#11 Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob on Social Norms, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration

During this episode, Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob drops by the Cognitive Crucible to discuss with John Bicknell his strategic communications research as well as his work with the United Nations global program focused on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) missions. Dr. Jacob observes that many strategic communications campaigns tend to focus on messaging and messaging strategy. He asserts, however, that these components should be secondary and that understanding networks is a critical component for any successful strategic communications campaign. Shifting the focus to networks and influences tends to drive social norms. We also discuss a course he teaches at the US Army War College: The Media in War and Peace which explores the role of the media in war and in peace including the techniques adopted by state and non-state actors to influence media performance before, during and after violent conflicts.

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Bio: Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob is Visiting International Scholar in the International Studies program at Dickinson College. Dr. Jacob earned his Ph.D. in Communications Studies, with a focus on strategic communications, from the University of Leeds in the UK. Dr. Jacob has worked with the United Nations on the revision of the Public Information and Strategic communications module of the Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards during peace operations. He also leads Dickinson College’s Bridge Program which provides educational opportunities to young people from regions of the world experiencing conflict and natural disasters—and for whom higher education would otherwise be impossible. Dr. Jacob co-leads the development of a methodological and ethical guide for violent extremism research at the RESOLVE Network--a research program hosted at the US Institute of Peace.

Find out more about the Virtual Panel on Convergence and Information Advantage, which is co-sponsored by IPA and AFCEA Alamo Chapter.

IPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

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