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Iraq_Progress_in_Peacebuilding.pdf (PDF/133.86 KB)Featured Publications & Tools
Iraq’s reaction to the popular uprising in Syria is mostly determined by the chaos its Shiite-led government believes would follow the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This Peace Brief outlines how Baghdad possesses limited ability to influence the course of events in Syria, but uses this to provide modest support to the Assad regime. This Peace Brief is part of a series examining the regional dimensions of Syria’s popular uprising.
In Iraq, the U.S. learned that setting up an effective local constabulary during conflict requires broad agreement on the police force’s roles and mission, a clear division of police and military responsibilities, and role models who can train and mentor candidate officers on their moral obligation to protect society.
This Peace Brief draws on the authors’ experiences in Iraq and a two-day, off-the-record meeting co-hosted by USIP in February 2011.
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.
Latest from USIP on Iraq
- January 26, 2012 | Publication
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.
- January 25, 2012 | Event
In Iraq, "Salam Shabab" is the very first peacebuilding television program depicting the real life story of Iraqi youth. The series showcases not only a population that is often marginalized, but also the powerful desire and capacity of Iraqi youth to bring peace to their communities. The afternoon featured an exclusive screening of one episode from Season 1 of Salam Shabab, which aired in full on Iraq on Al Iraqiya and throughout the region on Space Power. A Q&A session with the show's producers followed the screening. USIP then welcomed a panel of dynamic young cultural leaders and activists from across the Middle East to discuss the role of youth in peacebuilding in the region. The evening concluded with a live performance by Iraqi pop band UTN1.
- January 25, 2012 | Publication
Civilian health, health care workers, and health facilities disproportionately suffer in countries experiencing severe instability, but global health donors have yet to make developing health systems in such states a priority. Doing so could both make populations healthier and contribute to state legitimacy.
- January 24, 2012 | Publication
The Polish government makes use of USIP training to help key figures from Afghanistan and Tunisia lead their own countries’ transitions.
USIP in Iraq
U.S. Institute of Peace staff have been at work on the ground in Iraq since 2003 with the mission of strengthening local capacities to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts peacefully. We work across the community, provincial and national levels, and above all seek to provide Iraqis with the tools to take active roles as citizens and peacebuilders. | The Past and the Future: A Look at USIP in Iraq [Timeline]
Our Programs
Latest Highlights
- Lessons from Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq
Special Report by John K. Naland | October, 2011
Between 2007 and 2010, the U.S. State Department fielded small teams in Iraq called embedded provincial reconstruction teams (ePRTs). This report examines how well the ePRTs accomplished their mission of advancing U.S. counterinsurgency efforts by helping local Iraqi communities pursue reconciliation, foster economic development, and improve public services to mitigate sources of instability. This report notes the strengths and shortcomings of the ePRT program, incorporating the firsthand insights of 22 ePRT team members and one hundred PRT members interviewed by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training under a contract with the U.S. Institute of Peace. - Never too Young for Peace: The Next Generation of Iraqi Peacebuilders
USIP Grant Highlight | September 12, 2011
Recognizing the potential role of youth as catalysts of social change, USIP's Iraq Grant Program partners with a number of youth organizations to promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and strengthen tolerance and mutual understanding in Iraqi communities that continue to experience high levels of intergroup conflict. - USIP Update from Baghdad
On the Issues by Sean Kane | July 2011
A senior USIP team from Washington, D.C. and Baghdad in late June met with male and female Iraqi leaders from across the country's diverse political spectrum as well as with Iraqi youth, civil society and representatives of vulnerable minority groups. USIP’s Sean Kane reports from Baghdad on some of the main themes on the issues of the day which emerged from USIP’s conversations with a cross section of Iraqi leaders. - Women Peacemakers in Iraq
On the Issues by Maria Jessop and Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana | June 2011
Two USIP experts discuss the power of dialogue to bridge divides and the role of women peacemakers in Iraq in the context of a workshop for the women of USIP’s Network of Iraqi Facilitators (NIF) they conducted in May 2011. - The Coming Turkish-Iranian Competition In Iraq
Special Report by Sean Kane | June 2011
This report reviews the growing competition between Turkey and Iran for influence in Iraq as the U.S. troop withdrawal proceeds. In doing so, it finds an alignment of interests between Baghdad, Ankara, and Washington, D.C., in a strong and stable Iraq fueled by increased hydrocarbon production. Where possible, the United States should therefore encourage Turkish and Iraqi cooperation and economic integration as a key part of its post-2011 strategy for Iraq and the region. This analysis is based on the author’s experiences in Iraq and reviews of Turkish and Iranian press and foreign policy writing. - Iraq's al-Sadr Movement
On the Issues by Elie Abouaoun | June 2011
USIP’s Elie Abouaoun, based in the Institute’s Baghdad office, discusses the al-Sadr movement – and why it once again stands to be a destabilizing force in Iraq and region. - Making a Difference in Kirkuk: One Policeman at a Time
USIP Grant Highlight | June 29, 201
1 - Salam Shabab is the TV-special/documentary of 30 Iraqi youth (ages 14-18) from across the country brought together to participate in activities aimed at supporting a new and growing community of young Iraqis committed to peacebuilding.
Video | March 2011- Salam Shabab: Views and Voices of Iraqi Youth
Peace Brief by Theo Dolan and Alexis Toriello | January 2011
A unique collection of Iraqi youth perspectives based on recent research as well as firsthand views of Iraqi youth participating in the filming of the Salam Shabab (Peace Youth) reality TV series.
- Salam Shabab: Views and Voices of Iraqi Youth
Preventing Arab-Kurd Conflict in Iraq after the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces
Peace Brief by Emma Sky | March 2011
Since the fall of the former regime in 2003, there has been continuous concern that fighting might break out between the Arabs and the Kurds over Kirkuk and the boundary of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Unless new conflict prevention mechanisms are put in place, there is a real risk that tensions could boil over as people tire of waiting for a political resolution.-
USIP Making a Difference: The Plight of Christians and other Minorities in Iraq
News Feature | March 2011
USIP has been working with and supporting Iraq’s Christian and other minority communities since 2005, helping them to find Iraqi solutions to a seemingly insurmountable crisis. - User Guidelines for Preventing Media Incitement to Violence in Iraq - Elections Edition
March 2010 | The guidelines are designed as a self-regulatory tool for media to gain awareness about the dangers of inflammatory language in reporting on elections. 
Iraq's Oil Politics
Peaceworks by Sean Kane | January 2010
A USIP report appraises the explosive politics of Iraq's oil wealth and opportunities to address the conundrum.
Multimedia
The Women's Toolkit for Collaborative Problem Solving
Watch the full 20 minute video
From USIP's Experts
December, 2011 | Sean Kane
An Iraqi flashpoint loses its American safety net
USIP's Senior Iraq Program Officer, Sean Kane, discusses the American drawdown in Iraq's disputed territories.
December 5, 2011 | Sean Kane
An Interview with Sean Kane at the United States Institute of Peace
USIP's Senior Iraq Program Officer, Sean Kane, discusses the American drawdown in Iraq.
August 4, 2011 | Sean Kane
Iraq's sideways drift
USIP's Senior Iraq Program Officer, Sean Kane, discusses the lagging pace of progress in Iraq.
June 29, 2011 | Sean Kane
Growing Shadows in an Unsettled Iraq
Council on Foreign Relations interviews USIP's Senior Iraq Program Officer, Sean Kane, about the current political climate in Iraq.
April 27, 2011 | Sean Kane
Don't repeat the mistakes of Iraq in Libya
USIP's Senior Iraq Program Officer, Sean Kane applies lessons from Iraq to Libya for Foreign Policy.
April 7, 2011 | Sean Kane
Kirkuk Tensions Highlight Concerns Over U.S. Troop Exit
The New York Times At War blog discusses Program Officer Sean Kane's Peaceworks "Iraq's Disputed Territories."
USIP in the News
September 22, 2011 برنامج "سلام شباب" يختتم نشاطاته بأربيل Source: Aswat al-Iraq Local coverage of USIP's Salam Shabab program in Iraq.
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