Forum computer scientists for peace and social responsibility
| Forum computer scientists for peace and social responsibility | |
|---|---|
|
|
| legal form | registered association |
| founding | 2nd June 1984 |
| Seat | Bremen |
| Chair | Stefan Hill |
| Members | 700 (2019) |
| Website | www.fiff.de |
The Forum Computer Scientists for Peace and Social Responsibility e. V. (FIfF) is a non-profit association that emerged from the peace movement in 1984 and is active throughout Germany for people who deal with information technology in science or practice (especially IT specialists ). He is less concerned with the technical aspects of information technology, but primarily with their social effects.
The association sees itself as a critical professional association for IT specialists , but does not set any formal criteria for the qualifications of its members. The association, based in Bremen , claims to have around a thousand members.
Core issues
The core themes and values of the FIfF include:
- Strengthening data protection and fundamental rights in the digital age
- Criticism of the use of information technology for control and monitoring
- the impact of information technology on armaments, including cyber warfare
- Criticism of the primarily economic orientation of technology and the promotion of a humane and ecological orientation, including ecological and socially acceptable economic cycles with the help of information technology
- humane design of work processes
- Equal participation of people with disabilities in and through information technology
- Technicians' images of people and society
- Gender and gender issues in computer design and use as well as in the tech community
Activities and projects
The association brings its knowledge as well as its positions and views into social debates in various ways; for example through publications, lectures, workshops, conferences, projects, demonstrations, campaigns, expert information, advice or through participation in legislative consultation processes, background talks, interviews, discussion groups or in expert bodies of other NGOs.
The publications include, for example, the quarterly "FIfF-Kommunikation - Zeitschrift für Informatik und Gesellschaft", which has been published quarterly since 1988 and which is also obtained from various university and non-university libraries. The FIfF is also the (co-) editor of various publications, such as the Fundamental Rights Report and the interdisciplinary scientific journal for peace research Science and Peace .
Lectures are another form of communication; in addition to contributions at other conferences, separate conferences are also organized. This includes the FIfF conference (“FIfFKon”), which has been held annually since it was founded, and the “Bits & Trees - Conference for Sustainability and Digitization” that has been created in cooperation.
One of the larger campaigns is the Cyberpeace campaign, which deals with the peaceful use of the Internet and the necessary political framework. The Faire Computer projects and the “Tihange-Doel Radiation Monitoring Network” (TDRM) for monitoring atmospheric radioactivity there also achieved widespread awareness. In addition, the FIfF regularly organizes round tables and workshops in its regional groups, such as crypto parties, digital orientation rounds, topic-related working groups or in Berlin the “FIfF-Nahen Observierungs- und Recontextualisierungs-Debattier-Stammtisch” (FNORDS).
The demonstration activities cover a wide range of topics and different formats, from helping to shape the anti-drone war demonstration "Stop Ramstein Air Base" to the "Freedom Party Table". Examples of community campaigns are the manifesto of the self-explanatory “Sniffed Out - Protect Constitution, Abolish Secret Services” campaign or the Census2021 census campaign, which criticizes the upcoming data collection of the German general population.
The activities are carried out alone or with cooperation partners, for example with various universities, the Chaos Computer Club , Amnesty International , EDRi , the concept work Neue Ökonomie, Netzpolitik.org , the BUND , the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany or the c-base .
The association is a co-signatory of the joint declaration of the working group on data retention against the “project” data retention and supported freedom instead of fear demonstrations. The FIfF is also a member of the Cooperation for Peace .
Weizenbaum Study Prize
Since 2010, the association has been awarding the FIfF study prize annually for outstanding theses in the context of computer science and society. Since 2018, the Weizenbaum Study Prize has been dedicated to the scientist and computer science pioneer Joseph Weizenbaum in recognition of his contributions to a critical look at computer science. The aim of the award is to encourage students and scientists in the qualification phase to deal with questions from the field of computer science and society in a well-founded and differentiated manner, to recognize outstanding achievements of young scientists and to draw the public's attention to the topic of the work and the special achievements of the award winners.
Wheat Tree Medal
The FIfF has also been awarding the Weizenbaum Medal since 2018. The award of the prize is also intended to emphasize the importance of computer science for social development and to encourage critical, public discussion of the findings and artifacts of computer science.
For the first time, the 2018 Weizenbaum Medal was awarded to Wolfgang Coy at the FIfF conference in Berlin for his extraordinary services in the field of computer science and society .
Working method
The FIfF would like to warn the public about developments in the field of computer science that they consider harmful and to counter possible dangers with their own ideas. The FIfF regularly issues press releases on this. The work is coordinated by the board. It is supported by the advisory board in scientific matters.
Regional groups and regional projects
There are also various regional groups, for example in Aachen, Berlin, Bremen, Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt. For example, the Aachen regional group operates the network for monitoring atmospheric radioactivity in the region, the Tihange - Doel Radiation Monitoring Network (TDRM). Often short-term or long-term collaborations with other domestic and foreign initiatives and organizations are maintained.
Members
Joseph Weizenbaum , German-American computer pioneer, science and media critic, is co-founder of the FIfF and was a member of the board until his death in March 2008
The advisory board is made up of scientists from various disciplines, including:
- Wolfgang Coy , Professor of Computer Science at the Humboldt University in Berlin
- Christiane Floyd , professor of computer science at the University of Hamburg and founding chairwoman of the FIfF
- Herbert Kubicek , Professor of Applied Computer Science at the University of Bremen
- Constanze Kurz , computer scientist, non-fiction author and one of the spokespersons for the Chaos Computer Club
- Frieder Nake , mathematician, computer scientist and pioneer of computer art
- Alexander Roßnagel , lawyer and professor at the University of Kassel
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ FIfF - Forum Computer Scientists for Peace (ed.): Birthday party for the critical computer scientists . Network Friedenskooperative ( friedenskooperative.de [accessed September 4, 2007]).
- ↑ About us! FIfF eV, accessed on February 1, 2020 .
- ↑ No military operations on the Internet! FIfF's cyberpeace campaign , accessed on July 23, 2015 .
- ^ FIfF communication. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ^ FIfF conference website. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ↑ Bits & Trees conference page. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ^ Cyberpeace campaign page. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ↑ Fair computers. Accessed December 1, 2018 .
- ↑ TDRM website. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ↑ FNORDS in Berlin. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ^ Action office Ramstein campaign. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ↑ Website of the FIfF banquet table. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ^ Website of the AK Census. Retrieved February 13, 2019 .
- ↑ Cooperation for Peace. Accessed December 1, 2018 .
- ↑ FIfF donates the Weizenbaum Prize (FIfF eV); accessed on March 22, 2018
- ↑ Information on the study award (FIfF eV); Retrieved March 5, 2016
- ↑ FIfF eV ; accessed on September 20, 2018