Publications & Tools

Reflecting the Institute's commitment to utilizing cost-effective approaches to empower others with knowledge, skills, and resources that promote the peaceful resolution of conflict, USIP supports U.S. and Pakistani nonprofit organizations producing media geared toward women and youth, countering extremist messaging.

The co-director of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Saving Face” stresses the importance of telling the stories of ordinary individuals who courageously speak out against human rights abuses.

There are a variety of contexts in which the empowerment of women in Pakistan can be considered, but none is more critical than law: How women’s legal rights are framed is fundamental to considering how best to advance women’s empowerment. After situating women’s legal rights in Pakistan, this Special Report reviews key features of recent legislation affecting women’s rights, explores the controversies surrounding this legislation, and elaborates on ongoing challenges to develop further legislation, particularly in light of opposition from Islamist groups.

In recent years the counterterrorism field has increasingly defined its work as countering violent extremism (CVE), described by Daniel Benjamin, coordinator of the State Department's Office of Counterterrorism as efforts "to stop those most at risk of radicalization from becoming terrorists" by providing the means to undercut the ideological and rhetorical narratives which drive violent extremism. Identifying these means for the Pakistani context is one of the core goals of USIP's Pakistan program as it strives to support innovative ideas and new approaches to inform and catalyze larger efforts to counter violent extremism and manage conflict.

The Olive Branch is the U.S. Institute of Peace blog. It features analysis and in the field reporting from USIP experts and guest bloggers highlighting the Institute's commitment to stability and security.