Por:
Tatiana Milena Joiro Rodríguez
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Fecha:
2017
The field of Communication for Development and Social Change (CDSC henceforth) has enriching practices in peacebuilding contexts, especially in post-conflict and fragile states, with the use of approaches like behaviour change, edutainment and participatory media that aim to contribute to peace goals of reconciliation and reconstruction of social fabrics. Despite this, what happens ‘on the field’ has not been translated into theoretical developments of CDSC and peacebuilding studies, with few exceptions like Citizens’ Media (Rodríguez, 2000), Communication for Peace (Hoffmann, 2013) and ICT for Peacebuilding (Hattotuwa, 2004).
Based on the above-mentioned frameworks and retaking the seminal CDSC works of Andreas Fuglesang (1982), this dissertation explores the potentialities and uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs henceforth) in one of the most sensitive aspects for reconciliation in post-conflict countries, collective memory. Particularly, the research seeks to explore methods used by the organisations and its dialogue with local expressions of memory in the creation of content and narratives that might contribute to the local peacebuilding processes.
This is done through two case studies of memory-related initiatives in Colombia that use digital literacy and content production as part of their process. The first case study is the Alfabetizaciones Digitales (AD, Digital Literacies in Spanish), a project of the National Centre for Historical Memory, that worked with victims’ memory initiatives in the creation of websites and multimedia content. The second is Revelando Barrios (RB, Revealing Barrios in Spanish) an initiative of the NGO Ciudad Comuna based on social photography with youngsters of the Comuna 8 of Medellín, Antioquia.
Using a methodology that combines Key Informant Interviews, content and data analysis, the main findings pointed to three aspects. First, that there is a general pattern of non-deterministic ICT use in both projects, with potential to foster ‘empowering’ collective actions and inter-generational dialogue. Second, the content analysis allowed the identification of a potential influence of what Fuglesang calls ‘conventions’ of digital language -i.e. the rules for writing on the web- in the content produced for the AD case study. Thirdly, that the main limitations of ICT use are those linked to the digital divide and the sustainability of the process; though, it is noted that participants and implementers developed solidarity mechanisms to alter the limitation of access to Internet and devices such as photo cameras.
Dissertation awarded with Distinction, Award for Best Dissertation 2017 of the Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics, University of Reading.
Fuente:
Biblioteca Virtual Banco de la República
Formatos de contenido:
Tesis
