Bridging the distance : locating power and agency within hybrid cases of digital peacebuilding in Yemen

Abstract

This paper explores the role of international actors in promoting peacebuilding in Yemen through the digital space. Civil war in Yemen has seen an increase in the use of the digital technologies as tools for warfare as well as peacebuilding. Within this context international and local actors engage in hybrid cases of digital peacebuilding which may represent steps towards the implementation of bottom-up, participatory peacebuilding approaches. This paper therefore aims to distill the location of power and agency in interactions between international and local actors. A qualitative research approach utilizing document analysis and key informant interviews provides concrete examples to explore the research question: how do international actors use digital spaces to promote peacebuilding in Yemen? Findings illustrate the conditions under which digital peacebuilding programs promote hybrid peace arrangements which reflect the diversity of local needs as well asinternational agendas.