We Put Down Our Guns and Picked Up Microphones: Community Radio as a Conduit for Community Development in Guatemala
The intent of this thesis is to explore how community radio in Guatemala is used as a tool for community development. The concept of development I use is based off the idea that in order to build and maintain a sustainable quality of life there must be a solid community foundation for social capacity. Approaching radio as a conduit for change, I examine the various roles the radio takes on in order to enhance the overall quality of life by serving as (1) a channel for community knowledge; (2) a platform for indigenous rights; (3) a pillar for community solidarity; (4) an arena for empowerment of all community members, especially youth. Using an asset-based approach to development, I frame radio as a facilitator of collaborative civic engagement networks at the local, national, and international scale. It is this creative appropriation of technology by which Indigenous communities are operationalizing ideologies of decolonization.
Community Radio, Community Development, Guatemala, Capacity Building, Decolonization, Indigenous Media, Indigenous Rights
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