Participation or Polarisation?
Social media and societal peace

What does it mean for peace within and between societies if a single tweet can trigger a local, national or even an international crisis which then erupts into real-world violence? What might a constructive response to the deliberate dissemination of misinformation and the fomenting of hate against others via social networks look like? What action can the international community take to curb hidden political manipulation across borders in social networks? And which opportunities do social media offer to promote peace and democratic processes? These and other questions have been explored at the Dresden Forum for International Politics 2019.

On 19 March 2019, there was a public evening event at the Dresden Frauenkirche discussing how democratic elections are influenced by social media.

This event is co-financed by tax money based on the budget agreed upon by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.