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VNSA is an abbreviation of violent non-state actor, and refers to any organization that uses illegal violence (force not officially approved of by the state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
) to reach its goals, thereby contesting the monopoly on violence of the (Westphalian
Westphalian

Westphalian is an adjective with multiple meanings:*The culture or people of Westphalia in present-day western Germany*The Westphalian language in Germany...
) state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
.

Examples of VNSA's are: warlord
Warlord

A warlord is a person with power who has military dictatorship over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority....
s, insurgents, para-militaries, liberation armies, freedom fighters
Freedom Fighters

A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...
, terrorists
Terrorism

Terrorism, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is the systematic use of terror, "violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands." At present, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism....
, militias, guerrillas, youth gangs, pirates, and criminal organizations like the Mafia
Mafia

The Mafia is a Sicily criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct....
 or Yakuza
Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as "violence groups".Today, the Yakuza are among the largest crime organizations in the world....
.
Relation to terrorism
Whether some or all VNSAs are terrorist organizations depends on the applied definition of terrorism
Definition of terrorism

The word "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged, and this greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. A 2003 study by the United States Army quoted a source that counted 109 definitions of terrorism that covered a total of 22 different definitional elements....
.






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VNSA is an abbreviation of violent non-state actor, and refers to any organization that uses illegal violence (force not officially approved of by the state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
) to reach its goals, thereby contesting the monopoly on violence of the (Westphalian
Westphalian

Westphalian is an adjective with multiple meanings:*The culture or people of Westphalia in present-day western Germany*The Westphalian language in Germany...
) state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
.

Examples of VNSA's are: warlord
Warlord

A warlord is a person with power who has military dictatorship over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority....
s, insurgents, para-militaries, liberation armies, freedom fighters
Freedom Fighters

A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...
, terrorists
Terrorism

Terrorism, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is the systematic use of terror, "violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands." At present, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism....
, militias, guerrillas, youth gangs, pirates, and criminal organizations like the Mafia
Mafia

The Mafia is a Sicily criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct....
 or Yakuza
Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as "violence groups".Today, the Yakuza are among the largest crime organizations in the world....
.

Relation to terrorism


Whether some or all VNSAs are terrorist organizations depends on the applied definition of terrorism
Definition of terrorism

The word "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged, and this greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. A 2003 study by the United States Army quoted a source that counted 109 definitions of terrorism that covered a total of 22 different definitional elements....
. ("One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter").
And vice versa, not all forms of terrorism
Terrorism

Terrorism, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is the systematic use of terror, "violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands." At present, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism....
 are conducted by VNSA's (i.e. state terrorism
State terrorism

State terrorism refers to acts of terrorism conducted by governments....
).

Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those acts which:
  1. are intended to create fear
    Fear

    Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain....
     (terror
    Terror

    Terror is a state of fear , or the act of imposing fear on people.*Horror and terrorTerror may also refer to:...
    ) among a broader public, and
  2. are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a materialistic goal or a lone attack), and
  3. deliberately target (or disregard the safety of) non-combatants.


Most VNSAs do not meet all three of these criteria, and therefore should not automatically be identified or associated with terrorism.

For instance: criminal organizations (like the Mafia, Yakuza, or Mara Salvatrucha
Mara Salvatrucha

Mara Salvatrucha is a gang that originated in Los Angeles and spread to Central America and parts of the United States. Mara Salvatrucha is therefore composed of many loosely-connected gangs or factions of the same name, known as "cliques." The gangs' names are commonly abbreviated as MS, Mara, and MS-13, and are composed mo...
) do not legitimize their strategies by referring to an ideological goal, and insurgents or liberation armies (like the EZLN) do not necessarily target non-combatants.

Origin and motives


Some VNSAs (being non-state actors) are in one way or another sponsored by the state, or by local authorities (see also state-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism

State-sponsored terrorism is a term loosely used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute....
 or para-militaries).


Most VNSAs however emerge in response to deficiencies, inadequacies, or shortcomings; i.e. when the state does not provide safety, security, (economic) stability and the basic public sevices for its citizens, or certain groups of citizens (minorities). When the state lacks legitimacy and/or capacity, others will fill the gap, take advantage, or directly confront the state. (see also Relative deprivation
Relative deprivation

Relative deprivation is the experience of being deprived of something to which one thinks one is entitled. Schaefer defines it as "the conscious experience of a negative discrepancy between legitimate expectations and present actualities." It is a term used in social sciences to describe feelings or measures of economic, political, or social...
, Failed state
Failed state

The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereignty government....
 and Fragile state
Fragile state

A fragile state is a low income country characterized by weak state capacity and/or weak state legitimacy.While many countries are making progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, a group of 35 to 50 countries is falling behind....
)


Motives of VNSA's can be either mainly materialistic
Materialistic

Materialistic describes a person who is markedly more concerned with material things rather than spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values; an adherent of materialism...
 (like the Mafia
Mafia

The Mafia is a Sicily criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct....
), or mainly political (like the EZLN), ideological (like the Animal Rights Militia
Animal Rights Militia

The Animal Rights Militia is a banner used by animal rights activists who engage in direct action that may or may not cause direct physical harm to humans who they claim profit from animal suffering....
), or religious (like Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida and sometimes al-Qa'ida, is an international Sunni Islam Islamist Extremism movement founded sometime between August 1988 and late 1989/early 1990....
). In reality these distinctions are often not clear. Hamas
Hamas

Hamas is an Islamic Palestine socio-political organization which includes a paramilitary force, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Since June 2007, Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip portion of the Palestinian Territories....
 for instance might be viewed by many as freedom fighters
Freedom Fighters

A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...
, but their strategy is pretty much terrorist, and their means of existence closely linked with mafia
Mafia

The Mafia is a Sicily criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct....
-like practice.


Diagnostic dimensions


Instead of labelling
Labelling

Labelling or Labeling is defining or describing a person in terms of his or her behavior. For example, describing someone who has broken a law as a criminal....
 an organization (for instance as terrorist or freedom fighters
Freedom Fighters

A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...
), a clearer picture of the nature of a VNSA can be provided by diagnosing an organisation by dimensions; for example by asking the following questions:

  • How do they legitimize themselves? (by political ideology, ethnicity, nationality, religion, functionality)
  • Which societal gaps does a VNSA fill? (safety/security, (economic) stability, social participatian, public services)
  • To what extent do they have support from outside? (local, regional, national, international)
  • What is the scope of influence? (local, regional, national, international)
  • Among which population groups or what indicators they recrute on? (age, religious, political, class, ethnicity)
  • Where do they recruit? (local, regional, national, international)
  • How do they recruit? (ideological i.e. empowerment, bribary, intimidation and violence, kidnapping)
  • To what extent are they infiltrated in (local or national) government and business (corruption)?
  • Are they involved in organized crime? (weapon trade, drug trade, trade in humans, money-laundering)
  • How is the organisation structured? (hierarchical or democratic, central or diffused network)
  • How has their focus and strategy changed over time (generations)? (more violent or more diplomatic, more international)


See also


  • Warlord
    Warlord

    A warlord is a person with power who has military dictatorship over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority....
    s
  • Insurgents
  • Para-militaries
  • Liberation armies
  • Freedom fighters
    Freedom Fighters

    A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...

  • Terrorists
  • Militias
  • Guerrillas
  • Youth gangs
  • Pirates
  • Criminal organizations
  • Mafia
    Mafia

    The Mafia is a Sicily criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct....

  • Yakuza
    Yakuza

    , also known as , are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as "violence groups".Today, the Yakuza are among the largest crime organizations in the world....

  • Mara Salvatrucha
    Mara Salvatrucha

    Mara Salvatrucha is a gang that originated in Los Angeles and spread to Central America and parts of the United States. Mara Salvatrucha is therefore composed of many loosely-connected gangs or factions of the same name, known as "cliques." The gangs' names are commonly abbreviated as MS, Mara, and MS-13, and are composed mo...

  • Failed state
    Failed state

    The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereignty government....

  • Fragile state
    Fragile state

    A fragile state is a low income country characterized by weak state capacity and/or weak state legitimacy.While many countries are making progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, a group of 35 to 50 countries is falling behind....

  • Monopoly on violence
  • Westphalian sovereignty
    Westphalian sovereignty

    Westphalian sovereignty is the concept of nation-state sovereignty based on two principles: territoriality and the exclusion of external actors from domestic authority structures....