Latest In the Field

Find In the Field By

Afghan Maliks participate in training session. (Photo: U.S. Institute of Peace)
November 2009

Promoting non-violent resolution of conflict at all local levels will be essential to bringing, and sustaining, peace and stability to Afghanistan.  In Afghanistan's recent history, the most effective agents in advancing peace and security at the local level have been indigenous structures such as shura and jirga councils, as well as Maliks.

Photo: NY Times
September 2009

USIP's Maria Jessop-Mandel writes about the Institute's recent human rights workshop, "Putting Human Rights Values into Action," for Iraqi professors held in Beirut, Lebanon. The program explored three human rights-related themes specific to the Iraqi context -- children’s rights, women's equality and academic freedom -- and ways these professors could more effectively teach human rights in their classrooms, and ultimately learn from each other's experiences.

Linda Bishai presents during training workshop. (Photo: USIP)
September 2009

The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are two of the most troubled provinces of Pakistan. The porous border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan suffer from serious violent conflict due to the Taliban’s heavy presence in these areas.

August 2009

Ahead of the country's critical 2011 referendum on whether the South should secede from Sudan, USIP is dedicated to help resolve internal conflicts and help ensure the country's future stability and security. In "Notes from Sudan," USIP's Jon Temin writes about his recent tour of the country to get an update on the status of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended decades of civil war in Sudan and learn about preparations for the 2011 referendum and the 2010 national elections. 

 

Photo: USIP
June 2009

The process of drafting and passing new “people friendly” criminal laws is a difficult one but it is certainly not impossible. USIP's Vivienne O'Connor visited Haiti recently to help work with the national actors engaged in the reform process by sharing with lawmakers a law reform tool –- the “Model Codes for Post-Conflict Criminal Justice” book -- that we developed in cooperation with the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Countries: Haiti | Issue Areas: Human Rights, Rule of Law
Pro-government demonstrators. (Photo: Anita Isaacs)
June 2009

A scandal involving murder allegations against the president and escalating violence from drug trafficking threaten Guatemala’s stability. Former USIP grantee Anita Isaacs recently traveled to the Central American country, where she witnessed massive demonstrations that exposed the fragility of Guatemala’s democracy.

June 2009

Ted Feifer and Mike Lekson of the Education and Training Center/ International conducted the Institute's seventh workshop on negotiation skills in multilateral diplomacy for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, June 8-10, 2009.

May 2009

Senior Program Officers Nina Sughrue and Noor Kirdar continued USIP’s support for the international Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), run by the Italian Caribinieri in Vicenza, Italy. CoESPU, which was established on March 1st 2005, stems from an Italian initiative, supported by the G8 countries to provide technical and financial assistance in order to improve global capacity for sustaining peace stability operations, particularly in African countries.

Taxi displaying Sri Lanka flag in celebration of the end of the civil war. (Photo: USIP Photo)
May 2009

USIP peace scholar Benjamin Schonthal provides a first person account of the excitement at the end of Sri Lanka's 30-year civil war. And, he also reminds us that the hard work of peace is just beginning.

Maoist supporters en route to a rally May 17th
May 2009

USIP’s Rule of Law program is preparing to conduct a baseline survey on security and access to justice in Nepal.  Acting Director of Rule of Law Colette Rausch and Program Assistant Morgan Miller visited Nepal in May to discuss final preparations with the Kathmandu-based team leading the survey effort.

Countries: Nepal | Issue Areas: Capacity Building, Civil Society, Rule of Law
Syndicate content