The most recent conflict experiences around the world have once again proven that states are no longer alone in global affairs and that non-state actors have the capacity to influence both national and international politics. Non-state actors range from loosely associated group of activities, such as Anonymous, to armed combatants, such as ISIS, and to humanitarian organizations, such as Refugees International. The tendency to categorize all these groups solely as “non-state actors” ignores their unique characteristics, objectives, strategies, and practices. Moreover, contemporary experience cannot necessarily be explained by non-state actor and state actor dichotomy.

At this point, we provide a platform to discuss ‘non-state actors’ and their roles during conflicts in detail. We reject the binary “state” vs “non-state” actor understanding and explore the reasons and implications of diversity among non-state actors. We encourage scholars to examine the similarities and differences between various forms of non-state actors: How are these groups formed?  What motivates their actions? How do they operate in conflict regions? How are they portrayed in the media? How are they perceived by the societies?