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SUMMARY:Digital Fact-Finding Without Borders: Transnational Advocacy in th
 e 21st Century - Steven Livingston (Carr Center\, Harvard University\; Geo
 rge Washington University)
DTSTART:20170523T140000Z
DTEND:20170523T153000Z
UID:TALK72507@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sharath Srinivasan
DESCRIPTION:All are welcome to a talk\, followed by a drinks reception\n\n
 *In this paper* Livingston argues that in documenting violations of broadl
 y shared norms\, contemporary human rights advocacy organizations rely on 
 three often imbricated digital affordances -- capabilities that are realiz
 ed by the design of a technology.  High-resolution remote sensing satellit
 es and geographical information systems create geospatial affordances that
  allow for panoptic surveillance by nonstate actors\; digital network affo
 rdances allow for the collection and analysis of data on digital networks\
 , such as social media and purpose-built software and websites\; and foren
 sic affordances allow for the collection and analysis of otherwise illegib
 le physical evidence. \n\nThese ideas are used to update a core concept of
  international relations Constructivist scholarship\, generally\, and tran
 snational advocacy theory\, specifically.  According to Keck and Sikkink\,
  at the core of transnational advocacy networks (TANs) is the “productio
 n\, exchange\, and strategic use of information.” To rectify abusive pra
 ctices\, local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) exchange information a
 nd services with larger and more prominent international NGOs (INGOs). In 
 turn\, INGOs enlist other powerful allies to join in pressuring on an abus
 ive state into closer compliance with broadly shared international norms. 
  \n\nNorms propagation and enforcement of this sort are important to gover
 nance of the international system.  Keck and Sikkink refer to this as the 
 boomerang model after its orbicular flow of information.  Information exch
 ange assumes a relatively benign environment where local and international
  human rights investigators enjoy direct physical access to the site of th
 e alleged abuse and to one another. Yet unstable and violent conditions of
 ten place international investigators and their local counterparts at grav
 e risk\, making access impossible. Even where access is allowed\, the dest
 ruction of physical evidence constitutes a serious encumbrance to informat
 ion gathering.  Where the repression of local populations is severe\, acce
 ss by external investigators unlikely\, and the retrieval of physical evid
 ence improbable\, standard models of information exchange are problematic.
   In these circumstances\, information exchange facilitated by often imbri
 cated digital technologies fills some of the void. Even where access is al
 lowed\, data collected by digital technologies often corroborates (or not)
  data gathered by conventional fact-finding missions.  \n\nIn this way\, L
 ivingston updates information exchange to the digital age.  Secondly\, bec
 ause digitally-enabled fact-finding by INGOs and TANS erodes the control o
 f knowledge of the affairs within a state’s recognized borders\, counter
 measures have emerged in recent years.  Time permitting\, Livingston will 
 also describe the methods and strategies used by abusive states to push-ba
 ck on digitally-enabled fact-finding missions.  This typically involves in
 formation campaigns designed to undermine the authority and credibility of
  the organizations and even individuals associated with war crimes and abu
 se documentary\non efforts.  \n\nOur Speaker:\n\n*Steven Livingston* studi
 es the role of advanced technology in governance and the provisioning of p
 ublic goods\, including human security and rights. He is working on a book
  and several articles about human rights organization use of commercial re
 mote sensing satellites\, DNA sequencing technology\, and digital networks
 . Human rights groups use these technologies in their fact-finding and mon
 itoring initiatives. His past work examined the use of mobile phones and d
 igital mapping technologies by NGOs and community based organizations (CBO
 s) in “areas of limited statehood"\, places where the state fails to pro
 vide basic\nservices. Using these technologies\, NGOs and CBOs leverage mo
 bilizing efficiencies of digital platforms to fill in some of the governan
 ce void. At George Washington University\, he is Professor of Media and Pu
 blic Affairs and International Affairs with appointments in the School of 
 Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) and the Elliott School of International Af
 fairs (ESIA). He is also a faculty associate of the Space Policy Institute
  at GW. He is also a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at 
 the Harvard Kennedy School\, Harvard University. In 2016\, he was also a v
 isiting scholar at the Brookings Institution and in spring 2017 a visiting
  professor at St. Gallen University\, Switzerland. He also serves on the S
 cientific Freedom and Responsibility Committee of the American Association
  for the Advancement of Science.
LOCATION: Room SG2\, Alison Richard Building\, 7 West Road\, Cambridge\, C
 B3 9DT
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