Introduction All is not well in our digital ecosystem. The social media platforms through which we as citizens engage with what is going on in the world are designed to optimise for engagement. This business model underpinning how news and public debate gets prioritised and framed risks fragmenting users into separate information bubbles. Engagement based … Read more
The Kenya Polarization Footprint measures how social media is dividing Kenyans. Specifically, we measure “affective polarization”, where people dislike and distance themselves from others based on their identity. This is not the same as a difference of opinion: differences of opinion are good for democratic debate, and for our diverse society. Identity-based polarization is not: … Read more
The polarization footprint is a cross-platform measure that ranks social media platforms according to the prevalence of affective polarization present on the platform. The polarization footprint relies on observing content and relationships on social media platforms, and is designed in such a way as to be comparable across platforms. The methodology is explicitly designed to … Read more
In 2021, Build Up appointed Ta Corrales from Smith Assembly to conduct an external evaluation for its Peace Innovators Program. This report summarises the process and outcomes of this evaluation, carried out between August 2021 and February 2022. About the Peace Innovators Program Build Up works with people across the globe to design and implement … Read more
The results below provide an overview of technology use by peacebuilders in their interventions. While not exhaustive, the set of quantitative results presented begin to frame the context of the intersection between peacebuilding and technology. Peacebuilders are using digital technologies in their programs. Majority (77%) of the survey participants are using digital tools to deliver … Read more
What is The Commons? The Commons project was a response to the challenging political and social climate in the United States. Many people are observing and experiencing a decrease in constructive conversations, respect, and open-mindedness in their everyday interactions, in the media, and in politics. Among the different factors contributing to this are the ways that … Read more
Introduction The research presented in this report identifies changes and continuities in the peacetech landscape in Syria, and presents pressing considerations for innovative peacebuilding there. In January 2016, the British Council commissioned Build Up to map peacetech initiatives responding to the Syrian crisis and consider options for future work using technology for peacebuilding and development. … Read more
The conflict context in Nigeria is complex, with extremist violence affecting the northeastern party of the country and increasingly the Middle Belt as well. Across Nigeria, Inter-communal conflicts are fueled by access to resources and complicated by issues of ethnic or religious identity. In the Niger Delta, conflict dynamics are complicated by economic interests and … Read more