| dc.description.abstract | The international migration of Colombians has received little attention, either at academic or
policy levels. This research explores Colombian migration to Spain and the UK. Its main aim
is to study the transnational political activities of Colombian migrants, in the context of the
armed conflict and search for peace in Colombia, by taking a gendered perspective. The
theoretical and conceptual frameworks draw from several research areas, mainly work on
diasporas and transnational migration, and studies of armed conflict and peace. Given that these
fields of study are rarely combined, this thesis provides an innovative conceptual approach. The
current research is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in the UK and Spain between 2005
and 2007, and comprising almost 100 interviews and participant observation. The main
empirical finding is that Colombian migrants are an integral part of the political context in the
home country, despite the emphasis by other studies on the polarisation, fragmentation and
apolitical nature of the diaspora. Conceptually, this thesis argues for the need to de-construct
political transnationalism, to account for: activities emerging from 'above' and 'below',
'individual' and 'collective' participation in formal and informal politics; and the connections
between political participation in the countries of origin and settlement. Also, it shows that
migrants' transnational politics varies according to gender, as well as other factors, mainly type
of migration and social class. More importantly, the transnational political activities of
Colombians abroad relate directly/indirectly to the armed conflict and search for peace in
Colombia. Future research and policy-making should take into account the potential of this for
civil society peace-building efforts, especially seeking to promote a gendered perspective. | en_US |
