Between transformation and domination

: a study of peasant participation in transitional justice programmes in Colombia

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to understand whether participation in reparations and development programmes allows victims of conflict to address their interests in transitional justice contexts. Using Colombia as a case-study, this thesis analyses power dynamics in peasant participation in two state-led administrative programmes: collective reparations and Territorially Focused Development Programmes. It does so by using the three-dimensional theory of power to explore who makes decisions, who sets the agenda, and how relations of domination are legitimised or obscured, underpinning the formation of invisible power. This thesis provides insights into how addressing economic and social rights in transitional societies works in practice and how participation can be used for top-down domination and/or bottom-up emancipation.The data was collected using a combination of qualitative social science methods: participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Over nine months of fieldwork (November 2017 – July 2018),seventy-three interviews were conducted, and twentyeight events were observed. By grounding data analysis in critical realism ontology, this thesis proposes possible underlying mechanisms that sustain participation in transitional justice programmes despite the low level of implementation. The thesis finds that despite the rhetoric of bottom-up participation and the promise of transformation, victims’ participation in transitional justice programmes does not transform relations of domination. The participation is confined to a pre-determined form, while predefined agendas highly influence the outcomes of participatory planning. The availability of participatory spaces, access to them, and participatory methods did not guarantee that participants would exercise decision-making or agenda-setting powers. Nevertheless, participants resisted unequal power relations by claiming space for their interests and using the unfulfilled promises to advance their political struggle.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Coventry University
Supervisor	Gordon Crawford (Supervisor), Adam Baird (Supervisor) & Kristina Dietz (Supervisor)