Diasporas as cyberwarriors: infopolitics, participatory warfare and the 2020 Karabakh war

Abstract How do diasporas fight online information wars during armed conflicts in their homelands? I explore this question through interviews with 30 young diaspora Armenians seven nations about practical experiences of activism the 2020 Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. examine motivations for engaging social media activism; strategies methods promoting Armenian narrative; vision opponent; perceived outcomes efforts. Besides investigating recent case mobilization conflict, study offers broader conclusions participatory warfare, changing roles international relations. demonstrate how enable that is transnational, monologic, empowering retaliatory, involving individual networked tactics, culturally politically transformative. Diasporas, traditionally seen as agents lobbying, public diplomacy material assistance, become important decentralized actors global conflict infopolitics.