Description
Innovative and disruptive technologies are a necessity for rebel groups to frame their objectives, unlock their capabilities, and change the course of conflict. Despite caveats related with the conflict and level of analysis, this reality, nevertheless, necessitates an upgrade in the relationship between the character of civil conflict and the rebel soldier: smart conflicts need more knowledgeable rebels. Current literature is focused on the causes and consequences of inter/intra state conflicts, the evolution of the next wave of civil conflicts, leadership, memory studies and peace dynamics, rebel governance, rebel communication strategies and ICT. Yet, analysis of the concept of the ‘knowledge rebel’ and a examination of its evolution is missing. This discussion aims to fill the gap by observing how a specialist journal, such as Civil Wars has studied the ‘knowledge rebel’ and what is its modern declination. The paper engages an archival analysis and literature review of the research agenda of the journal since its inception 25 years ago, in 1998. This then forms the basis for a conceptual contribution in the field, and triggers a debate about the nature of the knowledge rebel as a resource to analyse the future character and course of civil wars.
