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Project

Una Hakika: Scaling Digital Solutions for Conflict Management in Kenya and Burma
 

Kenya
Myanmar
Project ID
108047
Total Funding
CAD 699,474.00
IDRC Officer
Phet Sayo
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
24 months

Programs and partnerships

Networked Economies

Lead institution(s)

Summary

Reducing conflict through information IDRC-funded research in Kenya's Tana Delta pilot-tested Una Hakika, a mobile phone-based information service.Read more

Reducing conflict through information IDRC-funded research in Kenya's Tana Delta pilot-tested Una Hakika, a mobile phone-based information service. The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention (Toronto) and iHub Research (Nairobi) demonstrated the potential of networked technologies to monitor and counter misinformation in a region where it was the key driver of inter-ethnic conflict, resulting in deaths and population displacements in 2012 and 2013. Una Hakika proved effective in the Tana Delta because of -high subscriber uptake -high subscriber activity during crises and times of intense rumours -positive subscriber responses to surveys and focus groups -demand by local leaders to continue the project Advancing knowledge, promoting peace Researchers, practitioners, local government officials, and funders involved in peacebuilding, security, and international development have all reacted positively to the approach. Based on the findings from the pilot phase, the project team has developed a methodology to test the roll out of Una Hakika in other cultural and geographic contexts, including other parts of Kenya and Burma. During the course of this two-year project, researchers will refine the tools and techniques for studying misinformation, continuing data collection, and advancing implementation in the Tana Delta. They will also scale up their work in Kenya and Burma. Project objectives include: -Compare the origins and flow of misinformation among communities involved in conflict in different settings (Kenya versus Burma) -Refine misinformation management tools and the techniques established during the pilot phase -Refine the theoretical framework guiding the project -Deploy misinformation countermeasures in both conflict settings -Build local community capacity to manage misinformation using the project's tools and techniques -Influence government and international organization policy to better manage misinformation