In the post – Cold War world, civil wars and weakened or failed states claim growing attention and concern from the international community. The causes and dynamics of such conflicts are varied, complex and only partly understood. Many attribute civil conflicts to the rapid social and economic transformations under way in much of the world, the pressures of globalization, growing inequalities within states, and the information revolution. This paper seeks to assess aspects of the current state of knowledge about these causal connections. It closes with a few suggestions regarding implications for research and for policies.