Contemporary violent conflicts often involve armed non-state actors (ANSAs).

Governments and international organisations are usually hesitant to enter negotiations with ANSAs . This volume analyses which impacts practices of social recognition have on conflict dynamics in the short and long term. By studying key asymmetric conflicts through the prism of recognition, it offers an innovative perspective on the interactions between ANSAs and state actors. The volume explores: In which contexts does granting recognition to armed non-state actors foster conflict transformation? What happens when governments withhold recognition or label ANSAs in ways they perceive as misrecognition? The authors examine the ambivalence of recognition processes in violent conflicts and their sometimes unintended consequences for ANSAs and local, national , and transnational communities. The volume draws on a wide range of case studies by experts, original field research, and innovative theoretical work.