This thesis examines how transnational advocacy networks operate across local, national, regional and international arenas. It takes a close look at the nature of peasant resistance and civil society in Mali, and explores how these interact with campaign and advocacy activities of Northern-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The central argument of this thesis is that these encounters have strengthened an elite, while marginalising alternative perspectives. This has happened through the collision of actors’ diverse interests, through competition between distinct framings of debate, and through differences in modes of political participation which reflect the power dynamics of the political arenas in which actors are rooted. The thesis is informed by the results of qualitative fieldwork research, which was carried out, mainly in Mali, between 2006 and 2008. By identifying the nature of connections and disconnections between actors at multiple levels, the thesis contributes to a more nuanced understanding of transnational civil society action.

Even though international conflicts often lead to varied responses from state actors, the reasons behind these differences remain underexplored, especially regarding political support for those who are harmed. This study investigates why some states express solidarity with those harmed in armed conflict, focusing on the Israel-Gaza conflict as a case study. I argue that the intensity of civil society advocacy significantly influences state actors’ solidarity behaviour. This argument is structured around a three-step causal mechanism: civil society advocacy raises public awareness, prompting public pressure on state actors, which increases costs of inaction, leading to solidarity expressions. By employing a structured, focused comparison of Spain and Italy, the study qualitatively assesses public solidarity manifestations and civil society advocacy intensity, using protest data and media coverage as indicators. The findings suggest that Spain’s intense civil society advocacy has resulted in significant public pressure and official solidarity displays, whereas Italy’s weaker civil society response led to less solidarity manifestations. These results highlight the crucial role of civil society in shaping state behaviour during conflicts, providing both theoretical and empirical contributions to the study of civic engagement and state’s conflict response.