Updated: November 20, 2008

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and development, and increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide.

The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the globe.
 Learn more in this video.

Abrahamic Alternatives to War Jewish, Christian and Muslim sacred texts all contain sections that support violence and justify warfare as a means to achieve certain goals. However, many of these passages are misused or taken out of context in contemporary situations to support violence and war. In a new Special Report based on a USIP conference, authors Susan Thistlethwaite and Glen Stassen seek methods to avoid misuse of such references in religious texts and effective strategies for highlighting passages that promote the means to achieve peace. |  Learn more

Haiti After the Storms: Weather and Conflict

In September 2008, four hurricanes and tropical storms slammed into Haiti, killing nearly 800, injuring more than 500 and leaving 300 missing. Infrastructure damage and food shortages are persistent. A recent editorial warned that the storms' aftermath could leave Haiti in “a bottomless pit of hunger, disease, crime, poverty and desperation.” The Institute's Haiti Working Group sponsored a panel of distinguished experts to discuss the challenge facing Haiti and the international response to the crisis. USIP Specialist Robert M. Perito summarizes the key discussion points in this new USIPeace Briefing. |  Learn more

Conflict Management Education and Training Courses

USIP's Education and Training Center is currently offering pilot courses on various aspects of peacebuilding for participants from backgrounds such as education, the military, international organizations, the non-profit sector and international development. Upcoming courses include Preventing Deadly Conflict and Introduction to Post-Conflict Strategies and Operations.
|  Learn more

Learn more about the Institute's work in this video.

Learn more about the Institute's work in Progress in Peacebuilding.

Read a National Journal article about USIP.