How digital tools and regional collaboration can enhance peacebuilding efforts in Asia
In an era where digital connectivity is shaping societies at an unprecedented pace, peacebuilders across Asia are confronting new challenges and discovering new opportunities. Digital tools such as social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly being used to counter disinformation, support marginalized communities, and build bridges across divided societies, making them vital instruments in modern peacebuilding efforts.
At the in-person session of the Asia Peace Innovators Forum from May 6 to 11, 2025, two Salzburg Global Fellows, Andrea Park and Darshatha Gamage, offered insights into how digital tools are reshaping peacebuilding efforts across the region. From countering harmful narratives to advocating for refugee voices, their stories reflect the complexity and promise of digital peacebuilding in Asia.
Shifting Narratives and Amplifying Voices
For Andrea, originally from Korea and now working in Singapore with Microsoft, peacebuilding intersects with technology and advocacy. As a regional AI skilling advisor, she works closely with national skills directors to advance AI skilling initiatives across government, nonprofit, and education sectors. “Outside of my work, my area of passion is uplifting and finding the voices of refugees,” she said.
Andrea recognizes both the promise and the considerations around the advancement of AI: "We have this huge opportunity to make sure that everyone has the skills they need to leverage AI.” She further emphasized, “As AI tools become more prevalent across different contexts and cultures, we need to ensure that skilling and training programs are inclusive and address the diverse needs of different communities and use cases.”
Technology as a Tool and a Challenge
In Sri Lanka, Darshatha leads initiatives at Impact Voices and previously worked at Hashtag Generation. He has spent years analyzing online spaces to identify hate speech, disinformation, and violent narratives, especially during election cycles.
His team has worked with major tech companies and social media platforms including Google, Facebook, and TikTok to monitor online spaces and combat disinformation. They also helped develop real-time systems for verifying and responding to harmful content, but challenges persist. “Technology has become more accessible, but the knowledge and the skill, as well as the ability to use it in a positive way, has not been transferred to the community. So, technology has kind of grown faster than our understanding of it,” he explained.
AI and Digital Skilling: A Shared Future
Both Fellows see AI and digital education as critical to future peacebuilding efforts. Andrea compared it to when we first discovered the internet, or even electricity, saying that "It’s a tool that you need to learn how to use safely and wisely.” She further explained that “if we work towards the same goal and building it together, then it can actually be something that’s used to create the foundations of peace.”
Darshatha added, “It connects us to a lot of people and stories that we did not know of. We are able to listen to people from all over the world and learn what’s happening.” He explained that this connection helps “open our minds to new possibilities” and think differently about the world.
Defining Sustainable Peace in a Digital Age
For both Andrea and Darshatha, digital peacebuilding must also reflect values of inclusion, mutual respect, and continuous dialogue.
“Sustainable peace for me is one where everyone is seen and heard, and does not live in fear of differences,” said Andrea. “Through digital tools, they have the right platforms to be able to learn about other people’s opinions and voices, but also project theirs as well, without fear of retaliation.”
Darshatha reflected on what peace means to him personally, explaining, “We are not being limited, we are not being forced, we’re not being harassed in any way. We have our own independence to do things, and we also don’t infringe on other people’s rights.”
Together, their insights underscore that sustainable peace in the digital age depends on ensuring individuals have freedom, respect, and the ability to engage openly across diverse perspectives.
The Power of Cross-Cultural Collaboration
At the core of both Fellows’ work is a belief in collaboration. “There’s strength in us working together in our solutions, because we’re also working with global trends and global companies,” said Darshatha. “Rather than just me or Sri Lanka working on it, if we can have a broader cohort in the region coming together, I think that’s the best way to do it.”
Andrea summed up the impact of participating in the Asia Peace Innovators Forum: “The foundation of everyone knowing we are striving towards peace across different countries, sectors, and approaches is very important.”
She added that “just the fact that there’s that fundamental foundation that we’re all peacebuilders has been such a great stepping stone to deepen conversations with that commonality.”
Andrea also reflected on the growing polarization in the world and how rare it is to find moments of genuine connection. The Asia Peace Innovators Forum offered her and other Fellows a much-needed opportunity to step away from daily routines, gather together in Salzburg, and engage deeply with other lived experiences.
Spaces like this, she noted, are increasingly vital, not just for sharing ideas, but also for gaining clarity, fostering collaboration, and returning to peacebuilding work with renewed purpose.
