Innovative Peacebuilding in Syria

A scoping study of the strategic use of technology to build peace in the Syrian context.

In partnership with the British Council, Build Up wrote an initial scoping study of the strategic use of technology to build peace in the Syrian context in 2016 (also available in Arabic.). This study was updated in 2018 in order to reflect both contextual changes in the Syrian conflict, and lessons learned from the Digital Steps programme, run by Build and the British Council. The second report identifies both changes and continuities in the peacetech landscape in Syria, and presents the most pressing considerations for innovative peacebuilding in Syria moving forward.
‘Innovative Peacebuilding in Syria’ English version (pdf)
‘Innovative Peacebuilding in Syria’ Arabic version (pdf)
Read the second report ‘Innovative Peacebuilding in Syria‘ (pdf)

Summary

The research presented in this report reviews the global context of the peacetech sector and examines current usesof technology in peacebuilding initiatives in the Syrian context.
The report draws on desk research and 20 expert interviews carried out remotely in February and March 2016, in both Arabic and English. Desk research covered organisations funding work in Syria, researching the Syria context and working in or on Syria. Interviews focused on organisations working in / on Syria, ranging from large international NGOs to local civil society associations. The report also incorporates views shared by British Council staff through individual interviews and at a one-day workshop held on 25 February, 2016.
For Syria, in a changing conflict context, definitions of ‘peacebuilding’ or ‘peacebuilders’ are fluid. It is important to note that few actors working in the Syrian context would self-define as ‘peacebuilders’ or ‘peace activists’, in large part a result of the co-option of the term by the Syrian Ministry of Reconciliation, which some argue does not aim for reconciliation, but rather for the capitulation of rebels.
Combining a large swisspeace survey of how non-violent actors saw peace activities and our interviews for this report, we identify four relevant types of peacebuilding activities:

• Promoting peaceful values and countering sectarian rhetoric
• Human rights activism
• Host-refugee relations
• Influencing international opinion

Of the 55 organisations working in the Syrian context that were reviewed, 15used digital technologies exclusively to have an online presence (website or social media). Despite not using digital tools strategically, these organisations rely on online presence to disseminate information on their activities, and thus consider online presence critical to their peacebuilding aims.
Among the remaining organisations that do engage in what we would define as peacetech initiatives, the strongest focus is on use of communication technologies to create peaceful narratives and share a greater diversity of voices.
There are also a number of organisations that run capacity building initiatives to support peacebuilding actors in using communications technology. The other clear focus is on use of data technologies for crisis response; these initiatives are mostly (all but one) conflict analysis /early warning systems serving the international community.
A surprising feature of the Syria peacetech landscape is the limited use of technology for networking and mobilisation. The limited use of technology by organisations working in human rights activism is also of interest.