Twittering for Peace: Narratives on Otherness and Social Leaders in the Colombian Post-Conflict Time

This dissertation delves into the complex processes of creating meaning around the concept of Otherness in narratives of resistance, particularly after the Peace Agreement (2016) between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP. The focus is on discourse within social media, specifically examining Twitter, to understand how digital narratives reflect and could shape societal views on marginalized groups, notably at-risk social leaders (globally recognized as Human Rights Defenders), both men and women. The central question of this research investigates the potential impact of Twitter narratives on the reinterpretation of the Other in post-conflict Colombia.

The study utilizes a mixed methodology approach, connecting interdisciplinary fields such as digital humanities, post-conflict studies, and discourse analysis. This approach enables an in-depth exploration of sociocultural dynamics within digital environments. The first part of the analysis provides an examination of the construction of meaning through social mobilization on Twitter in a post-conflict context. The second part consists of an analysis of the resonance of political messages on Twitter by Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez and the public acknowledgment of Otherness.

The findings suggest narrative patterns and shifts in the conceptualization of endangered social leaders. Several patterns reveal the perception of social leaders within contrasting frameworks of war and peace. Moreover, the analysis highlights new narrative markers towards recognizing affected communities and advocating for life-affirming practices, as well as the significance of women in the development of these semantic shifts.