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Technologizing Infrastructure for Peace in the Context of Fourth Industrial Revolution

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The Disruptive Fourth Industrial Revolution

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 674))

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Abstract

This chapter builds on Ayse Ceyhan’s ‘technologization of security’ thesis to suggest alternative ways of harnessing technology for peacebuilding beyond physical security. We argue that in as much as technology is key to the various dimensions of security, its current application remains overly a ‘hard security’ issue (surveillance, biometrics and military intelligence). Yet, the emerging peace and security architecture is deeply rooted in human security facets that requires multidimensional approach. Application of technology to peace and security has also been found to generate new social challenges. For example, in politically charged ethnic societies, researchers have established a significant correlation between cell phone coverage and occurrence of violence. The concern of this chapter is therefore to explore ways of harnessing the ‘constructive’ attributes of technology for peace, at the same time define the ‘negative externalities’ resulting from ‘fusion of technology’ to the infrastructure of peace (I4P) within the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) environment.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was written as part of the first author’s fellowship with the African Institute of South Africa (AISA) of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Pretoria, South Africa in 2019. We would like to sincerely thank the HSRC and AISA for granting the first author the fellowship, which facilitated field work that informed the paper. Finally, we would like to thank Moses Ogutu, a Mandela Rhodes Scholar for his invaluable research assistantship during the field work in Kenya.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Riara University, P.O.BOX 49940-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Francis Onditi

  2. Vice Chancellor, Riara University, P.O.BOX 49940-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Robert Gateru

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  1. Francis Onditi
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  2. Robert Gateru
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Correspondence to Francis Onditi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Wesley Doorsamy

  2. Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Babu Sena Paul

  3. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Tshilidzi Marwala

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Onditi, F., Gateru, R. (2020). Technologizing Infrastructure for Peace in the Context of Fourth Industrial Revolution. In: Doorsamy, W., Paul, B., Marwala, T. (eds) The Disruptive Fourth Industrial Revolution. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 674. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48230-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48230-5_3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-48230-5

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