Non-State Actors and the State : Interrogating Disaster Response and Management in the Global South—the Philippine Experience

This paper interrogates the premise that the contemporary and interconnected world is not anymore only dominated by state actors but also by the active participation of a plurality of civil society organizations (CSO) or non-state actors (NSA) that are now creating more viable spaces for international solidarity and interdependence. The process of globalization has further made possible a world that is now borderless, more interconnected and more inclusive in many ways. In the course of this globalization, international cooperation is strengthened not mainly through state-to-state transactions but by the operation civil society organizations which provides dynamic interactions among states across borders. This study examines the impact of non-state actors in terms of disaster response and management in the global south, with a case study on the Philippines during one of its most devastating natural calamities in recent memory. Ultimately, this paper concurs that because of the presence of various non-state actors, engagement among states and different nations are being strengthened in ways that is never before recently seen in the greater practice of international relations