Abstract digital artwork showing distorted text with words like “create,” “harmonize,” and “disrupt” – symbolising the conflicting forces at play in peace influencing and digital communication.
Information and Cognitive Warfare The role of social media in shaping public discourse

Rethinking Influence in the Age of Algorithmic Warfare

In today’s landscape of information warfare, where war influencing has become a prevalent force, using digital communication to divide, manipulate, and destabilise; peace influencing could serve as a vital counterstrategy. This article explores digital peace through the lens of peace journalism and media theory, tracing how narratives shape conflict and cohesion alike. It examines the historical role of media in war, the transformation brought by social platforms, and how strategic communication is now being reclaimed to foster dialogue, empathy, and democratic resilience. From global grassroots efforts to evolving norms in digital communication, it argues that influencing for peace is no longer idealistic, but necessary.

By Alissa Chmiel
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Blurred human face partially obscured by strands of glowing lights, symbolising cognitive overload, digital entanglement, and the loss of mental clarity in the age of algorithmic influence.
Information and Cognitive Warfare Uncategorized

The Hidden Democratic Cost of Cognitive Offloading 

We increasingly let machines think for us, not just in everyday choices, but in how we navigate reality itself. Cognitive offloading describes this process of delegating mental tasks to external systems. What begins as a tool for convenience can quietly erode our ability to notice, remember, and decide for ourselves. As artificial intelligence mediates how we access information, make decisions, and even perceive the world, this quiet handover of our cognitive autonomy is not only convenient, but becoming dangerous. This article explores how cognitive offloading undermines our ability to think critically, and why that erosion poses a structural threat to our democracies.

By Alissa Chmiel
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Person holding up a rectangular mirror that replaces their face, reflecting only blue distortion. The background shows a metallic shutter in digital blue tones. A metaphor for emotional loss of self in the age of social media.
Information and Cognitive Warfare

Why Emotional Intelligence is a Democratic Skill

In an age where outrage is monetised and emotional manipulation is engineered at scale, emotional intelligence is no longer a wellness trend, but becoming a democratic necessity. This article explores why individual emotional resilience should be recognised as a key pillar of democratic resilience in the 21st century and how developing it could be the most overlooked defence against digital polarisation and political manipulation.

By Alissa Chmiel
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Digital Peacebuilding Information and Cognitive Warfare The role of social media in shaping public discourse

The Blurring Line between War and Peace

Have you ever considered how your likes and shares on social media could be enlisting you in an invisible war? Welcome to the age of information warfare, where digital platforms have become battlegrounds for shaping public opinion and social norms. This article explores how our online interactions contribute to this warfare, highlighting the urgent need for strategies to protect digital peace and uphold democratic foundations.

By Alissa Chmiel
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