Fwd: The Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention: Now Open for Business!

[Patrick Meier]

Hi All, submissions for the first part of this challenge closes on Nov 29th.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA) <smend...@usaid.gov>
Date: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 5:19 PM
Subject: The Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention: Now Open for Business!
To: "Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA)" <smend...@usaid.gov>
Cc: "Goldenbaum, Mark (DCHA/DRG/HR)" <mgold...@usaid.gov>, "al...@humanityunited.org" <al...@humanityunited.org>

Friends and partners,

A few weeks ago, we told you about USAID and Humanity United’s Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention which encourages individuals from all backgrounds to bring new perspectives to some of the most daunting issues surrounding atrocity prevention.  Additionally, you may have seen Deputy Administrator Steinberg’s post on USAID’s Impact Blog describing the rationale for this new initiative.

We write now to let you know that our first two sub-challenges launched today on our website, thetechchallenge.org, and we are now accepting submissions for these two sub-challenges:

1. Develop technologies to better identify and spotlight intentional or unintentional third-party enablers of atrocities (e.g. non-state actors such as multinational corporations, financial institutions or those who provide logistical support).

2. Develop technologies that can enable the documentation of relevant evidence that may be used to deter or hold perpetrators accountable, while minimizing the risk posed to those collecting this information.

Humanity United and USAID will award prizes totaling $10,000 per challenge for creative ideas and prototypes that respond to the identified problem statements.  

We are very excited to hear your ideas. That said, you don’t need to submit an idea in order to participate. We also need your help again in spreading the word about our first two sub-challenges and encouraging your networks to apply.  Please share our website and the short video to anyone you think might be interested.

Join our Twitter Q&A. Humanity United is hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. Send your questions now to @HUTweets and follow #genprevtech tomorrow to learn more about the tech challenge.

Please contact  Mark Goldenbaum at USAID (mgold...@usaid.gov) or Abby Long at Humanity United (al...@humanityunited.org) for more information.  

Thank you for your support,

 

Sarah

 

Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson

Deputy Assistant Administrator

Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Assistance

USAID

smend...@usaid.gov

(202) 712-0353

[Kevin WYJAD]

FYI

 

Kevin WYJAD

UN World Food Programme

Mobile: +39 346 341 7535

Skype: kjwyjad

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[David Carment]

Thanks Patrick - in some respects this is quite bizarre though I
understand the rationale by which it is being proposed.

Almost every night our TVs are flooded by first hand visual accounts
of atrocities committed by state and non state actors - in the Middle
East and around the globe.

That "we" are so obviously enablers to these processes in so many
different ways would easily (using the guidelines specified
below) bring the finger pointing back to "us"

Perhaps we should not be so smug about our presumed lack of complicity



dc

At 02:38 AM 11/22/2012, Patrick Meier wrote:
>Hi All, submissions for the first part of this challenge closes on Nov 29th.
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA)
><<mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov>
>Date: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 5:19 PM
>Subject: The Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention: Now Open for Business!
>To: "Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA)"
><<mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov>
>Cc: "Goldenbaum, Mark (DCHA/DRG/HR)"

><<mailto:mgold...@usaid.gov>mgold...@usaid.gov>,
>"<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org"
><<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org>

>
>
>Friends and partners,
>
>A few weeks ago, we told you about USAID and Humanity United's Tech
>Challenge for Atrocity Prevention which encourages individuals from
>all backgrounds to bring new perspectives to some of the most
>daunting issues surrounding atrocity prevention. Additionally, you
>may have seen Deputy Administrator Steinberg's

><http://blog.usaid.gov/2012/10/applying-new-and-existing-technologies-to-atrocity-prevention/>post

>on USAID's Impact Blog describing the rationale for this new initiative.
>
>We write now to let you know that our first two sub-challenges

>launched today on our website,<http://thetechchallenge.org/>

>thetechchallenge.org, and we are now accepting submissions for these
>two sub-challenges:
>
>1. Develop technologies to better identify and spotlight intentional
>or unintentional third-party enablers of atrocities (e.g. non-state
>actors such as multinational corporations, financial institutions or
>those who provide logistical support).
>
>2. Develop technologies that can enable the documentation of
>relevant evidence that may be used to deter or hold perpetrators
>accountable, while minimizing the risk posed to those collecting
>this information.
>
>Humanity United and USAID will award prizes totaling $10,000 per
>challenge for creative ideas and prototypes that respond to the
>identified problem statements.
>
>We are very excited to hear your ideas. That said, you don't need to
>submit an idea in order to participate. We also need your help again
>in spreading the word about our first two sub-challenges and
>encouraging your networks to apply. Please share

>our<http://thetechchallenge.org/> website and
>the<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGo867Qs2g> short video to

>anyone you think might be interested.
>
>Join our Twitter Q&A. Humanity United is hosting a Twitter chat on
>Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. Send your questions now to

><http://twitter.com/hutweets>@HUTweets and follow
><http://twitter.com/#genprevtech>#genprevtech tomorrow to learn more

>about the tech challenge.
>
>Please contact Mark Goldenbaum at USAID

>(<mailto:mgold...@usaid.gov>mgold...@usaid.gov) or Abby Long
>at Humanity United
>(<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org) for more

>information.
>
>Thank you for your support,
>
>
>
>Sarah
>
>
>
>Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson
>
>Deputy Assistant Administrator
>
>Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Assistance
>
>USAID
>

><mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov
>
><tel:%28202%29%20712-0353>(202) 712-0353

>
>--
>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>Groups "Conflict Prevention" group.
>To post to this group, send email to preventin...@googlegroups.com.
>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
>preventing-conf...@googlegroups.com.
>For more options, visit this group at
>http://groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en.

David Carment
Professor of International Affairs,
CDFAI Fellow and Editor - Canadian Foreign Policy Journal
www.cdfai.org
www.carleton.ca/cifp
www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp
www.carleton.ca/~dcarment

[Helene]

Thanks Patrick and I fully echo David! Furthermore, as David has pointed in many of his articles on early warning, trying to understand and then monitor dynamics and underlying processes would be huge step forward towards warning and prevention... hopefully this will be integrated - and favoured - rather than too heavy a focus on high tech, with the hope that it will solve all (very often, just reading properly news and twitter would be enough to know...)

All the best

Helene 

On Thu, Nov 22, 2012 at 1:37 PM, David Carment <david_...@carleton.ca> wrote:

Thanks Patrick - in some respects this is quite bizarre  though I understand the rationale by which it is being proposed.

Almost every night our TVs are flooded by first hand visual accounts of atrocities committed by state and non state actors - in the Middle East  and around the globe.

That "we" are so obviously  enablers to these processes  in so many different ways  would    easily (using the guidelines specified below) bring the finger pointing back to "us"

Perhaps we should not be so smug about our presumed lack of complicity



dc

At 02:38 AM 11/22/2012, Patrick Meier wrote:

Hi All, submissions for the first part of this challenge closes on Nov 29th.


---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA) <<mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov>
Date: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 5:19 PM
Subject: The Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention: Now Open for Business!

To: "Mendelson, Sarah (DCHA/AA)" <<mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov>
Cc: "Goldenbaum, Mark (DCHA/DRG/HR)" <<mailto:mgold...@usaid.gov>mgold...@usaid.gov>, "<mailto:along@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org" <<mailto:along@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org>


Friends and partners,

A few weeks ago, we told you about USAID and Humanity United's Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention which encourages individuals from all backgrounds to bring new perspectives to some of the most daunting issues surrounding atrocity prevention.  Additionally, you may have seen Deputy Administrator Steinberg's <http://blog.usaid.gov/2012/10/applying-new-and-existing-technologies-to-atrocity-prevention/>post on USAID's Impact Blog describing the rationale for this new initiative.

We write now to let you know that our first two sub-challenges launched today on our website,<http://thetechchallenge.org/> thetechchallenge.org, and we are now accepting submissions for these two sub-challenges:

1. Develop technologies to better identify and spotlight intentional or unintentional third-party enablers of atrocities (e.g. non-state actors such as multinational corporations, financial institutions or those who provide logistical support).

2. Develop technologies that can enable the documentation of relevant evidence that may be used to deter or hold perpetrators accountable, while minimizing the risk posed to those collecting this information.

Humanity United and USAID will award prizes totaling $10,000 per challenge for creative ideas and prototypes that respond to the identified problem statements.

We are very excited to hear your ideas. That said, you don't need to submit an idea in order to participate. We also need your help again in spreading the word about our first two sub-challenges and encouraging your networks to apply.  Please share our<http://thetechchallenge.org/> website and the<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGo867Qs2g> short video to anyone you think might be interested.

Join our Twitter Q&A. Humanity United is hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. Send your questions now to <http://twitter.com/hutweets>@HUTweets and follow <http://twitter.com/#genprevtech>#genprevtech tomorrow to learn more about the tech challenge.

Please contact  Mark Goldenbaum at USAID (<mailto:mgold...@usaid.gov>mgold...@usaid.gov) or Abby Long at Humanity United (<mailto:along@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org) for more information.

Thank you for your support,



Sarah



Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson

Deputy Assistant Administrator

Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Assistance

USAID

<mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov

<tel:%28202%29%20712-0353>(202) 712-0353

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David Carment
Professor of International Affairs,
CDFAI Fellow  and Editor  -  Canadian Foreign Policy Journal
www.cdfai.org
www.carleton.ca/cifp
www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp
www.carleton.ca/~dcarment

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Dr Helene Lavoix
MSc PhD Lond
Independent Researcher 

Strategic Foresight & Warning (conventional & unconventional security)

Phone: + 33 1 47 48 13 58  - Cell Phone: + 33 673 21 29 84
Email: helene...@orange.fr  - helene...@gmail.com - helene...@redanalysis.org  
Red (team) Analysis (website): http://www.redanalysis.org/
Academic papers:  http://independent.academia.edu/HeleneLavoix

Twitter: @HLavoix

4, rue Paul Vaillant Couturier   
92300 Levallois Perret   
France

"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong—these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history." Winston Churchill - House of Commons, May 2, 1935

[John Packer]

Nice to see your work advancing, Patrick.

Just to echo David and Helene, with whom I fully concur, I would suggest that fuller grasp of well-established notions such as agency, dependency, clientalism, etc. would, together with existing information (from popular media, twitter, etc.), yield sufficient evidence which, with competent analysis, already enables us to know about, i.e. foresee, and even to stop/prevent such atrocities.  

I have long-maintained that information is simply not the problem.  Indeed, we must be careful not to perpetuate this myth and the related excuse "If only we knew..."  The related myth/proposition of "If only we had better information..." (so we can know better or more exactly, and earlier) tends to under-lay the principal propositions supporting a "tech fix".

In my opinion, we already know... and technology will neither substantially improve the analysis nor, much less, address the main problems of responsibility and accountability.

As you know, I am all in favour of a continually improving science and art of violence reduction and prevention.  But let's ensure we get the balance right in our investments and avoid perpetuating myths which support too widespread excuses for what are simply irresponsible actions and avoidance of accountability.

Best regards and wishes,

John (these days in Yemen helping the UN SASG to nudge along the peace process) 

To post to this group, send email to preventin...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to preventing-conf...@googlegroups.com.

[David Carment]

John
I was thinking more along the lines of moral hazard - everything
from aiding and arming rebels groups and states engaged in atrocities
and attacking unarmed civilians to providing air cover and covert
support to armed groups engaged in toppling governments (and
committing atrocities while they do so) to providing humanitarian
assistance (feeding refugees or war?) to providing recognition for
break away states and armed militias.

Sometimes the mere acts of doing and saying nothing is a signal to
states and armed groups they can attack with impunity. Its quite
easy to trace culpability back to third parties and those third
parties are often those working at cross purposes with other arms of
their own government. The idea that "we" stand above it all is just
silly. A little refinement is in order. The clear separation of early
warning from early response is a good start.


hope your holiday shopping is going well
dc

>"<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org"
><<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org>

>
>
>Friends and partners,
>
>A few weeks ago, we told you about USAID and Humanity United's Tech
>Challenge for Atrocity Prevention which encourages individuals from
>all backgrounds to bring new perspectives to some of the most
>daunting issues surrounding atrocity prevention. Additionally, you
>may have seen Deputy Administrator Steinberg's

><<http://blog.usaid.gov/2012/10/applying-new-and-existing-technologies-to-atrocity-prevention/>http://blog.usaid.gov/2012/10/applying-new-and-existing-technologies-to-atrocity-prevention/>post

>on USAID's Impact Blog describing the rationale for this new initiative.
>
>We write now to let you know that our first two sub-challenges
>launched today on our

>website,<<http://thetechchallenge.org/>http://thetechchallenge.org/>
><http://thetechchallenge.org>thetechchallenge.org, and we are now

>accepting submissions for these two sub-challenges:
>
>
>1. Develop technologies to better identify and spotlight intentional
>or unintentional third-party enablers of atrocities (e.g. non-state
>actors such as multinational corporations, financial institutions or
>those who provide logistical support).
>
>2. Develop technologies that can enable the documentation of
>relevant evidence that may be used to deter or hold perpetrators
>accountable, while minimizing the risk posed to those collecting
>this information.
>
>Humanity United and USAID will award prizes totaling $10,000 per
>challenge for creative ideas and prototypes that respond to the
>identified problem statements.
>
>We are very excited to hear your ideas. That said, you don't need to
>submit an idea in order to participate. We also need your help again
>in spreading the word about our first two sub-challenges and
>encouraging your networks to apply. Please share

>our<<http://thetechchallenge.org/>http://thetechchallenge.org/>
>website and
>the<<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGo867Qs2g>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGo867Qs2g>

>short video to anyone you think might be interested.
>
>Join our Twitter Q&A. Humanity United is hosting a Twitter chat on
>Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. Send your questions now to

><<http://twitter.com/hutweets>http://twitter.com/hutweets>@HUTweets
>and follow
><<http://twitter.com/#genprevtech>http://twitter.com/#genprevtech>#genprevtech

>tomorrow to learn more about the tech challenge.
>
>Please contact Mark Goldenbaum at USAID
>(<mailto:mgold...@usaid.gov>mgold...@usaid.gov) or Abby Long
>at Humanity United

>(<mailto:al...@humanityunited.org>al...@humanityunited.org) for more

>information.
>
>
>Thank you for your support,
>
>
>
>Sarah
>
>
>
>Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson
>
>Deputy Assistant Administrator
>
>Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Assistance
>
>USAID
>
><mailto:smend...@usaid.gov>smend...@usaid.gov
>

><tel:%28202%29%20712-0353><http://tel:%28202%29%20712-0353>(202) 712-0353

>
>
>--
>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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>To post to this group, send email to

><http://mailto:preventin...@googlegroups.com>preventin...@googlegroups.com.

>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to

><http://mailto:preventing-conflict%2Bunsu...@googlegroups.com>preventing-conf...@googlegroups.com.

>For more options, visit this group at

><http://groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en>http://groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en.

>
>
>David Carment
>Professor of International Affairs,
>CDFAI Fellow and Editor - Canadian Foreign Policy Journal

><http://www.cdfai.org>www.cdfai.org
>www.carleton.ca/cifp
><http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp>www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp

>www.carleton.ca/~dcarment
>
>
>
>--
>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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>
>
>
>
>--
>Dr Helene Lavoix
>MSc PhD Lond
>Independent Researcher
>Strategic Foresight & Warning (conventional & unconventional security)
>
>Phone: + 33 1 47 48 13 58 - Cell Phone: + 33 673 21 29 84
>Email:

><http://mailto:helene...@orange.fr>helene...@orange.fr -
><http://mailto:helene...@gmail.com>helene...@gmail.com -
><http://mailto:helene...@redanalysis.org>helene...@redanalysis.org
>Red (team) Analysis (website):
><http://www.redanalysis.org/>http://www.redanalysis.org/
>Academic
>papers:
><http://independent.academia.edu/HeleneLavoix>http://independent.academia.edu/HeleneLavoix
>Twitter: <https://twitter.com/HLavoix>@HLavoix

>
>4, rue Paul Vaillant Couturier
>92300 Levallois Perret
>France
>
>"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple
>and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until
>the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring
>gong�these are the features which constitute the endless repetition
>of history." Winston Churchill - House of Commons, May 2, 1935
>
>
>--
>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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>
>
>
>
>
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>For more options, visit this group at
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[John Packer]

Dear David,

I think we mean quite similar if not the same things.  In legal terms,
we tend to use notions of "attribution", "responsibility", and
"liability" or "culpability" (for crimes).  It's basically the matter
of drawing/establishing connections ("tracing", as you say).  Yes,
"doing and saying nothing" are "acts of omission" with equal
significance (and responsibility) in context; cf the notion of
"negligence".

Technology can help with these... but it's far from the centre of these
issues (for which we have an abundance of information, almost too
much!).

Cheers!
John

> >gong葉hese are the features which constitute the endless repetition

[David Carment]

willful blindness? - or perhaps something more?
do you mean
bill clinton's response to genocide in rwanda- " I don't want to
know about it"

or perhaps Susan Rice's - 'what will be the effect on elections in congress"?

or maybe our unwillingness to recognise pakistan as a destructive
force on stability in afghanistan

usaid might have a greater impact with its proposed funding if it
scruitinzed its own government's actions

the buck stops somewhere in there

>> Carment ><<http://mailto:david_...@carleton.ca>david_carment@ca

>> to ><http://mailto:preventin...@googlegroups.com>preventing-
>> conf...@googlegroups.com. >To unsubscribe from this group, send
>> email
>> to ><http://mailto:preventing-conflict%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.c

>> om>preventing-conf...@googlegroups.com. >For more
>> options, visit this group
>> at ><http://groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en>http:
>> //groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en. >
>> >
>> >David Carment
>> >Professor of International Affairs,
>> >CDFAI Fellow and Editor - Canadian Foreign Policy Journal
>> ><http://www.cdfai.org>www.cdfai.org
>> >www.carleton.ca/cifp
>> ><http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp>www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcfp
>> >www.carleton.ca/~dcarment
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >You received this message because you are subscribed to the
>> Google >Groups "Conflict Prevention" group. >To post to this
>> group, send email

>> to ><http://mailto:preventin...@googlegroups.com>preventing-
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>> email
>> to ><http://mailto:preventing-conflict%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.c

>> om>preventing-conf...@googlegroups.com. >For more
>> options, visit this group
>> at ><http://groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en>http:
>> //groups.google.com/group/preventing-conflict?hl=en. >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >Dr Helene Lavoix
>> >MSc PhD Lond
>> >Independent Researcher
>> >Strategic Foresight & Warning (conventional & unconventional security)
>> >
>> >Phone: + 33 1 47 48 13 58 - Cell Phone: + 33 673 21 29 84

>> >Email: ><http://mailto:helene...@orange.fr>helenelavoix@orange.

>> fr
>> - ><http://mailto:helene...@gmail.com>helene...@gmail.com
>> - ><http://mailto:helene...@redanalysis.org>helene...@redanalysis.org
>> >Red (team) Analysis
>> (website): ><http://www.redanalysis.org/>http://www.redanalysis.org/
>> >Academic >papers: ><http://independent.academia.edu/HeleneLavoix>h
>> ttp://independent.academia.edu/HeleneLavoix
>> >Twitter: <https://twitter.com/HLavoix>@HLavoix
>> >
>> >4, rue Paul Vaillant Couturier
>> >92300 Levallois Perret
>> >France
>> >
>> >"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be
>> simple >and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of
>> counsel until >the emergency comes, until self-preservation

>> strikes its jarring >gong�'�hese are the features which constitute