In her latest book, United Nations Unlocked: The Missing Link the UN Needs to Tackle Global Terrorism and the Coming Tech Tsunami Dr. Karen Judd Smith presents a dynamic social technology innovation sorely needed by the United Nations and other multi-national organizations. No longer in a post-world war century, the UN is confronting an exponential rise of technology inherent with its capacity for great good as well as its emerging ability to pose lethal cyber-physical threats. Many of these new technologies are readily acquired by terrorist groups and employed in ways unforeseen even less than a decade ago. New technologies can be especially problematic as they afford criminal and terrorist interests a much wider range of asymmetrical attacks, ways to disrupt financial institutions, government agencies and energy grids, including nuclear facilities.Â
Unfortunately, for the UN as well as all of the humanity it represents, methods that worked in the previous century are abysmally ill-equipped for the constantly changing landscape generated by the never-ending onslaught of technological advancements. Combining her knowledge of change leadership with proven corporate strategies, Dr. Smith outlines a social technology application that allows an organization to devise agile responses to threats of every kind such as changing markets, natural disasters, climate disruptions, terrorist attacks, international crime, political corruption, and civil war and social upheaval.Â
United Nations Unlocked is a fascinating read for anyone wondering if there is hope at the highest levels of our human experience, if there is any way for us to find our way to survive and thrive as a global society rather than continue to meltdown in the fission of intra- and international conflagrations. Dr. Smith provides a fresh look at the dangers we face coupled with great big opportunities the challenges of this century point us toward. There is less and less time for us to consider our options as technology will not slow down for anyone, and windows of opportunity do close, sometimes without even a whimper. Her call for the UN with its Member States and the tech community to come together in an innovative manner. While it is hopeful only if the call receives an adequate response, the possibilities are exciting.Â
For anyone who takes global citizenship seriously, or is in support of the UN and want to see its ongoing work have even greater impact and influence, this is a must read. The future is coming at us like a rolling stone that is gathering moss, and it is gaining ground every day.
