*5.2. Over-Reliance on Information and Communication Technologies*

ICT for conflict prevention has had some high-profile successes, such as the Ushahidi project's mapping of election violence<sup>1</sup> and Una Hakika's countering of misinformation through its "WikiRumours" software.<sup>2</sup> At their best, ICTs facilitate information sharing, communication and coordination, all of which are essential for collective action. Yet, they are not neutral tools, and their deployment is both shaped by and shapes political economy. Where violence arises from a breakdown in communication or a lack of accurate information, tools that improve these can theoretically help to prevent violence (Martin-Shields 2013). However, of course, ICTs are not a panacea. Trust is a crucial element in peacebuilding (De Juan and Pierskalla 2014), and where this is low, ICTs may not be e ffective (Leach 2016). So far, evidence on the impact of technology-enhanced conflict prevention initiatives is mixed. Projects have often misfired, promoting supply-driven technical fixes, introducing unfamiliar and unsustainable technology and pushing technological solutions onto political problems (Leach et al. 2015).
