Haiti

USIP assesses the damage done by the devastating earthquake, and recommends strategies for Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction.

The United States Institute of Peace’s Truth Commissions Digital Collection is part of the Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management.  The collection contains profiles of truth commissions and substantive bodies of inquiry from nations worldwide - offering general background information on the composition of each body, links to the official legislative texts establishing such commissions, and each commission's final reports and findings.

Street crime, drug trafficking, rape and gang violence jeopardize Haiti’s tenuous recovery.  One major obstacle to recovery is Haiti’s challenged justice system.  Courts are dysfunctional, prisons overcapacity and corruption endemic.  Haiti’s criminal codes date back to the 1860s and do not meet international human rights standards.  In 2008, USIP was invited by the Haitian government to support the drafting of a new set of criminal codes.  The revised codes are expected to go before the Haitian Parliament in 2012.  On February 15, USIP will host a public event to discuss justice in Haiti and the path forward for judicial reform. 

USIP hosted a panel of distinguished experts to discuss the various aspects of security - political, economic, personal and criminal - in Haiti.

USIP’s Sheldon Himelfarb, director of USIP’s Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding, and Andrew Robertson, a senior program officer with the center, discuss the latest developments on technology, science and peacebuilding – and where the new field is going.

Citizens of fragile and conflict-affected states confront threats to their security and livelihoods on a daily basis. Nearly 1.6 billion people are forced to live in the midst of violence perpetuated by a diverse array of actors - from political extremists to transnational criminal syndicates. Too often these most vulnerable and marginalized are left without a voice in their personal and political future and are denied adequate forums for addressing their grievances. On January 12, 2012 USIP brought together rule of law practitioners from the field and policymakers from Washington, DC to discuss these critical issues.

Since Haiti’s devastating January 2010 earthquake, women have played a vital role in their country’s response to the catastrophe. This Peace Brief, by USIP's Robert Maguire, discusses the pivotal roles women are playing in matters of family, education, health, commerce and the economy, and agriculture.

USIP leaders explain the effect that events around the world and here at home will have on the U.S., and the contributions the Institute can and does make during a time of tremendous challenge – and opportunity.

The U4U training program brings young people from conflict zones around the world to train them in the use of crowdsourced mapping tools like Ushahidi as well as in the skills of conflict management, helping them address community needs in-country, train others, and join a growing community of global crisis mappers and technology-enabled peacebuilders.

USIP leaders explain the effect that events around the world and here at home will have on the U.S., and the contributions the Institute can and does make during a time of tremendous challenge – and opportunity.