Networking justice: digitally-enabled engagement in transitional justice by the Syrian diaspora
Abstract
Digital communication technologies (DCTs) introduce new opportunities and challenges for diaspora to advance transitional justice. This article proposes three DCT-enabled mechanisms that shape diaspora engagement with transitional justice politics and processes, developed through an analysis of diaspora responses to rights violations in Syria. First, diaspora can promote transitional justice aims through connective action: loosely-coordinated, transnational mobilizations using social media. Second, DCTs enable diaspora to contribute to crowdsourced documentation of rights violations. Third, diaspora seeking to advance transitional justice may face digital repression by authoritarian governments in their original homelands. The article shows how DCTs may alter the means and opportunities for diaspora to engage in transitional justice activities, including in situations of ongoing conflict or repression in their original homelands. It also demonstrates how digital spaces are strategically engaged by activists, civil society organizations, state governments, and other actors seeking to advance or contest transitional justice aims.
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Many but not all scholars only include the use of digital tools for repression as digital repression; this is incomplete and misses other aspects of what is new about some forms of digital repression.
“Although many, but not all (12), scholars only include the use of digital tools for repression as digital repression (13), we argue below that this is incomplete and misses other aspects of what is “new” about some forms of digital repression.”
From Physical and virtual repertoires of contention (2022) · cites this paper as [12]
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- Authors
- Tenove, C.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Tenove, Chris
- ORCID
- Tenove, Chris
- Venue
- Ethnic and Racial Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2019-02-11
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1950-1969
- ISSN
- 0141-9870 (ISSN-L)
- 1466-4356
- OpenAlex
- W2913735993
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 13.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ethnic and Racial Studies (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (756-2014-0679)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › War, Law, and Justice
- Social Sciences › Demography › Diaspora, migration, transnational identity
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Peacebuilding and International Security
- Keywords
- transitional justice, Syrian diaspora, digital communication tools, social media mobilization, digital repression, authoritarian repression, rights violations, transnational activism, civil society organizations
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