Past Events

On February 1, 2012, USIP and the Atlantic Council hosted President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia as he addressed what Georgia, North Africa, and other reforming societies have in common.

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.

The U.S. Institute of Peace, in collaboration with the Institute for Inclusive Security, will host a panel of experts to examine the ways in which diverse civil society actors, including youth and women, as well as the media, religious and business communities, confront real conflicts with collaborative problem-solving approaches.

In May, President Obama defined the Arab Spring as a “historic opportunity” to redefine and strengthen America’s relationships in the Middle East, demonstrating that “America values the dignity of the street vendor . . . more than the raw power of the dictator.” One year after the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, has the promise of the Arab Awakening been realized? Please join former national security adviser Stephen Hadley and former Jordanian foreign minister Marwan Muasher on Wednesday, January 18, as they lead an analysis and discussion of what the Arab Awakening means for 2012.

The U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California has produced a new documentary film, Assignment: China – The Week that Changed the World. Written and narrated by Mike Chinoy, formerly CNN’s senior Asia correspondent and Beijing bureau chief, the film uses previously unreleased footage and interviews with the reporters and officials who accompanied President Richard Nixon to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the media coverage of the trip that changed the course of U.S.-China relations. The United States Institute of Peace and the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau hosted a screening of Assignment: China, followed by a conversation featuring some of those who traveled to China with Nixon.

Customary Justice and Rule of Law in War-Torn Societies presents seven in-depth case studies that take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the study of the justice system.  USIP brought together policymakers and practitioners to discuss the ways in which recent rule of law innovations plays a role in resolving many justice reform issues.

On December 15th, USIP hosted a panel of current and former officials from the U.S., Japan and South Korea that examined the post-2012 political, economic and security landscape in Northeast Asia following leadership changes – both democratically facilitated and planned.  Against this background, the panel assessed challenges and opportunities for the U.S., Japan and South Korea.

Peace agreements are not just about achieving an end to violence-they can also establish significant frameworks for regulating future practice.  In this context, one important goal is to address likely drivers of conflict.  High on the list of conflict drivers are dishonesty and abuses of power by those who are holding or seeking positions of authority, phenomena that can persist and even become more prevalent following a transition.

Webcast: This event will be webcast live beginning at 2:00pm on December 13, 2011 at www.usip.org/webcast/confronting-corruption. Join the conversation on Twitter with #USIP.

In advance of the upcoming International Engagement Conference for South Sudan, USIP is hosting an event to highlight "Getting it Right from the Start: Priorities for Action in the New Republic of South Sudan," a recent report from a consortium of international nongovernmental organizations active in South Sudan. Following the presentation of the report, experts including a representative from the Government of South Sudan will discuss the recommendations and the way forward on critical peace and development issues.

The World Bank, in cooperation with the Afghan Ministry of Finance, has been engaged in a study of the fiscal, economic, capacity, service delivery and employment/poverty implications of anticipated declines in external funding for Afghanistan. The main findings from this study, which were shared with delegates at the Afghanistan International Conference in Bonn, were presented for the first time publicly in the U.S. at this USIP event.  A distinguished panel of experts discussed the implications of the findings, focusing on how to manage the changes and mitigate adverse effects while exploiting potential opportunities created by the transition.

 The goal of this meeting was to determine the set of problems faced by peacebuilders in the field that the Roundtable will address over the coming year. The day’s four sessions considered potential targets identified by Roundtable members at its first meeting in May and in subsequent discussions. Each session included a brief overview of a problem and possible solution set by the Roundtable Secretariat staff.  

To mark International Human Rights Day 2011, The George Washington University, the U.N.  Global Compact U.S. Network, and the U.S. Institute of Peace will host a day-long conference on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

 USIP had an in-depth discussion with Katerina Dalacoura on the launch of her USIP-funded book titled Islamist Terrorism and Democracy in the Middle East on December 7th from 3-4:30 at Carnegie. 

Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson described the ongoing U.S. efforts to support regional partners in mitigating and eliminating the threat posed by the LRA, including the recent decision to deploy U.S. military advisers to work with regional militaries.  He also discused new opportunities and continuing challenges for this regional effort.

On December 6, the U.S. Institute of Peace facilitated a discussion featuring two women NGO leaders from Iraq whose USIP-supported projects enable them to promote positive participatory roles for women as peacebuilders and provide mechanisms and strategies to combat discrimination and violence against women in Iraq.