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.
