The Power of Trusted Sources

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We have to come back together again at that level. People are really subsumed into getting into the big national debates, oftentimes in social media platforms where they're sort of anonymized and a lot less respectful. Once some one passes through that threshold of being heard and respected, even if they're disagreed with, they tend to be a much more constructive participant in that group. They ask more questions. They're less willing to support violence or nastiness against the other side,. r whatever it might be.

How many technologists have traveled to Niger, or the Balkans, or Rwanda, to learn the lessons of peacebuilding? Technology and social media are creating patterns and pathways of conflict that few people anticipated or even imagined just a decade ago. And we need to act quickly to contain the effects, but we don't have to reinvent the wheel. There are people, such as this episode’s guest, Shamil Idriss, CEO of the organization Search for Common Ground, who have been training for years to understand human beings and learn how to help them connect and begin healing processes. These experts can share their insights and help us figure out how to apply them to our new digital habitats. “Peace moves at the speed of trust, and trust can’t be fast-tracked,” says Shamil. Real change is possible, but as he explains, it takes patience, care, and creativity to get there.