Broadening conceptualizations of transitional justice through using technology: ICTs in the context of Justicia y Paz in Colombia

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to transform transitional justice in the digital era. However, it is difficult to evaluate whether ICTs generally democratize access and participation in transitional justice processes, or whether they reinforce preexisting power asymmetries because of inequalities in terms of access and technological skills. Instead of endorsing a techno-optimistic or a technopessimistic vision, this Note from the Field focuses on how the everyday use of technology by civil society actors contributes to shaping the potential impact of ICTs. Drawing upon science and technology studies, it argues that the conceptualization of transitional justice is co-constructed during the adoption and use of different technological tools. The Note describes two different uses of ICTs in the context of the Justicia y Paz law in Colombia from 2005. While ministries and state institutions created an integrated information system to improve procedural efficiency, civil society organizations created open information systems to circulate data and to contribute to historical memory and truth. These two examples illustrate how the use of ICT is shaping new conceptualizations of transitional justice among actors and in society in general.