Case Study 2: COVID-19 and Uses of Technology for Activism

Abstract

This case study explores how transnational coalitions of Nepali activists, diaspora communities, and global allies mobilized digital technologies to respond to Nepal’s devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. As Nepal’s public health system approached collapse, the COVID Alliance for Nepal emerged as a decentralized, virtual infrastructure leveraging Zoom, WhatsApp, and social media to coordinate advocacy and resource distribution, lobbying for vaccines. The study highlights how informal networks transformed into crisis publics—communities of volunteers who communicate across borders in real time to address gaps left by overburdened formal institutions. It also traces how effective digital narratives, such as the viral hashtag #Vaccines4Nepal, catalyzed grassroots lobbying efforts that gained the attention of U.S. policymakers and international media. Drawing on concepts such as transnational assemblages, affect, and crisis communication for social justice, the case reveals how technology can support both humanitarian action and advocacy in moments of global crisis. It calls for a redefinition of crisis communication that prioritizes marginalized voices and recognizes the power of digital platforms in building inclusive, participatory responses to disasters.