Borderlands are often spaces where the established dynamics in core areas may blur or break down completely. Borders and borderlands can shift, be porous, and their inhabitants can resist and reinterpret power in ways central authorities may not recognise. When gaps in authority are created in these peripheral spaces, someone will step in to fill them. Whether these actors are state, central elites or peripheral players, neighbouring states or non-state actors may not always be as expected. Understanding the conditions that foster reliable governance and enduring stability in borderlands is key to designing effective policy approaches.
Key concepts developed under this research cluster include:
Defining ‘borderlands’: drawing on XCEPT’s own field experiences and existing literature, we are developing a typology of borderlands to capture the wide and diverse people, politics, and cultures of peripheral spaces in our core geographies
Understanding governance: What lessons can borderlands offer to conflict mitigation efforts? Peripheral spaces offer a potential education in understanding political fragmentation.