|
Armed non-state actors (ANSAs) – also referred to as rebel or insurgent groups, terrorist organizations, or resistant movements - constitute a considerable part of contemporary armed conflicts and rebellions across the globe. Examples include FARC in Colombia, Islamic State or Al Qaeda affiliated movement across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, the Mai-Mai groups in the DRC, and the Karen National Union (KNU) in Myanmar. Understanding these actors’ ideological mobilization, and state- and order-making practices is crucial to not only grasp the dynamics of conflict but also to consider the pathways to peace and stability.
The ambition of this seminar is to facilitate a comparative view on the dynamics and characteristics across regions and countries, but also to bring into dialogue different parts of the scholarship. This includes the growing body of scholarship that focuses on ANSAs as alternative state- and order-making actors and the scholarship that explores the ideological and religious narratives, worldviews and collective emotions that drive these actors and their capacity to mobilize and expand.
|
