Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance
This article is part of a multi-year study of governance structures in the midst of insecurity and organized crime in fragile sub-state regions, where in the absence of a strong state, non-state actors (like insurgents, traffickers and tribal warlords) engage in political and socioeconomic governanc...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centre for Security Governance
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Stability : International Journal of Security and Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.stabilityjournal.org/article/view/289 |
| _version_ | 1811242930917081088 |
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| author | Annette Iris Idler James J.F. Forest |
| author_facet | Annette Iris Idler James J.F. Forest |
| author_sort | Annette Iris Idler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article is part of a multi-year study of governance structures in the midst of insecurity and organized crime in fragile sub-state regions, where in the absence of a strong state, non-state actors (like insurgents, traffickers and tribal warlords) engage in political and socioeconomic governance. Building on our prior work on West Africa and the Afghanistan-Pakistan tribal belt, this paper focuses on the Andean borderlands, drawing on recent fieldwork in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. We explore patterns of behavior in which competition among violent non-state actors is not the norm. Instead, several instances were found in which violent non-state actors work collaboratively or have tacit non-interference agreements to provide public goods through arrangements we characterize as “complementary governance.” We therefore argue that, to understand how illicit authority emerges, it is not sufficient to consider one armed non-state actor in isolation or in a dichotomy to the state. As we contend, we have to take into account the complex connections and interactions among different (violent) non-state structures. Moving beyond state versus non-state governance to governance that is constitutive of various non-state groups, the perspective put forward in this article thus is aimed to enrich the current debate on governance and security. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:59:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f423e01fcd8d4e0bbd6b86b3b3d74455 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2165-2627 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:59:13Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Centre for Security Governance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Stability : International Journal of Security and Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-f423e01fcd8d4e0bbd6b86b3b3d744552022-12-22T03:30:17ZengCentre for Security GovernanceStability : International Journal of Security and Development2165-26272015-01-0141Art. 210.5334/sta.er132Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary GovernanceAnnette Iris Idler0James J.F. Forest1University of OxfordUniversity of Massachusetts LowellThis article is part of a multi-year study of governance structures in the midst of insecurity and organized crime in fragile sub-state regions, where in the absence of a strong state, non-state actors (like insurgents, traffickers and tribal warlords) engage in political and socioeconomic governance. Building on our prior work on West Africa and the Afghanistan-Pakistan tribal belt, this paper focuses on the Andean borderlands, drawing on recent fieldwork in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. We explore patterns of behavior in which competition among violent non-state actors is not the norm. Instead, several instances were found in which violent non-state actors work collaboratively or have tacit non-interference agreements to provide public goods through arrangements we characterize as “complementary governance.” We therefore argue that, to understand how illicit authority emerges, it is not sufficient to consider one armed non-state actor in isolation or in a dichotomy to the state. As we contend, we have to take into account the complex connections and interactions among different (violent) non-state structures. Moving beyond state versus non-state governance to governance that is constitutive of various non-state groups, the perspective put forward in this article thus is aimed to enrich the current debate on governance and security.http://www.stabilityjournal.org/article/view/289violent non-state actorsgovernancesecurityconflict |
| spellingShingle | Annette Iris Idler James J.F. Forest Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance Stability : International Journal of Security and Development violent non-state actors governance security conflict |
| title | Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance |
| title_full | Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance |
| title_fullStr | Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance |
| title_short | Behavioral Patterns among (Violent) Non-State Actors: A Study of Complementary Governance |
| title_sort | behavioral patterns among violent non state actors a study of complementary governance |
| topic | violent non-state actors governance security conflict |
| url | http://www.stabilityjournal.org/article/view/289 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annetteirisidler behavioralpatternsamongviolentnonstateactorsastudyofcomplementarygovernance AT jamesjfforest behavioralpatternsamongviolentnonstateactorsastudyofcomplementarygovernance |