Digitalization encompasses digital data creation (e.g., (geo)datasets, images), digital tool development (e.g., apps, websites), or use of online/offline digital technologies in particular processes (e.g., communication, monitoring). The widespread notion that a digital divide of unequal access to the benefits of digitalization occurs at the global level and within countries motivates efforts to improve both digital infrastructure and literacy, often bolstered by top-down resource transfer. Yet this narrative of dependency differs from the historic ability of grassroots movements to actively mobilize knowledge and resources to reconfigure adverse material conditions and power relations.

Scattered reporting shows that grassroots leaders seek different forms of digital technologies, aware of their importance to the struggles. Movements for data justice and indigenous data sovereignty keep rising. A digital transformation from the ground up may not only be paving the way for just and diverse futures, but also for a much-needed alternative understanding of digitalization.

While deploying digital processes as part of their strategies for transformation, communities face implementation trade-offs that are poorly understood and theorized. Key examples are: 1) the online visibility the transformative struggles clashes with safeguarding anonymity and security of community leaders of environmental defenders against repression or retaliation; 2) the availability of practical, and robust digital tools may transgress the environmental and social responsibility; and 3) the use of digital technologies versus alternative allocations of limited energy, materials or money.

This session calls for case studies of critical engagement of (place-based or networks of) grassroots transformative initiatives with digitalization. This session's objective is twofold: 1) to discuss tradeoffs the digitalization processes, 2) to socialize ways in which such tradeoffs are being addressed in transformative or reparative experiences pursuing environmental justice and biocultural diversity.

Organizer: Beatriz Rodriguez-Labajos

Please submit abstracts to Beatriz Rodriguez-Labajos at beatriz.rodriguez@upf.edu by 15 December 2023.

Modality: Hybrid