Raymond Gilpin

On April 4, 2012, USIP hosted a public event on Security Sector Transformation in Post-Conflict Liberia featuring the Liberian Defense Minister, Hon. Brownie Samukai.  He outlined plans to have the nation’s security forces and institutions fully operational by 2014, and discussed implications of the transition for Liberia and the sub-region. 

Rebuilding economies after protracted chaos or violent conflict requires careful thought and political courage. By creating dynamic and inclusive growth, reconstruction zones could help countries stand on their own feet, consolidate peace, and overcome the unsustainable aid dependency to which they have grown accustomed. This event examined the validity of this approach, using Afghanistan and Pakistan as case studies.

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.

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 July 19, USIP held a full day conference that explored transformations inside North Korea that have significant implications for the regime and the U.S.’s North Korea policy. A group of Seoul-based North Korean defectors spoke at the conference and shared their unique experiences and operational insights from conducting business in the informal markets.

On April 14, 2011, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Great Lakes Policy Forum convenved a panel to discuss the impact of the new state of Southern Sudan on the Great Lakes region.

The eSeminar is a two-week long online event, hosting three incremental sessions provided with pre-written issue-summary papers to begin the discussion with, as well as supplemental research and legislation on Business and Peace. The event page on INEC will be the central location for all materials, resources, issue-summary papers, and links to the discussion pages.

This event discusses the impact of Climate Change on conflict and sustainable development.

In October 2000, the United Nations Security Council passed landmark Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, which linked women’s experiences of conflict to the international peace and security agenda, acknowledging their peacemaking roles as well as the disproportionate impact of violent conflict on women. Ten years later, the U.S. Institute of Peace co-hosted a three-day Women and War conference focused on the varied experiences of women during wartime and how to make sustained progress toward international peace and security. The event featured an extraordinary coalition of national and international participants, including U.N. and U.S. government officials, the international diplomatic communities, military personnel, academics, civil society leaders, and practitioners in the fields of security, development, and conflict resolution.

A panel of experts shared their perspectives on effective policies and faith-based initiatives to curb civilian rape of women in Eastern DRC.

Over the past couple of years foreign direct investment to Pakistan has lagged.  Weak performance in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking reveals the fragility of institutions, lax regulatory enforcement, and an overall policy framework that is not very business-friendly.  This panel will analyze these issues and examine creative strategies to empower the private sector, sustain broadbased economic progress and promote peace in Pakistan.

This workshop aimed to inform members of the Democratic Republic of Congo diaspora and other stakeholders of ongoing development assistance programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), provide a forum for a frank exchange of ideas and identify avenues for more effective diaspora involvement in peacebuilding.

Police and military forces are the first line of defense against corruption, but they can also engage in corrupt practices. What are the best practices for dealing with corruption, particularly in countries emerging from conflict? USIP's Security Sector Reform Working Group discussed these questions.

Copper deposits worth over $50 billion in Afghanistan’s Aynak valley could either present an opportunity for economic sustainability and political stability or become the focus of violent competition and grand corruption. Panelists discussed the steps necessary to ensure that the copper industry benefits local communities and promotes peace in Afghanistan; how the Afghan business sector could prepare to be fully integrated in the copper value chain and the role for external parties, like the United States, to help the Afghan government and community-based organizations to build capacity that would improve coordination and effectiveness.

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?

This public event looks at how different types of conflict affect economic behaviors at the household level. The presenters, Tilman Brueck and Kati Schindler, will discuss the impacts of conflict through the use of household survey data collected from both Mozambique and Rwanda, where post-conflict environments impaired household boundaries, asset endowments, and the types of income-generating activities households engaged in. They will also offer a set of policy recommendations for decision-makers and practitioners.

Public event sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Economies of the United States Institute of Peace

Public event sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Economies of the United States Institute of Peace

A Liberia Working Group and Center for Economies and Conflict public event