The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Please note location change: event now being held in WAPPP Cason Conference Room, Taubman Building, Room 102 (15 Eliot Street, Cambridge).
A seminar with Martha Myers, MENA Operations Director, ARK Group.
Everyone, including Bashar Al-Assad, ISIS, the opposition, and Jihadists, has a narrative about what has happened and what is happening in Syria. Everyone villainizes the other. Everyone represents themselves as the source of salvation, earthly or otherwise. Everyone seeks to dehumanize and demoralize the other. So whose narrative is correct? Why is narrative important? How are narratives being used in this conflict? Can we support some kind of decent outcome by contributing to the cacophony?
Co-sponsored by the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) Middle East Forum.
Martha Myers has over 30 years of experience in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and the Sultanate of Oman. Her professional experience includes having worked for non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, and donor agencies. She has conceptualized, designed, and managed a full spectrum of response including humanitarian/emergency, resilience, and development. Areas of particular interest include civil society development, capacity building of people and organizations, gender, and advocacy.