Transnational Advocacy in Self-Determination Conflicts: A Conceptual Overview

Where is the place for non-state actors in the emerging research program on international Patron Client Relations (PCR)? This chapter seeks to explore the fringes of the concept, scrutinizing whether and under what conditions international non-state support can be regarded as patronage. Self-determination conflicts, where actors are dependent on external assistance but often lack powerful state assistance, seem like a perfect field to pursue these questions. Solidarity movements, pressure groups, or advocacy coalitions are an integral feature of conflicts over identity, territory, and statehood. I argue that relations between self-determination movements and their international advocates resemble patronage. Building on scholarship about secessionist diplomacy and transnational advocacy, I develop a concept of Civil Society Patronage (CSP) in self-determination conflicts and identify five distinctive features that establish the phenomenon as a distinctive sub-type of PCRs. By shedding light on international advocacy, the article contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the outside interactions of self-determination movements and provides important insights into the multidimensional nature of Patron-Client Relations in World Politics.