Project Title

The mediation practices of Amazonian Indigenous organisations

Research Topic

The research investigates the mediation practices of Indigenous organisations in Peru, that is their use and appropriation of various media to express themselves. It focuses on the relationship between the discursive and material aspects of organisations’ mediation practices and their strategic meaning-making. Importantly, it reflects on the tensions arising as Indigenous organisations use different media, which enable certain actions with regards to their needs and objectives, and in turn media and technologies’ affordances present constraints for these organisations that limit their actions.

Empirically, the research considers the benefits that different media might offer to Indigenous organisations, the difficulties that Indigenous organisations encounter when they use digital and non-digital media, and how they negotiate these difficulties. As well, Indigenous organisations’ strategic meaning-making is examined as the research gathers organisations’ perspectives on how the context of Peru, media journalistic routines, and organisations’ interests and objectives influence their mediation practices.

Biography

Previously, Lisa volunteered for Survival International, an organisation campaigning for the rights of Indigenous and uncontacted peoples. There, she was the video editor of the Tribal voice project, an online platform displaying video content created by Indigenous communities.

Lisa graduated from an International Baccalaureate from Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong.

She then studied a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Distinction) and specialised in lens-based media. As an artist, her practice is mostly participatory and characterized by an interest in people, human relationships, and the public space.

She also holds a first-class MA “Media, Communications and Critical Practice” from London College of Communication (University of the Arts London). Her MA dissertation adopted a branding approach to consider social movements, and taking the case study of Extinction Rebellion (XR), examined how XR’s use of branding strategies foster the collective action of its members around the climate and ecological emergency.

Supervisors: Professor Bart Cammaerts and Professor Lee Edwards