Professor Kathleen Cunningham and Santiago Stocker, Program Director at the International Republican Institute (IRI), have published a new article in Irregular Warfare titled "The Peril of Ignoring the Legitimacy of Violent Non-State Actors."

There is a glaring gap in national and international approaches to non-state actor violence. This article addresses the critical oversight of that. Cunningham and Stocker contend that it is a bad idea to concentrate on the violent methods used by these groups rather than trying to figure out what gives them acceptance among the local population. 

They draw attention to the fact that in areas where official authority is repressive or weak, violent non-state actors become more influential by addressing grievances and providing alternative governance. Violent actors thrive on the support from marginalized communities; this is evident in the case of ISIS in Iraq and Syria as well as insurgencies in West Africa. Cunningham and Stocker provide insight into why developing long-term solutions to violent extremism and halting the emergence of authoritarian regimes depend on comprehending and resolving these underlying issues.

Read the full article here: The Peril of Ignoring the Legitimacy of Violent Non-State Actors