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Digital humanitarianism in a kinetic war: Taking stock of Ukraine

The first war where Big Tech has actively taken a side

“The war in Ukraine – which can be described as an info-kinetic conflict – is the first war in a society with a relatively mature digital economy, a substantial tech sector (including a diaspora tech sector) and a high adoption rate of technology and digital platforms”, write Rodrigo Mena and Kristin Bergtora Sandvik in a recent blog for Global Policy.

In this blog, “Digital Humanitarianism in a Kinetic War: Taking Stock of Ukraine”, Mena and Sandvik examine the use of technology for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine, focusing on the use of Telegram and cryptocurrencies, seeking to articulate a research and policy agenda.

Rodrigo Mena is Assistant Professor of Disasters and Humanitarian Studies at the Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Kristin Bergtora Sandvik is a Professor of Legal Sociology at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo and a Research Professor in Humanitarian Studies at the Peace Research Institute Oslo.