Webinar: Data for Peace: How Novel Data Sources and Technology Can Enhance Peace?

Webinar Overview

Date and Time: 14 July 2025 , 2:00 PM (BST)
Location: Zoom

Data for Policy, in collaboration with Cambridge University Press, hosted this special session as part of its ongoing Zoom talk series to explore the transformative potential and critical limitations of using data and emerging technologies in peacebuilding.

Drawing on insights from the Data for Peace special collection in the Data & Policy journal, the webinar brought together leading experts working at the intersection of data science, technology, and peacebuilding to address a critical question:

Can data and technology truly contribute to peace in a time when they are increasingly used to fuel conflict?

This timely conversation offered a nuanced and thought-provoking perspective on how digital innovation can support peacebuilding efforts—while also grappling with the geopolitical, ethical, and practical challenges that come with it.

About Speakers

• Stefaan Verhulst – Co-Founder and Chief Research and Development Officer, The GovLab (New York University); Editor-in-Chief, Data & Policy; Director, Data for Policy CIC

• Michele Giovanardi – Digital Peacemaking, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

• Evelyne Tauchnitz – University of Lucerne

• Martin Wählisch – Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government (CAIG), University of Birmingham

• Moderator: Innar Liiv – Tallinn University of Technology

Webinar Highlights

• The discussion explored how data and technology can enhance early warning systems, enable more effective conflict prevention strategies, and support timely humanitarian interventions.

• Panellists examined the risks and opportunities of dual-use technologies, tools that can be applied for both peaceful and military purposes and debated how to promote their responsible use for peacebuilding.

• Speakers reflected on the limitations of purely quantitative methods in peace mediation. They emphasised the importance of local knowledge, qualitative insights, and community trust in shaping effective interventions.

• The webinar questioned how digital technologies are reshaping our understanding of peace itself moving beyond the absence of conflict to consider how data flows, online platforms, and AI systems influence human relationships and governance.

• Throughout the session, there was recognition of the broader geopolitical and ethical challenges involved in deploying digital tools for peace. Participants called for safeguards, inclusive design, and critical reflection to ensure technologies support not undermine human dignity and rights.

Access the open access editorial and peer-reviewed articles from the Data for Peace special collection in the journal Data & Policy, published by Cambridge University Press. This collection provides multidisciplinary insights and critical analyses that examine both the opportunities and challenges in using data-driven approaches to support peace. It is an essential resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in the intersection of technology, data, and peacebuilding.

To learn more about future events or to access recordings of past talks, please visit our events page.