Google has better Ideas? We’ll see soon…

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I had the opportunity last year to attend a very interesting program, graciously sponsored by Mintz Levin (an International Law and Lobbying firm).  The program title was “Internet Freedom, Social Media and Policy-Making in the 21st Century”. I learned a lot and met some very interesting people.  One of them was Jared Cohen- then, a 28 year old Wunderkind.  Jared had worked for Condoleeza Rice in the State Department in the policy planning unit.  He stayed over to work with Hilary Clinton, where he specialized in counter-terrorism, youth, technology- and even the Middle East.  And, he explained the kind of work and things he had seen during his time there.  He left the State Department  last year to join the Council on Foreign Relations, subsequently joining Google.  He agreed to join Google to do just what he is doing now.  He heads up Google Ideas, a small (6 person?) think tank in New York. (And, no, there isn’t a website for Google Ideas.)

Summit Against Violent Extremism

And, now, Jared (and Google Ideas), the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Tribeca Film Festival are leading a forum (SAVE, Summit Against Violent Extremism).  Some 50-80 former extremists (Muslim terrorists, Nazis, gang members, Irish radicals), along with about 100 -120 business leaders, activists, and “thinkers” have just finished convening in Dublin, Ireland.  The goal was to examine if technology be employed to deradicalize the terrorist/extremist elements of the population; and if so, how?  (My notes from last year had Jared averring that technology must be part of every solution the world will need to address in the future.)

Jared Cohen believes that extremism is not relegated to a certain group- but is a universal issue with no religious, geographical, cultural, or ideological barriers.  Basically, the reasons why a 13 year old South Central (LA) teen joins a gang, a Midwestern high school student joins a neo-Nazi group, and a Middle Eastern woman becomes a suicide bomber are all the same.   As such, we need to qualify and quantify these common factors.  [I remember reading a very scholarly book on terrorism a few years ago- it had the same premise, and it was very elucidating.  No, I can’t recall the author’s name.]

This new Google effort is not being accepted by the many of the established “think tanks”.  Many are annoyed that Google Ideas is involved, at all.  And, still others think that this sort of effort is the purview of government, not private enterprise.  [Obviously, not Republicans or Tea Party members among this bunch.]

We all should look forward to the report(s) that derive from this event.  Hopefully, now that it is over, the news blackout will be lifted.

Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.

 

Closing thoughts from the conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDuI5Wz29gM

A YouTube channel exists (for the former extremists)

Against Violent Extremism has a website

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6 thoughts on “Google has better Ideas? We’ll see soon…”

  1. Google has my thrust thus far. And I support their ideas until proven differently. Recently I had a Microsoft vs. Google debate and people were complaining how Google is influencing our lives more and more…

    I can only say that Google never lied to me so far, and Microsoft did. Therefore… I am firm supporter of their work. Them expanding on peace solutions is a move that I salute. Technology can bring us peace I believe, it’s up to us to use it.

    1. Bojan:
      That is not the thrust of the blog- and Microsoft has it’s own think tank, of sorts.
      I am agnostic in the Google v. Microsoft debate. (You may not think so after one of my posts in July- but I am!)
      I have STRONG considerations against cloud services and storage. But, that also was not the thrust of the blog.
      I AGREE wholeheartedly with your next to last sentence.
      The last sentence is the issue- technology is amoral. It’s use may be moral, immoral, or amoral. It is up to us to render it among the first or last choices; current political situations force me to cringe as they have chosen the “middle”!
      Thanks for the comments and the visit.
      I look forward to you visiting again (and posting some very cool stuff).
      Roy

  2. It sounds like a fascinating “idea” – pardon the pun. I don’t know why other think tanks would have a problem with Google entering the cogitating fray???

    1. The concept (nightmare?), Tor, is that this is the purview of government and not a think tank.
      Also, many have expressed views that naught would come of it- and it could be a vehicle to spread violence. (Since it is now over, I can report no such occurrence was noted.).
      Thanks for dropping in.
      Roy

  3. The part where they say that extremism is not relegated to one group caught my attention the most. For years now enough of targeting has been done; loads of people were dragged into the plot in the name of some faceless terrorism. Well, “results” will be something I will be waiting for whole-heartedly.

    But, Roy, I still don’t understand why people might have a problem with that. I mean, if we could get to the root cause of why people are doing what they are doing, wouldn’t it be able to clear out so many things. I am sorry, I might be slow at getting hold of this but I would love it if you could explain doc!

    1. Hajra:
      Part of it may be envy. But, there has always been an invisible line between what private industry, private philanthropy, and government efforts. That has been effacing as well- when Whittle started his for-profit school venture (virtually dead, I might add)- but now there are TONS of for-profit (and inneffectual?) colleges.
      Armies were the purview of governments- but, then, Blackwater (now Xe)- and George Bush farming out military tasks to private enterprise in Iraq…
      But, no one has tried to tackle terrorism, yet (except for perhaps the Israe-lis). The American escapade is a proxy battle- with the sole exception of the drones (which, you might recall were first used by the Israe-lis, for which they were roundly condemned). We need to recognize that terrorism is a universal phenomenon (gangs, criminals, crazies) and deal with the root causes. I have hopes that this may lead somewhere- and, eventually, involve more actors (like think tanks, governments, universities, etc.)
      Thanks for the comments.
      Roy

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