CRISIS OF THE SOCIAL: FAULTLINES, (UN)TRUTHS, AND MANIPULATION

The Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) organised a Workshop titled, ‘Crisis of the Social: Faultlines, (Un)Truths, and Manipulation’ on 23 and 24 March 2023 at the One Farrer Hotel, Singapore. The workshop aimed to deepen our understanding of the ever-changing social landscape- particularly of a marked increase in polarisation especially in multicultural contexts. This evolving social landscape observes the decline of trust in states, traditional elites, and institutions, the transcendence of identities and nationalisms beyond borders, as well as the role of social media in facilitating mobilisation along identity lines. This changing social landscape forms the backdrop of the contemporary politics of influence, interference, and competition, where identities and affinities are vulnerable to manipulation by state and non-state actors.

The workshop comprised three panels over the course of two days. The focus of the first day was on identities and the competition for influence, and conspiracy and populism in the digital age. The first panel explored a range of issues including exploring the transnational links between Hindutva and the Western far-right, mitigating polarisation through education, and the Chinese politics of outbound student migration. The second panel titled “Conspiracy and Populism in the Digital Age”, focused on the impacts of authority-led conspiracy theories in China during the COVID-19 pandemic; how the health and wellness space online is enabling conspirituality and far-right extremism; and the rise of media populism and polarisation in the Philippines. The second day explored ‘The Status of the Social’, which focused on the complex relationship between ethnic diversity and trust, the rise of “Culture Wars” in Singapore, and the lessons learnt from the United States of America on misinformation, conspiracies, polarisation, and distrust.

Nine speakers from institutions in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Philippines, and Singapore shared their insights. Workshop participants included members of the Singapore civil service, the private sector, and academia involved in examining issues on intersectionality, polarisation, far-right extremism, hate speech and other national security topics.

This report summarises key points from the panel speakers’ presentations. Key takeaways made by participants during the syndicate discussions and the Q&A sessions, are included at the end of each panel section.