Mediation of Peace Practices in Online Activism: A study of social movements experiences

In many world regions, the increasing use of online media platforms is often linked with the options created for individuals and organisations to co-create spaces for diverse causes, including peace activism. In Kenya, these platforms have expanded options for people previously excluded from mainstream social, economic, and political activities, i.e., new services such as mobile money transfer and early crisis warning and reporting systems. In this study, I argue that while the increased use of online media platforms may expand opportunities to further peace and justice goals, there are specific ways in which they can exacerbate conflicts in volatile situations. A critical assessment of relevant literature shows a considerable focus on rudimentary access to available media platforms while neglecting social processes by which these platforms become significant for peace activism. Therefore, this study examines how the increasing use of online media has helped shape peace activism because of expanded options for individuals to co-create and disseminate content, including unregulated material. This is because these media practices may impose undesirable consequences on established conflict resolution norms. The study administered 241 cross-sectional survey questionnaires to members of the public and 18 structured interviews to peacebuilding organisations in the counties of Nairobi and Nakuru, Kenya. In this thesis, I highlight several contributions to peace activism practices in volatile situations. First, emerging citizen media practices apply to peace activism because they can influence how individuals and organisations access and engage in actions furthering or undermining peace goals. Empirical data analysed shows how the strategies by which people forge ties with others’ concerns may help shape peace activism with positive and negative implications for inter-ethnic relations. Second, civil society groups play a vital role in co-creating and curating communicative practices for peace activism. Third, the increasing online media use can shift the dynamics of risks and conflicts for individuals and organisations because of the varying options for diverse actors to influence elements constituting peace activism. Therefore, I conclude that the increasing use of online media for activism is relevant because the emerging media practices can help shape peace activism with positive and negative implications for inter-ethnic relations and electoral peace. Furthermore, this study offers a structured approach to investigating the impact of online media platforms on activism. Thus, this study’s original contribution in the context of the ongoing quest for sustainable peace in Kenya lies in a systematic empirical analysis combining media practices of all concerned parties to understand its influence on how they appropriate, negotiate and enact the logic of peace and conflicts.