Issue Brief: Mobile Technology for Conflict Prevention

Currently, 6.8 billion people use mobile phones daily. Subscriptions in developing countries are projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 7.5 percent; more rapid than the 2.8 per cent growth rate expected in developed countries. Emerging social movements, including those witnessed throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere in both the North and South, have demonstrated the relevance and impact of Information and Communications Technologies
(ICTs) on governance and conflict transformation processes. Through low cost tech like SMS technology, people’s voices are being heard in new ways, creating opportunities to mobilize
support at the local and global levels like never before.