Past Events

In a major diplomatic victory for both countries, Kosovo and Macedonia recently concluded the demarcation of their shared border. This process of diplomacy, cooperation, confidence-building and reconciliation was conducted by a Joint Technical Commission (JTC) comprised of the two state parties and the International Civilian Office (ICO). 

As Liberia continues its struggle to rebuild institutions destroyed by years of brutal conflict, the rule of law has emerged as a focus area of national and international development efforts.  A key policy question concerns the future of Liberia’s dual justice system under which a hierarchy of chiefs’ courts managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs exists in parallel to the formal judiciary.  Co-authors Deborah Isser and Stephen Lubkemann discuss the policy implications of the newest USIP Peaceworks with the Chair of the Liberian Law Reform Commission.

Join us for the launch and panel discussion of a new USIP-funded SIPRI report by Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang entitled, China's Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implication.

In The Next Front, co-authors Senator Christopher Bond  and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lewis M. Simons argue that the Obama administration can reverse the devastating effects of failed policies throughout the Islamic community in Southeast Asia by adopting a new "smart power" approach, one that combines the "soft" tools of diplomatic, economic and personal outreach with the fallback "hard" option of military force.  By so doing, the United States can begin to reverse the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in a region with more Muslims than in the entire Middle East.

Lack of justice and a culture of impunity have emerged as major grievances in Afghanistan, alienating the population from the government and creating an enabling environment for the insurgency.  Please join us for a discussion of informal and formal justice systems, and an overview of USIP’s justice projects that aim to strengthen linkages between these two sectors and address impunity.

Join IFES and USIP experts for a public discussion of Lebanon's elections.

Representatives of the Partners for Democratic Change's new Center in Colombia, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Due Process of Law Foundation will host a roundtable discussion about these mechanisms for democratizing justice at the community level. Discussion with invited experts will explore other experiences of community dispute resolution, as well as the challenges community justice mechanisms face and how they have been addressed. 

USAID’s Community Stabilization Program (CSP) in Iraq was designed as a non-lethal counterinsurgency program that aimed to reduce incentives for participating in violent conflict by utilizing job-creation programs and engaging the youth. This event considered the following questions and more:  Was the CSP effective as a counter-insurgency tool in Iraq?  Does the CSP foster local ownership and sustainability?

Presenters will address topics including US policy on post conflict reconstruction, the intersection of post conflict health and Foreign Assistance reform, and an expert from the field will discuss the challenges of post conflict health system functioning and funding.

Thirty years to the day after the taking of the U.S. hostages in Iran, in the wake of their controversial June 2009 presidential election, the regime's ensuing crackdown against peaceful demonstrators, and recent news of U.S. funding cuts for Iran democracy programs, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) offered his views on how the U.S. should approach Iran on the issues of human rights and democracy.

This joint Asia Society-U.S. Institute of Peace event, which will take place in New York, will explore how financial sanctions and/or engagement could change North Korean behavior. Admission fee is required.

"Children of War" explores the rehabilitation process in northern Uganda for child combatants, and follows three children, two boys and one girl. Nyero, Akulu and Polycap have all been victims and perpetrators of violence, as most child soldiers are.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress provides oversight and resources for U.S. programs to reform local military and police forces. This process is critical to U.S. success, but is little understood. USIP's Security Sector Reform Working Group examined the role of Congress in ensuring that security assistance is effective, serves U.S interests and creates democratic security forces.

Women are an important part of the peacebuilding equation. Too often they are excluded or marginalized in the peace process. Limiting or excluding women in the peacebuilding process not only leaves a critical resource untapped but also hinders a society's recovery. Admission fee is required.