Governance without Government in Syria Civil Society and State building during conflict

Abstract

State failure, following the outbreak of internal conflict, continues to preoccupy global attention, especially in view of its cross border implications (Kaldor, 2003). Serving as havens for terrorism, failed states put the lives of their own citizens and of citizens of the rest of the world in danger. The importance of the state building component of international intervention as a basis for peace is evident in the literature (Brikerhoff, 2005; Paris, 2004; Mac Ginty, 2011; Edwards, 2010; Roberts, 2011). Nonetheless, international efforts directed at institutional building, are still weak (Brikerhoff, 2005). State fragility needs to be seen as a series of complex governance dynamics shaped by the interaction between international and local factors during the conflict phase and not only in the post conflict phase.