Facebook jumps on ‘world peace’ train

Facebook has hopped aboard the peace train with its new “Peace Dot” domain. Part of Stanford University’s “Peace Dot” campaign, http://peace.facebook.com, allows visitors to analyze Facebook connections between publicly warring factions — say, friend invites between Israelis and Palestinians, or sharing among U.S. liberals and conservatives.

“Peace Dot” is the brainchild of Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab — which markets itself as an attempt to harness computing power as a force for social change. Encouraging third-party organizations to create their own “Peace Dot” sites, Stanford then helps to track the progress and share data.

“By using innovation methods and working together,” the campaign’s Web site states, “we believe substantial global peace is possible in 30 years.” (Apparently, only 8.97 percent of U.S. respondents believe it is, regardless of time scale; compared with 30-something percent for Colombians.)
Facebook is not the only “Peace Dot” peacemaker. Eighteen other groups — including CouchSurfing.com and even Safeway — have joined on, in one way or another.

“The process for increasing world peace is innovation,” says PTL director B.J. Fogg. “Together we must innovate to create more empathy, understanding, tolerance and so on.”