Description
Several works have showcased how civil action and rebel governance evolved during the Syrian war, but the combination of these, civil governance, has not received enough attention. This paper focuses on local councils, a type of wartime order that civilians initiated in the opposition-held areas. Drawing from extensive, in-depth interviews with former council members and people who worked with the councils, I argue that analysis of on nonviolent activism and both pre-existing and new social ties help us understand how this particular form of wartime governance was established and how it evolved. Past experiences of activism mobilized some people for the revolution and governance and affected the way governance was planned. The months-long transition from a peaceful uprising to a civil war created a generation of activists who mobilized parallel to the rebels. In addition, civilians’ social ties affected their independence from fighters and how an area was governed. The fact that local councils have largely ceased to exist should not stop us from researching these civil institutions as they inform us of new ways wars can be governed.
