One of our new members, Gene Koo, sent in this event information which may interest you (Thanks, Gene!):

The United States Institute of Peace invites you to: Smart Tools For Smart Power: Simulations and Serious Games for Peacebuilding

From 9am-3:30pm
RSVP for the event at: http://smarttools.eve...

Please join USIP's Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding for a full-day multimedia showcase of state-of-the-art simulation and "serious gaming" tools that promise to transform the way that peacebuilding organizations train, plan and collaborate. Gain practical insights from a diverse range of innovators, including IBM, EBay, the Army War College, Lockheed Martin, and Second Life.
RSVP at http://smarttools.eve... to register and see specific tools being presented. Pre-registration is required. Lunch will be provided.
If you are not in Washington DC, you may also register to watch the live video stream and participate in online discussion.
Sophisticated new technologies are transforming decision-making for corporations and militaries, but the organizations that seek to mitigate violent conflict have yet to take full advantage of cutting-edge simulations, analytics, serious games and other technology-enabled decision-support and collaboration tools.
This session will provide hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge, best in class "serious games" and simulation tools, some with current application to conflict management and some to inspire new ideas for the peacebuilding community. You will see how governments, militaries, businesses and NGOs are applying the latest online and scenario-driven simulations and 3D virtual environments to sharpen decision-making skills and lay the foundation for more effective operations, negotiation, and cooperation.
Please join us, and be part of USIP's effort to help the peacebuilding community adapt these state-of-the-art tools to better prevent, manage, and resolve armed conflict.
Presenters
• Col. Philip Evans
Director, Operations & Gaming Division, U.S. Army War College
• Jason Dechant
Strategy, Forces and Resources Division, Institute for Defense Analyses
• Colin Rule
Director, Online Dispute Resolution, EBay
• Stan Litow
President, IBM International Foundation
• Scott Sechser
Second Life Government Affairs, Linden Lab
• Charlie Hargraves
3D Immersive Virtual Environment Program, Lockheed Martin
• Jon Wilkenfeld
Director, Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland
• Skip Cole
Senior Program Officer, Education and Training Center, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Steve York
Producer, "A Force More Powerful," York Zimmerman
• Sheldon Himelfarb, Moderator
Associate Vice President, Center of Innovation for Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding, U.S. Institute of Peace
Registered attendees will receive a more detailed agenda in advance of the event.
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This event is part of the Center's ongoing "Smart Tools for Smart Power" initiative to identify cutting-edge technologies that may enable peacebuilding organizations to better prevent and resolve violent conflict through data-driven decision-making, information sharing, analytics, and online collaboration.
If you would like more information about the initiative, please contact Joel Whitaker ([masked]) and Anand Varghese ([masked]).
The "Smart Tools for Smart Power" initiative is led by the US Institute of Peace's Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding, co-sponsored by USIP's Education and Training Center and Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, in partnership with the 3D Security Initiative of Eastern Mennonite University and Lockheed Martin's Center for Innovation.
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RSVP for the event at: http://smarttools.eve...