Weaponized volunteering and participatory warfare: A scoping review of spontaneous volunteering in the context of national defense
This article explores the phenomenon of spontaneous volunteering within the context of national defense. A systematic scoping review of 38 research publications was conducted to analyze how such spontaneous volunteering is recognized in international literature, its manifestations, and the associated constraints. Although the scope of the study is global, the collected data prominently features Ukraine. Findings reveal that spontaneous volunteering often manifests as highly flexible, rapid, and innovative actions, which can fill gaps in formal systems. Key concepts such as participatory military logistics, distributed humanitarianism, participatory intelligence, and battlefront volunteering help delineate this field. Challenges include issues such as psychological, physical, and legal risks faced by volunteers, as well as potential misuse of spontaneous volunteering, such as the activities of pseudo-volunteers who exploit wartime conditions for personal gain.
