Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V.

FIfF — the Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V. (Forum of Computer Scientists for Peace and Social Responsibility) — is a German non-profit, nationwide voluntary association founded on 2 June 1984 out of the peace movement. It was originally named Forum Informatiker für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung and emerged from a historical moment when its founding members openly resisted the NATO Double-Track Decision, which included the stationing of nuclear intermediate-range missiles in Europe. They sought to break the silence of a profession that was heavily involved in the development of automated and informatised warfare, and to see information and communication technology used above all as a means of international understanding. The association is aimed at people who work with information technology in science or practice — primarily computer science professionals — but it sets no formal qualification criteria for members. Rather than focusing on purely technical aspects of IT, members deal above all with its social consequences. FIfF describes itself as a critical professional association for computer scientists. It is headquartered in Bremen and, according to its own figures, has around seven hundred members. Core themes and values include strengthening data protection and fundamental rights in the digital age; criticism of the use of IT for control and surveillance; the impact of IT on armaments, including the problem of cyberwar; criticism of the primarily economic orientation of technology and promotion of a humane and ecological direction, including ecologically and socially compatible economic cycles with the help of IT (e.g. Green IT); human-centred design of work processes; equal participation of people with disabilities in and through IT; images of humanity and society held by technicians; and gender questions in computer design and use as well as in the tech community. The association brings its knowledge and positions into social and scientific debates in many ways: publications, lectures, workshops, conferences, projects, demonstrations, campaigns, expert opinions, consultations, participation in legislative consultation processes, background talks, interviews, discussion rounds and expert bodies of other NGOs. Its publications include the quarterly FIfF-Kommunikation – Zeitschrift für Informatik und Gesellschaft, published since 1988 and held by various university and non-university libraries. FIfF is also a (co-)publisher of various publications, including the Grundrechte-Report and the interdisciplinary peace research journal Wissenschaft und Frieden. It organises its own conferences, including the annual FIfF-Konferenz (FIfFKon) held since its founding, and the co-created Bits & Bäume – Konferenz für Nachhaltigkeit und Digitalisierung. One of its larger campaigns is the Cyberpeace campaign on the peaceful use of the internet and the necessary political framework. Projects such as Faire Computer and the Tihange-Doel Radiation Monitoring Network (TDRM) for monitoring atmospheric radioactivity have gained broader recognition. Regional groups regularly organise Stammtische and workshops such as Cryptopartys, digital orientation rounds, themed working groups, or in Berlin the FIfF-Nahen Observierungs- und Rekontextualisierungs-Debattier-Stammtisch (FNORDS). Demonstration activities span a broad spectrum, from co-organising the anti-drone-war demonstration Stopp Air Base Ramstein to the Festtafel der Freiheit. Examples of joint campaigns include the manifesto of the self-declared Ausgeschnüffelt – Verfassung schützen, Geheimdienste abschaffen campaign and the Zensus2021 census campaign criticising the upcoming data collection of the German population. Activities are realised alone or with cooperation partners such as universities, the Chaos Computer Club, Amnesty International, EDRi, the Initiative Abrüstung Wählen, Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, Netzpolitik.

FIfF was founded on 2 June 1984 as the Forum Informatiker für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung, emerging from the German peace movement. Its founding members openly resisted the NATO Double-Track Decision, which provided for the stationing of nuclear intermediate-range missiles in Europe, and they wanted information and communication technology to be used above all as a means of international understanding. The association was created out of a historical situation in which it was necessary to break the silence of a profession that was so significantly involved in the development of automated and informatised warfare. Since then its goals have differentiated, but its values have remained the same. Over the decades FIfF developed into a nationwide, non-profit association for people who work with information technology in science or practice, especially computer science professionals. It sees itself as a critical professional association but sets no formal qualification criteria for members. Its headquarters are in Bremen, and according to its own figures it has around seven hundred members. Its core themes include strengthening data protection and fundamental rights in the digital age; criticism of the use of IT for control and surveillance; the impact of IT on armaments including cyberwar; criticism of the primarily economic orientation of technology and promotion of a humane and ecological direction including Green IT; human-centred design of work processes; equal participation of people with disabilities in and through IT; images of humanity and society held by technicians; and gender questions in computer design and use and in the tech community. FIfF brings its positions into social and scientific debates through publications, lectures, workshops, conferences, projects, demonstrations, campaigns, expert opinions, consultations, participation in legislative consultation processes, background talks, interviews, discussion rounds and expert bodies of other NGOs. Its quarterly journal FIfF-Kommunikation – Zeitschrift für Informatik und Gesellschaft has appeared since 1988 and is held by various university and non-university libraries. FIfF is also a (co-)publisher of publications including the Grundrechte-Report and the interdisciplinary peace research journal Wissenschaft und Frieden. It organises its own conferences, including the annual FIfF-Konferenz (FIfFKon) held since its founding, and the co-created Bits & Bäume – Konferenz für Nachhaltigkeit und Digitalisierung. One of its larger campaigns is the Cyberpeace campaign on the peaceful use of the internet and the necessary political framework. Projects such as Faire Computer and the Tihange-Doel Radiation Monitoring Network (TDRM) for monitoring atmospheric radioactivity have gained broader recognition. Regional groups regularly organise Stammtische and workshops such as Cryptopartys, digital orientation rounds, themed working groups, or in Berlin the FIfF-Nahen Observierungs- und Rekontextualisierungs-Debattier-Stammtisch (FNORDS). Demonstration activities span a broad spectrum, from co-organising the anti-drone-war demonstration Stopp Air Base Ramstein to the Festtafel der Freiheit. Joint campaigns include the manifesto of the self-declared Ausgeschnüffelt – Verfassung schützen, Geheimdienste abschaffen campaign and the Zensus2021 census campaign criticising the upcoming data collection of the German population. Activities are realised alone or with cooperation partners such as universities, the Chaos Computer Club, Amnesty International, EDRi, the Initiative Abrüstung Wählen, Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, Netzpolitik.org, BUND, Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland and c-base. The association is a co-signatory of the joint declaration of the Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung against the data retention project and supported the Freiheit statt Angst demonstrations. FIfF is also a member of the Kooperation für den Frieden. Since 2010 the association has awarded an annual FIfF study prize for outstanding theses in the context of informatics and society. Since 2018 the prize has been dedicated as the Weizenbaum-Studienpreis to the scientist and computer pioneer Joseph Weizenbaum, honouring his contributions to a critical view of informatics. The prize aims to encourage students and researchers in the qualification phase to engage in a well-founded and differentiated examination of questions in the field of informatics and society, to recognise outstanding achievements of young academics and to draw public attention to the topic of the works and the special achievements of the prize winners. FIfF has also awarded the Weizenbaum-Medaille since 2018 for a lifetime achievement in critical informatics. The award emphasises the significance of informatics for social development and insists on long-term critical public engagement with the findings and artefacts of informatics. The first Weizenbaum-Medaille was awarded in 2018 at the FIfF conference in Berlin to Wolfgang Coy for his extraordinary contributions to the field of informatics and society.

• 2018

  The study prize is renamed Weizenbaum-Studienpreis; the Weizenbaum-Medaille is awarded for the first time, to Wolfgang Coy at the FIfF conference in Berlin.

• 2010

  FIfF begins awarding an annual study prize for outstanding theses in informatics and society.

• 1988

  The quarterly journal FIfF-Kommunikation – Zeitschrift für Informatik und Gesellschaft begins publication.

• 1984

  FIfF founded on 2 June 1984 as Forum Informatiker für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung, emerging from the peace movement.

Critical professional association for computer scientists and IT practitioners, focused on the social consequences of information technology, peace, disarmament, data protection and surveillance critique.

• FIfF-Kommunikation – Zeitschrift für Informatik und Gesellschaft

  Quarterly journal published since 1988, held by various university and non-university libraries.

• FIfF-Konferenz (FIfFKon)

  Annual conference held since the association's founding.

• Bits & Bäume – Konferenz für Nachhaltigkeit und Digitalisierung

  Co-created conference on sustainability and digitalisation.

• Weizenbaum-Studienpreis

  Annual prize since 2010, dedicated to Joseph Weizenbaum since 2018, for outstanding theses in informatics and society.

• Weizenbaum-Medaille

  Awarded since 2018 for a lifetime achievement in critical informatics.

• Grundrechte-Report

  Publication co-published by FIfF.

• Wissenschaft und Frieden

  Interdisciplinary peace research journal co-published by FIfF.

1. 1FIfF e.V. – FIfF e.V.fiff.de
2. 2Über uns – FIfF e.V.fiff.de
3. 3FIfF – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org