peace.bjfogg.com

We can increase peace in the world

Because of the power of innovation, I believe substantial world peace is possible in 30 years. Today, we already have peace in many regions and in our personal lives, but we have a long ways to go before we've achieved substantial global harmony. I'm optimistic we'll get there.

Some disagree with me about the prospects for global peace. And they may be right: We may fail. But I think it's only rational to do what we can now – to innovate for greater peace in our lives and in the world.

Good things are happening now

Consider, for example, the impact of Facebook over the last two years alone. Over 200 million people have joined the service in two years, building relationships and understanding. Many connections cross borders. I don't yet have scientific data on the impact of Facebook, but I would wager this one company has increased peace – and our potential for peace – in ways we would not have thought possible 10 years ago.

My work at Stanford now includes a major project on peace innovation, including what we call "Peace Dot." My team and I have worked to make this a reality. We hope to highlight real progress toward peace and the methods that work.

We can innovate to increase peace

No one knows what the future holds. No one knows what must happen to achieve substantial world peace. This is a very hard problem, and I don't pretend to be an expert on peace. I do, however, have expertise in innovation. What I'm saying here is that we – millions of people around the world -- can use innovation methods to make the world more peaceful.

BJ Fogg

October 2009

My main website is http://www.bjfogg.com

Learn more about Peace Dot at http://peace.stanford.edu