It’s time to apply 21st century tools and innovative thinking to the problems which increasingly threaten even the most stable countries. Our work with local peacebuilders has convinced us of technology’s potential to prevent and stop violence. Humanity’s unprecedented ability to send money, pictures, information, and ideas around the globe at the push of a button is giving rise to peacetech applications across a spectrum of issues.

Learn about the progress we’ve made and read impact stories from our on-the-ground programs.

Stories From the Field.

Youth Push Back Against Hate Speech in Cameroon.

Achaleke Christian Leke was born in an area of Cameroon known for violent extremism, including kidnappings, religious conflicts, and “jungle justice.” Though radicalized himself at a young age, Achaleke has since transformed into an internationally recognized peacebuilder with the founding of his organization, Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC). LOYOC brought together more than 30 youth bloggers, comedians, spoken word artists, musicians, actors, and activists from around Cameroon for a hands-on workshop on countering online hate speech. PeaceTech Lab’s Social Media and Conflict in Cameroon: A Lexicon of Hate Speech Terms is used prominently by LOYOC as a tool for helping youth influencers in the country understand what terms can be considered inflammatory and identify alternative messages for spreading peace across Cameroon’s social media platforms.

Dharavi’s “Tech Girls for Change” Build App to Protect Women.

At PeaceTech Exchange Mumbai, a group of poised teenage “Girls for Change” hailing from the Dharavi slums presented their prototype app designed to help women defend themselves from sexual assault. Called “Women Fight Back,” the girls were able to publish their app in the Google Play Store with guidance from PeaceTech Lab. The “Girls for Change” have been featured by Forbes, Mashable, The Guardian, Al-Jazeera, Business Insider, and TechAsia and have inspired young girls around the world.

Sawa Shabab Superfan Becomes Internationally Recognized Peace Advocate.

In 2014, when fighting between rebels and South Sudanese militia caused thousands of deaths and forced over a million people to flee their homes, university student Banychieng was listening intently to messages of peace broadcast weekly through PeaceTech Lab’s Sawa Shabab radio program. An active user of SMS and social media, Banychieng enjoyed responding to the questions on co-existence, youth empowerment, personal responsibility, and gender equality posed at the end of each show. He and other Sawa Shabab “superfans” looked for ways to translate their online activities into offline action, attending trainings in conflict resolution, leadership, and learning how technology could be used to mobilize youth for positive community-building. Banychieng has since met with 600 secondary school students, encouraging them to participate in theater, music, and sports and holds weekly radio listening sessions to further engage local youth with Sawa Shabab. Banychieng’s peacebuilding efforts were honored by the U.S. Institute of Peace in 2017 when he was chosen as a Peace Youth Leader.