Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This research work examined the global discourse struggle surrounding the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project and its specific local characteristics. Drawing on Bacchi’s “What’s the problem represented to be”, Hajer’s conceptual framework regarding dimensions of discourse struggle and storylines, and Adger’s global environmental discourses approach, I conducted a discourse analysis of the global discourse of the “Stop EACOP” coalition as well as the discourse of the EACOP supporters. Researched was primarily conducted on written data from the Stop EACOP and EACOP websites and social media accounts. The discourse analysis revealed an opposition between the Stop EACOP global discourse build around a “high risk, low reward” narrative and the EACOP discourse constructed on a “low risk, high reward” one. Each actor is developing their discourse surrounding Hajer’s three dimensions of discourse struggle (credibility, acceptability and trust) through storylines supporting their main position. Subsequently, semi structured qualitative interviews were conducted with members of the Stop EACOP coalition in order to outline the diversity of discourses within the movement and the influence of the local political context on such discourses. While the global discourse aims to reach a broad variety of supporters, the diversity of NGOs taking part in the movement enable more tailored communication to foster mobilisation. Local NGOs are described as key members of the coalition, documenting the impacts of the pipeline project on the field while taking a leading role in the coalition’s organisational process in order to prevent harmful consequences for the frontliners. The repressive political context in Uganda appears as a significant factor forcing local NGOs to adopt less confrontational discourses and strategies, redirecting their actions towards the enablers of the project worldwide, in order to stay active and protect their members from political repression.