BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Sabre//Sabre VObject 4.6.1//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Zurich X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Zurich TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/Zurich BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:19810329T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:19961027T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:news3566@zasb.unibas.ch DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20230822T171249 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20230831T181500 SUMMARY:Fredrick Ogenga: "Maskani Pan-African Digital Peacebuilding" (Carl Schlettwein Lecture 2023) DESCRIPTION:Moving Beyond the 2022 Controversial Presidential Elections in Kenya\\r\\nAs we continue to witness the trends in social media today char acterised by the advancement of modern technology\, there is a growing con cern regarding the contribution of social media in society well captured i n the growing scientific inquiry that seeks to explore relations between t echnology and society. One emerging area of concern in this context is cen tred on the ambigous nature of social media in peace and security – They have been considered to escalate conflict but at the same time viewed as useful tools for mobilising collective action towards peacebuilding. The l atter has informed an area of study called “AI for Peace” which is pri marily concerned with how Artificial Intelligence is being harnessed for p eacebuilding within the “Tech for Good Mantra”. Maskani is a digital p eacebuilding innovation inspired by tech for good that uses WhatsApp and F acebook powering over 70 youthful micro-influencers in six public universi ties in Western Kenya. Maskani was invented out of fears of social media i nstigated violence in the highly charged 2022 elections\, which were chara cterised by ethnic polarisation disguised as class struggle. Maskani ventu res into positive interventions online and offline around electoral polari sation and other conflict pressure points using digital tools\, and arts a nd cultural strategies respectively. Maskani is grounded in Pan-African ph ilosophies of Utu (humanity)\, Umoja (unity) and Harambee (collective resp onsibility/pulling together) in the context of critical theories of techno logy and media in everyday life evidenced in its “#NguvuPamoja” or “ unity is strength” digital campaign slogan. This lecture reflects critic ally of the role Maskani continues to play beyond the 2022 controversial e lections and on lessons for the future.\\r\\nFredrick Ogenga is associate professor of Media and Security Studies at Rongo University. He also serve s as director of the Center for Media\, Democracy Peace and Security\, and CEO of The Peacemakers Corps Foundation of Kenya.\\r\\nThe lecture is hel d in the framework of the Conference: "Science\, Expertise and other Modes of Knowledge: Trends\, Patterns\, and Prospects" (2023 conference of the Swiss Association for the Studies of Science\, Technology & Society) X-ALT-DESC:

Moving Beyond the 2022 Controversial Presidential Elections i n Kenya

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As we continue to witness t he trends in social media today characterised by the advancement of modern technology\, there is a growing concern regarding the contribution of soc ial media in society well captured in the growing scientific inquiry that seeks to explore relations between technology and society. One emerging ar ea of concern in this context is centred on the ambigous nature of social media in peace and security – They have been considered to escalate conf lict but at the same time viewed as useful tools for mobilising collective action towards peacebuilding. The latter has informed an area of study ca lled “AI for Peace” which is primarily concerned with how Artificial I ntelligence is being harnessed for peacebuilding within the “Tech for Go od Mantra”. Maskani is a digital peacebuilding innovation inspi red by tech for good that uses WhatsApp and Facebook powering over 70 yout hful micro-influencers in six public universities in Western Kenya. Ma skani was invented out of fears of social media instigated violence i n the highly charged 2022 elections\, which were characterised by ethnic p olarisation disguised as class struggle. Maskani ventures into po sitive interventions online and offline around electoral polarisation and other conflict pressure points using digital tools\, and arts and cultural strategies respectively. Maskani is grounded in Pan-African phil osophies of Utu (humanity)\, Umoja (unity) and Harambee (coll ective responsibility/pulling together) in the context of critical th eories of technology and media in everyday life evidenced in its “#Nguvu Pamoja” or “unity is strength” digital campaign slogan. This lecture reflects critically of the role Maskani continues to play beyond the 2022 controversial elections and on lessons for the future.

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< strong>Fredrick Ogenga is associate professor of Media and Securi ty Studies at Rongo University. He also serves as director of the Center f or Media\, Democracy Peace and Security\, and CEO of The Peacemakers Corps Foundation of Kenya.

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The lecture is held in the framework of the Conference: "Science\, Expertise and other Modes of Knowledge: Trends\, Pa tterns\, and Prospects" (2023 conference of the Swiss Association for the Studies of Science\, Technology &\; Society)

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