Introduction

Abstract

Abstract This introductory chapter introduces the book’s focus on how Indigenous civil society organizations (CSOs) are adapting in a globalized, technology-centered world. Situating the research in the contemporary political landscape of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile, it introduces the book’s research questions: In what ways have social, political, and technological changes over the past decade influenced the evolution of Indigenous civil society? How and why have Indigenous CSOs’ strategies and tactics evolved over the past decade and what have been the most successful approaches? Why did Indigenous peoples return to large-scale resistance in the fall of 2019 after more than a decade of relative calm? How, and in what direction, do information and communications technologies (ICTs) shift the balance of power between Indigenous civil society and the state or other powerful actors? The chapter also introduces the methods and the data, including the comparative case study design and the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. It justifies the case selection and describes the data, including semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and online content analysis.