Technology for Peace: Difference between revisions

===Needs Assessment at the time of launching===

As the political situation stood at the time, the Tech4Peace project provided the only form of communication in a bicommunally structured system between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The ban on direct bicommunal contacts and events had consequently raised the Tech4Peace project to a new level of significance. For the first time, citizens engaged in peace building had in fact been able to sustain communication through periods of paralysis of the rapprochement efforts resulting from political reasons and impasse. Through e-mails and chatting they could keep the citizen peace process alive, sustaining motivation through difficult times, while anticipating possible progress on the political level. In fact, a number of bicommunal groups which have been active through regular meetings were then requesting training and participation in the Tech4Peace project as the only means of sustaining communication and continuity for their work.

Using technology to promote communication and peace activities in a conflict area like Cyprus, in which physical access was restricted at the time, was a top priority on the agendas of those who wished to support rapprochment.  The need for communication between the two sides was obvious.  The fact that hundreds of people who were involved in bicommunal activities communicate through emails was to a large degree due to the fact that dozens of people received direct training by Tech4Peace and dozens of others regularly called and requested help, contact information or technical support by Tech4Peace.  Volunteers had invested hundreds of hours supporting all those who wished to stay in contact with the other side.

Moreover, a new Coordinating Group has been formed in each respective community which is making full use of the group e-mailing system that we have set up in the context of the initiative (currently, the members of the Coordinating Group are working with their respective groups to introduce them in Tech4Peace and encourage them to use and benefit from the infrastructure that is creating).  In this context sustaining and further developing of the project has far reaching repercussions for the cause of peace in Cyprus, particularly by way of sustaining citizen involvement, in spite of the periodic political odds.

The facilities made available by Tech4Peace did not entail only a means of communication, but also a hi-tech type of infrastructure which could be used for a vast range of projects and activities. In that sense, the need and also the opportunity of the project was to optimize its utilization by adding informational content to the system and inviting citizens to utilize it efficiently and effectively.

In addition to providing a sustainable means of communication, internet exposes peacebuilders from both communities to global information.  The fact, for example, that within a few minutes, one can access first-hand information on most recent issues (e.g. EU-Cyprus relations, Palestinean-Israel disputes etc.) or read about the mission and activities of all types of organizations (e.g. Peace Centers, funding organizations, government agencies etc. world-wide).