This dissertation examines Colombia as a distinctive case in Latin America and the Caribbean, marked by overlapping economic, social, and political crises and a recent shift toward a progressive government. The escalation of these crises, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered mass protests in 2020 and 2021, culminating in the Colombian social outcry. These protests combined street demonstrations with the growing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). During this period, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) played a key role in defending the civil and political rights of protesters, many of whom belonged to their target populations. In this context, the COVID-19 confinements generated a distancing effect, reducing interaction between NGOs and their target populations. Both had to modify their communication, increasingly relying on ICTs. The digital transition in the Colombian non-governmental sector occurred amid significant digital gaps and operational burdens that affected its work. Nevertheless, Colombian NGOs responded rapidly and unconventionally, as they have done on the front line of other crises, while target populations also engaged proactively and resiliently through digital tools. Situated in the field of reflexive and critical development studies, this research advances a novel conceptual framework built on three interconnected pillars. First, Networks for Transformation positions the study within the dynamics of horizontal communication networks and the inclusion-exclusion logics of the information society. Second, Development Communication shifts the focus from communication infrastructures to the actors and their interaction processes, often overlooked in the first pillar. Third, Transformative Action, a recent concept in critical development studies, emphasizes the role of awareness, knowledge, and agency, both individual and collective, in transforming social reality. This research employs an instrumental case study approach, using the example of an online mobilization initiated and led by Colombian NGOs in 2020. The mobilization began with a petition signed by 256 NGOs and was followed by a social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter/X. Around 620 posts addressed the uncertainty and disruptions faced by the non-governmental sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 2020 to 2022 via an online survey, 31 semi-structured interviews with NGO leaders, and two focus groups with target populations. The study examines online social mobilization through qualitative network analysis and capacity building through the development communication approach. I argue that these communication processes realized by digital technologies can shape transformative action. The analysis contributes to ongoing debates on development and digitalization involving civil society actors. Findings indicate that online communication and mobilization present both opportunities and pitfalls in engaging in transformative action. New channels of communication among NGOs and their target populations were created through WhatsApp groups, videoconferencing, social networks, and learning platforms. Online communication and mobilization also broadened participation geographically and cost-effectively. However, NGOs and their target populations lean towards a hybrid form of communication combining online and in-person interactions. Key challenges include the potential loss of on-site engagement when relying solely on ICTs, limited technological infrastructure, low digital literacy, and the lack of a digital culture.
Mayra Alejandra Martin Espinosa (Mon,) studied this question.