, it felt to me as if he was living what Jesus experienced -- the risk, the fear . . . . (I called him "The 365-Day Man.") We're coming up on Holy Week this year and I think it is worth reflecting on what it means in today's world to go up against Empire.

By the way, I thought Khalil's illustrations in this chapter were a great example of how comics can be used to convey the spatial and temporal relationships between a complicated combination of events.

About to break the Snowden story . . . in Verax . . . .

Chapter Eight

As someone who has spent a lot of time in hotel rooms in Hong Kong, the main feeling I had reading this chapter (and watching CITIZENFOUR) was, "The world is so small. You think you're a world away from them catching up with you, but when they decide to, they can pounce on you in an instant . . . . "

I also thought: "Hong Kong isn't home but at least I can imagine hiding out in Hong Kong. What I can't image is . . . where do you go from there?"


Chapter Nine

How well I remember Edward Snowden's arrival in Russia:

Edward Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena

Do you remember the story about Snowden's lawyer and the Dostoevsky novel? I wrote "Edward J. Snowden's lawyer didn't give Snowden a copy of Crime and Punishment to help him better understand himself. He gave it to him so he could try to understand where he came from." (See Reflecting on America's Split Personality (Moscow Airport Summer Reads). )

That was in 2013. In a way, it was the gift that kept on giving. Here I am on Crime and Punishment again, in 2016: Crime Without Remorse: A USA Specialty.


To be continued . . . .


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Food for Thought: #Nuclearban's Network Character

Global Connectivity

I have written quite a bit encouraging people to be interested in the network aspect of our joint peace promotion endeavors - particularly as it relates to a truly global peace activism community.

I continue to believe that there is a great leap forward that is available to us if we devote more attention to the network character of what we are doing.

It is so close, we can practically taste it. The current work on a global nuclear weapons ban treaty -- particularly connected via social media and #nuclearban hashtag -- brings these network dimensions tangibly close.

In the course of any one individual's activism efforts, they inevitably bump up against the realization that each of us -- even the most prolific, even the most creative -- is limited. But there truly is power in the network: a strong network just keeps getting bigger and stronger and more effective, even as individual nodes (er, people) wax and wane.

What should this realization lead us to do?

Here are three recommendations:


(1) Laboratory Approach

I believe there is a lot that could be learned by putting some of the recent activity (e.g. with respect to #nuclearban) under a microscope.

Activists may not be inclined to sift through several weeks or months of social media communication, but there are lots of talented people who could contribute to this. Data mining and #peacetech are growing areas of interest.

There are existing apps, such as Bluenod, that can be used to take a first stab at this. And there is readily-available data on the major social media platforms -- there for the analyzing by anyone comfortable using a little code. (See Matthew A. Russell, Mining the Social Web: Data Mining Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, GitHub, and More)

#nuclearban Twitter community on Bluenod

(2) Actionable Research Output

Just about every activist and activist organization engages in social media communication. Most organizations (and even some individuals) have an explicit plan to "up their social media game." Some even have staff devoting substantial amounts of their time to just doing social media campaigns.

It seems reasonable that the laboratory approach suggested in (1) above have as a near-term objective communicating its discoveries to organizations (and individuals) that have a real commitment to using them to become more effective.

That naturally points to the desirability of starting the conversation as soon as possible. If people digging into the true face of the social web-driven global peace community know what activist organizations are already observing and conjecturing, and what they wish they know and what they hope they will someday be able to accomplish, they can be that much more alert in their researches.

For instance, in my very limited experience in this area, it seems to me that the evolving global nature of network raises the question for every activist organization, "How much of our effort should be directed at communicating with people who are already part of our audience? How much to people we are not currently reaching? How do we decide the amount of resources to spend on various approaches? How do we gauge return on investment?" In other words, should we be thinking Montana? or Mongolia?

Mongolia: lots of #nuclear ban supporters
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

(3) Expand the Conversation

As someone who not-so-long ago moved to the Bay Area I'm having an epiphany . . . .

The technology and social media tools we are using today were, in many cases, conceived by people who are profoundly interested in how these (or next stage) applications can help society be better.

Evan Williams

For instance, this article made me think, "Here's someone who's spending his days asking the same questions I am asking!": "'The Internet Is Broken': @ev Is Trying to Salvage It." "'I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place,' Evan Williams says. 'I was wrong about that.'" By the way, Williams created Blogger (on which this blog is published), was one of the founders of Twitter, and has a new project called Medium.

People like Ev Williams may or may not identify themselves as "peace activists," but they and we share some major concerns, and they have enormous resources to contribute.

Resolved: I will meet some new people . . . and have some conversations . . . even if I have to (gulp) leave the East Bay to do it!


The #nuclearban effort on the ground is surging ahead. Now is the perfect time to explore the network character of #nuclearban -- a little measurement and analysis, a little actionable research output, and some scintillating conversation.


To be continued . . . .


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#Nuclearban Memes from World Stamps

#Oman
"stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate #nuclearweapons in light
of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences."
Thank you #Oman     #nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

Postage stamps are a kind of pre-Internet-era meme (social media graphic) through which countries have told people what they value.

When I noticed there are so many countries working to bring about a global ban on nuclear weapons -- #nuclearban -- I started to make memes related to each country. That allowed me to select an image I found emblematic of a given country, attach the #nuclearban hashtag and a description of that country's support, and tweet it out to the world. (See 133 Is a Lot of #Nuclearban-Supporting Countries.)

But I also wanted to domore to suggest the values that each supporter country brings to the #nuclearban effort. So I decided to select some of their own postage stamp designs -- to let them tell the story, themselves!

Below is a growing selection of country postage stamps I have shared, together with the Twitter message I used with each one.

Most stamps shown are for supporter countries. I've also shared some stamps from countries that are not yet supporters . . . but should be!)

Please share these on social media . . .and create your own!

#Algeria
#nuclearban ... because our planet is filled with precious living things!
Thank you #Algeria for your support!
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Bangladesh
This world and all its life: too beautiful to destroy.
Thank you #Bangladesh for supporting #nuclearban at the @UN!
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Brazil
This world and all its life: too beautiful to destroy.
Thank you #Brazil and 100+ more for supporting #nuclearban!
joescarry.blogspot.com/2017/04/133-is-lot-of-nuclearban-supporting.html
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#CaboVerde
"stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate #nuclearweapons
in light oftheir unacceptable humanitarian consequences."
Thank you #CaboVerde!    #nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Dominica
This world and all its life: too beautiful to destroy.
Thank you #Dominica & 100+ more for supporting #nuclearban!
joescarry.blogspot.com/2017/04/133-is-lot-of-nuclearban-supporting.html
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#France
Les armes nucléaires: que fera la #France?    #nuclearban
@jmc_nonukes @adecroissance @ICAN_France
@ScienceMarchFR @greenpeacefr @cicr_fr
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Guinea-Bissau
#nuclearban ...
led by those confronting the unacceptable
humanitarian consequences of #nuclearweapons
#GuineaBissau @ICRC @nuclearban @UN
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Malta
#nuclearban... with our #children in mind!
Thank you #Malta for your leadership!
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Mexico
THANK YOU #Mexico & 100+ other countries
 steering us toward a world free of #nuclearweapons!
#nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Monaco
 Time to get rid of this beast once and for all.
#nuclearban #Monaco
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Mongolia
Thank you #Mongolia.
FOR #life
AGAINST #nuclearweapons
#nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Namibia
#WednesdayWisdom
"In the best interest of the child."
#nuclearban #Namibia
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#NewZealand
I love people who tell you exactly where they stand.
Thank you #NewZealand.
#nuclearban - at the @UN - Thursday
nuclearban.org
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Oman
"stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate #nuclearweapons in light
of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences."
Thank you #Oman     #nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Seychelles
This world and all its life: too beautiful to destroy.
Thank you #Seychelles and 100+ more for supporting #nuclearban!
#WorldSeaTurtleDay
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#SriLanka
"stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate #nuclearweapons in light
of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences."
Thank you #SriLanka!      #nuclearban 
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Tanzania
#nuclearban ...with our #children in mind!
Thank you #Tanzania for your support!
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Ukraine
RADIATION: invisible killer ....
#Europe #Ukraine #Chernobyl #nuclearban
http://joescarry.blogspot.com/2017/05/where-will-europe-stand-on-nuclearban.html
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

#Vietnam
Maybe it's time for us to start listening for a change . . . .#nuclearban
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

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How to help #nuclearban leaders? Spread the word!

Let's use the power of social media to get the #nuclearban hashtag to go viral!

(After all, in less than 2 weeks, representatives of 100+ countries will meet at the UN in New York City to nail down a treaty.)

After pondering this for a while, I decided to Google "how to get something to go viral on twitter." Wow! It turns out that it can be done .... (See: "The Science of Retweets: 10 Steps to Going Viral on Twitter" and other articles like it.)

Following the guidelines in the "science of retweets" article, here's an example ready-to-go-viral tweet:

How to help #nuclearban leaders? Spread the word!
http://bit.ly/2spZuyN Please RT

(I used an image highlighting one of the 100+ countries that have said "yes!" to holding nuclear ban treaty negotiations.)

You can copy this one or make up tweets of your own.  More variations shown below. (And lots of images to choose from here!)


Please share this post ....

SO GRATEFUL for 100+ countries making the #nuclearban happen at @UN!
http://joescarry.blogspot.com/2017/04/133-is-lot-of-nuclearban-supporting.html
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

IMAGINE: 100+ countries supporting the #nuclearban!
You can help say "thank you" ... http://bit.ly/2rNrWO9 Please RT

IMAGINE ... taking a moment each day to say "thank you" to one of the 100+
countries supporting the #nuclearban ... http://bit.ly/2rNrWO9 … Please RT

#MondayMotivation It's #WorldEnvironmentDay and 100+ countries
are supporting a global #nuclearban! http://bit.ly/2rNrWO9
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

Please share this post ....

Global Network of Bloggers for #Nuclearban

We Can Blog It!

Part of the global network of activism in support of a treaty banning nuclear weapons (#nuclearban) are articles and blog posts on platforms large and small -- like this one -- getting the news out.

The network consists of thousands of individuals contributing in myriad ways. (What are you prepared to do?)

I'll start with a small list of articles and blog posts below, and expand it in the days and weeks ahead.


The mother blog

The website of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) features a blog with frequent updates by ICAN's campaigners.


Australia

"Answering deceptive arguments against a nuclear weapons ban" by Cesar Jaramillo. "A majority of nuclear-armed states and their allies — including the United States and most other NATO members, such as Germany and Canada — have actively opposed this effort and have openly tried to undermine its rationale. . . . And while it is hardly surprising that the very states that rely on nuclear deterrence would oppose a legal prohibition of nuclear weapons, the primary arguments used to oppose the ban cannot withstand close scrutiny. They are either misleading, based on a dead-end logic, or outright wrong."


India

"Can unarmed states prohibit nuclear weapons?" by W.P.S. Sidhu @wpssidhu (visiting professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs and associate fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy) "[D]espite the growing disconnect between the emerging nuclear disorder and the evolving world order, the nuclear weapon states (also permanent UN security council members) failed to accommodate aspirant powers and establish a new world order that was not based on nuclear weapons."


UK

"Britain Should Be At the UN Talks to Ban Nukes" by Kate Hudson @kate4peace2017. (Kate Hudson is general secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - CND.) "[I]n spite of successive British governments’ supposed commitment to multilateral disarmament — a pledge repeated just last summer in Parliament’s debate on replacing Trident — Britain opposed the negotiations taking place and is boycotting the talks."

"THE WORLD – NAE PLACE FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS" by Janet Fenton @Janetfenton. "The non participating states ‘protest’ stunt outside on the first day, saw the UK right up there outside the room, misrepresenting Scotland with even more insouciance than they demonstrated over Brexit."


USA

"As a mother, I fight for nuclear abolition. . . ."
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

"An Open Letter to Nikki Haley" by Anna Ikeda @anna_ikeda. "I know that, when my son grows up, he will be proud of me for being part of this movement to rid the world of nuclear weapons. He will understand that there is no better way to make this world safe, than removing the very causes of danger."

"#NuclearBan: the US Government Must Disarm" by Jared Labell @libertarianinst "Until the nuclear arsenals of governments around the world are abolished, the continuation of civilization as we know it forever rests on the integrity of politicians, bureaucrats, and chance – a frightening thought, indeed."


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A Globally-Connected Peace Movement: What's Stopping Us?

The biggest obstacle to a truly global peace movement may actually be the structures upon which we've leaned for so long . . . .

A globally connected peace movement?

I wrote several weeks ago suggesting that the "Internet of Things" could be a useful framework for thinking about how to network the global peace movement.

To accomplish this, I think we will need to take a step back from things (devices) and even programs and data structures, and begin with the question: what is the problem we might hope to solve?

I was reminded of this in a community organizing meeting recently, when the participants quickly got off and running with talk of websites and databases and user accounts and administrators, and lots of ideas about what we could do, until we realized we were all talking about different things because we had not yet reached a shared statement of what the problem was that needed to be solved.

In my earlier post, I referred to the nuts and bolts of peace work -- the conceptual components, or what computer science people sometimes call "objects." For a long time, much movement activity -- at least the most organized parts of it -- has centered around a few objects: organizations, campaigns, supporters, actions. For a long time, these were the objects that the available technology could best support. (To a person with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.)

I have noticed that more and more people are finding the strength in peace and justice work that is found in affinity groups. That seems to me to be a reminder that the formal attributes of (often rigid and relatively static) organization are actually less important than the powerful benefits that people get from informal, flexible (and often highly dynamic) affinity.  I think there's a lot more to be said on this subject.

For now, I'll tee up a proposal for what is the problem we might hope to solve:

Given the size, global spread, and enormous diversity

of the community of peace advocates worldwide,

how might we help people to

maximize the benefits of affinity,

while minimizing possible costs or burdens?

(Put another way: how can our work for peace go viral, without getting bogged down in national or organizational or other differences?)

Vote on resolution to negotiate a ban on nuclear weapons in 2017 (L-41)
Green - Yes (123, 76%)
Red - No (38, 24%)
Beige - Abstained

Here's a practical example: peace advocates in every country in the world have the opportunity to work for global nuclear disarmament in 2017. How can we harness the available technology to get everyone plugged into what will necessarily be a massive effort? Many people will channel their efforts through the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and its partner organizations. But I think that's just the tip of the iceberg . . .

To be continued.

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How Does the "Internet of Things (IoT)" Bear on Global Peace Work?

Peace technology ("peacetech") will make its greatest contribution by applying the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) to global peace work, I believe.

Several months ago, I observed:

The global peace movement: We're big. We're getting networked. We're diverse (and therein lies our strength).

That part about "we're getting networked" is not just talk - I've learned more and more each day about the way people worldwide are using technology to connect the disparate parts of the peace community.

"I☮T" - Internet of Things for Peace

In my own work, I've been particularly interested in the role of web communications (think: blog posts about protests against drone warfare or protests against torture or protests against the occupation of Palestine or protests for fair wages or protests against nuclear weapons or . . . you get the point) in helping people connect across time and space. With this little thing called the Internet we are able to find each other and connect, even when we're not focused on the exact same task in the exact same place at the exact same time.

I see a connection between this phenomena and what technologists have come to talk about as the "Internet of Things (IoT)." The idea, as best I understand it, is that we recognize the immense power of connectivity, and use the devices available to us to shift the paradigm:

OLD APPROACH:

do something
  ( then maybe remember to tell the story )
   (( then possibly get heard ))
     ((( and influence the person doing the next thing ? )))

NEW APPROACH:

do something and simultaneously transmit the story, simultaneously getting heard (and influencing?) others

(You can read a more formal definition of the "Internet of Things" on Wikipedia.)

Often we think of IoT in terms of the "T" - things like toasters that can talk to your alarm clock to make sure your breakfast is the perfect temperature when you reach the breakfast table. But I tend to think that the peace movement will find it useful to go up one level of abstraction and think about objects in a more conceptual sense -- "peace objects," if you will. That will enable us to see the information architecture, and from there it will be an easy matter to connect devices.

A peace object can be a demonstration, an essay, a poster, an act of civil disobedience. (For starters, we can include all 198 items on Gene Sharp's list of Methods of Nonviolent Action.)

We've already begun to see how Internet practice connects disparate peace objects. How many of us have used the hashtag #NoDAPL during the Standing Rock protests to connect with others?

A case in point: in 2017, people all over the world will be working in a concerted effort to realize a global ban on nuclear weapons. Will the IoT be harnessed to catalyze those efforts?

There is much more to be worked out about how the IoT can be used to spur the global peace work.

MORE: A Globally-Connected Peace Movement: What's Stopping Us?


Related posts

The strategic challenge we face is to wake up to the fact that -- globally -- we are pursuing peace work in diverse ways . . . and then figure out a way to take advantage of the inherent strength in the existence of these diverse approaches.

(See Global Peace Movement: Big, Networked, Diverse)





It is a stunning lesson in global civics to observe who voted "YES" and who voted "NO" (and also who abstained) on L.41 - "taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations."

(See Who would possibly vote "NO" to banning nuclear weapons???)



What I'm feeling particularly energized about is the potential for the thousands of people who have already signed on as supporters of World Beyond War -- as well as millions more who are expected to do so soon -- to become active participants in spreading this good news.

(See News Worth Spreading: "There IS An Alternative to War!" )

Suggestions for Successful Twitter Activism

Intentional social media for activism: pace/frequency, reciprocity/sharing, lists, visuals, and connecting/links all play a part.

Twitter: get the word out!

I think every peace activist should be extremely intentional about using social media: there is unprecedented power available to us through this tool.

Being intentional requires us to ask what is really effective, to make efforts to become more effective. and to learn from what happens along the way.

I've been trying to do this for years now: my very first post on this blog was entitled "Goal for November: Figure Out Twitter". That was in 2009.

Along the way, I've learned some things about Twitter related to:

* pace/frequency
* reciprocity/sharing
* lists
* visuals
* connecting ... to what?

I've included some notes about each below. As you'll see, it's a work in progress. I've included some links to helpful resources, in the hopes that I've whet your appetite to learn more . . . !

I hope that we can all learn from each other to become super-effective social media users!


(1) Pace/frequency of tweets

How often should you tweet?

My suggestion: at least once a day, and ideally a handful (6-10?) tweets a day. (Not more than once or twice per hour.)

Why at least once a day? Posting at least one tweet per day assures that anyone who looks at your Twitter account will conclude, "This person is active." That is important if you want them to follow you and pay attention to you in other ways.

(And that's why you want that one tweet to be a good one. It kind of defines you.)

((So: maybe pin the tweet you want people to see first. It's an important choice.))

Why limit the number of tweets? Remember that people will be seeing your tweets in a stream that includes diverse tweets from all the accounts they follow. It's better to get their attention with one or two really good tweets than to annoy them with a whole string of tweets of variable quality.

If you're going to tweet, why not give it your best shot?

Is there an app for that? I suggest people read about Buffer:

"How the Founder of Buffer Tweets: The System and 5 Types of Tweets to Keep Your Followers Engaged"

At first I resisted using Buffer, but I have found it has helped me be much more intentional about my tweeting!


(2) Reciprocity/sharing on Twitter

Is it better to share the things other people tweet? Or to create original material?

My own belief is that the essence of social media is sharing and reciprocity.

Of course, that doesn't mean mindless, robotic retweeting. Ideally, we can all share a lot while also each adding a little extra oomph! to the things we share, too.

Here's an example of something I (re)tweeted this morning:

Share this post on Twitter.

It reflects a "tip o' the hat" to a long time collaborator (@plussone), and shares the material with other accounts that I am in various stages of conversation with (@monicadavey1 @CureViolence @CampaignNV  @naarpr  ). Since they're all public figures or organizations, it's a personalized message with a public character. (It poses a question I hope everyone will find provocative.)

I initially thought about simply retweeting the original post. Then I thought about trying to spell out what I thought the report might mean. The more I thought about it, the more I realized, "There's so much between the lines here. Let's get some other people in on this conversation."

Suggestion 1: Start paying attention to your Twitter notifications (link at the top of page) -- including those who share your tweets, and the new followers you attract. Is some reciprocity in order?

Suggestion 2: Follow some interesting accounts. Notice if they follow back.


(3) Twitter lists

Once you begin to have a large list of accounts you follow, you will find it difficult to wad through the strea, of tweets from all of them in the main Twitter feed.

I suggest making one or more Twitter lists.

I have created lists relating to several different topics: twitter.com/Scarry/lists

One way lists help me is that I can devote a small amount of time each day on specific topics of greatest importance to me -- nuclear disarmament, for instance -- and be assured of immediately finding some really valuable material to sink my teeth into.

(Reciprocity also plays a part: lists give me quick access to the accounts that I tend to have a lot of productive engagement with.)

I've found that lists make the difference between Twitter use being random and tedious vs. being intentional and effective.

Here's a good post with more information about Twitter lists: "What's a Twitter list and how should I use it?"


(4) Visuals in tweets

A couple of years ago, some friends told me:

* social media posts get better response if they include images combined with words ("memes")
* for best display on Twitter, use 1024 x 512 px (w x h) memes

Changed my life . . . .

I'm still in the beginning stages of learning to make really good memes. I use the simple Paint tool that came with my computer. It's all I need to resize images and overlay text.

Here's a meme that I borrowed from someone else -- one that proved to be quite effective:

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
presiding bishop Rev. Elizabeth Eaton and quote:
"When my dad came back from the war, the GI bill meant he and
my mom could get a low interest loan. That was not available to
African American veterans. That's white privilege. It's baked into
the system. Now, we didn't create it, but if we don't work to
change it, we are complicit."

To see how I used it, see this post: "Personal Success Story"? "White Privilege"? or Both?

Here's a good post with more information about effective use of visuals: "Why you'll look at every photo in this post (but might not read it)"


(5) Using tweets to connect ... to what?

I think the single most valuable lesson I've learned about social media came to me via a Twitter follower:

"You can accomplish more if you link in your tweet

to a longer piece, such as a blog post you've written."

That advice helped me understand that, ideally, a tweet is not an end in itself -- it's connected to something bigger. (And, by the way, that advice gave me the idea to start a blog!)

Obviously, linking to some kind of longer post overcomes some of the problems posed by Twitter's 140 character limit.

And -- perhaps not so obviously -- linking to some other post of yours (such as a blog or Facebook post) allows you see a count of how many people view and/or like and/or comment on it. Such metrics are essential to beginning to judge effectiveness.


If nothing else, I hope some of the articles linked to in this post inspire everyone to go out and search for the abundant advice available online about how to use specific aspects of social media effectively!


Related posts


On November 11, 2015, Veterans for Peace had a message about reclaiming Armistice Day that proved itself massively spreadable on social media . . .

(See What will it take to reclaim Armistice Day for peace? )












Martin Luther spurred a miracle of movement building during the Reformation. (The printing press helped.) Just think what he might have done with social media!

(See ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Will a Renewed Church Require New Communications?)














What value might be obtained by having a really high quality "channel" on social media that people can tune in to for news and ideas about war abolition?

(See #NOwar - Permanently Trending on Twitter? YES! )