Mobilising the Lebanese Diaspora in Times of Political Turmoil at “Home” : Investigating online engagement practices and the roles of the alternative online medium Thawra Chronicles in the context of the Lebanese Revolution 2019

Abstract: This research focuses on the contemporary case study of the Thawra Chronicles, founded by three London-based members of the Lebanese diaspora in the wake of the Lebanese Revolution in early October 2019 to support the social movement from afar, targeting non-Lebanese individuals as well as Lebanese within and beyond its borders. Thawra Chronicles is a multifaceted, independent alternative online outlet aiming at commemorating the revolution, by providing information, curating art as well as serving as a space of participation through the upload of user-generated content and pledges. The Lebanese Revolution, an anti-governmental social movement, is deemed unprecedented and historic as it unified “the people”, overcoming sectarian and class fragmentations deeply rooted within Lebanese society and the diaspora. The revolution started on October 17, 2019—and the country is still battling continuously worsening socio-economic conditions. Thawra Chronicles has not been updated since May 23rd, 2020, or Day 220. By conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with all founding members and three diasporan users who consumed and contributed to the page, this research investigated diasporic online engagement practices with the home in times of political turmoil. The walkthrough method provided in-depth understanding site’s structure and respective goals. This research analysed the outlet as a digital activist endeavour through the context of the possibilities the online sphere holds for contribution to a social movement as well as providing a counter-narrative to “vetted news” by way of awareness activism. Analysed through the framework of diaspora and digital activism, the findings show that the Thawra Chronicles posed as a moderate way of activism and diaspora mobility which built on the open opportunity structures in the country of residence. Further, the outlet has played a crucial role in building a counter-narrative, brokering information and educational resources and furthermore curate emerging art of the revolution. In addition, it served as a safe space for participation. Thus, it allowed diasporans to participate in the revolution from afar, to negotiate the dualities and multilocalities of their diaspora identity. In addition, participation reinforced notions of belonging and produced feelings of empowerment, hope, solidarity and “having contributed”. While the outlet did not offer possibilities for direct answer- 3 response communication, it works as a memorial-type archive of the contemporary revolution, allowing users to return and re-emerge or participate at a later point in time, thus, countering the ephemeral notions of commercial social media platforms and further serving as an example that maintenance of diaspora identities can be enriching and creative.