Promoting Societal Development through Digital Activism: A Case Study of a Guatemalan Tragedy

Digital activism is on the rise as activist organizations worldwide rely on information and communication technology (ICT) to mobilize public support for their causes. In this article, we focus on ICT’s capabilities to cultivate values relevant to societal development in environments characterized by political repression. We examine how activist organizations can use ICT to bypass barriers in traditional communication channels, enabling them to promote values perti-nent to broader societal development. Our findings demonstrate how ICT enables activists to challenge dominant narratives by presenting alternative perspectives, which are then integrat-ed into a unified message that amplifies values of solidarity and accountability. We propose that these capabilities stem from the interplay of two distinct and innovative framing mechanisms: divergent framing and convergent framing. This study advances the IS research literature by enriching our understanding of ICT’s role in opening spaces that contribute to the reinforcement of values essential for advancing societal development.