Tuesday, April 23, 2024
In South Sudan, an Artists’ Movement for Peace Catches Fire
Jacob Bul Bior, a 29-year-old South Sudanese peace activist, has never known a day when his country wasn’t torn apart by violence. Civil war between northern and southern Sudan; battles between South
South Sudan: Four Steps to a Truce That Works
South Sudan’s conflict is monitored by an international organization called the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM). This group, including military officers from 14 countries, deploys 16 “monitoring and verification teams” across South Sudan. It receives nearly half of its funding from the United States.
Asia Eyes Trump’s Visit for Signals on North Korea Nukes
As President Trump makes his first official visit to the Asia-Pacific region this week, North Korea will be a top agenda item. Although leaders in Japan, China, and South Korea have different strategies for resolving the crisis, they all will be watching for...
To Curb Corruption and Violence, the 'Sandwich' Effect
In a Ukraine fighting not only a war in its East but also a second battle against corruption, civic leader activist Taras Shevchenko talks of the need for a “sandwich effect.” Only Ukrainians can solve their own problems, he says. But as the country’s civil society pushes for...
These Young Afghans Are Acting Against Corruption
By every available measure, corruption is crippling Afghanistan’s government and fueling the Taliban insurgency. Repeated surveys of Afghans find bribe-taking by officials among the public’s greatest complaints, and the Taliban win popular support by vowing to end such graft. While weak police and judicial systems seem unable to...
Making Peace Possible in 2017
Despite a tumultuous year, one seemingly defined by violent conflict, extremism, and devastating civil wars, U.S. Institute of Peace President Nancy Lindborg argues that “peace is very possible” in part due to the practical solutions that USIP’s teams work on every day.
Colombia War-Crime Prisoners Face Past, Plan Future
The prisoners would be arriving soon and Adriana Combita, like a young teacher preparing to greet a new class, was nervous. This was not the first time that Combita, 26, had led a peacebuilding training with soldiers convicted of war-related crimes. But these were senior officers, commanders with master’s degrees, military officials who had lived abroad.
The Challenge of Reintegrating Kyrgyz Children of ISIS Fighters in Iraq
A fifth grader at an elementary school in Aravan, Kyrgyzstan — a rural farming community in the lush Ferghana Valley on the border with Uzbekistan — could only count to 20 when this school year began. “It was like he dropped out of the sky,” his teacher said about his unfamiliarity with numbers, letters or the entire concept of school.
‘A lot Can Change in a Generation’: A Story from Lebanon
I want to share a personal story from our “Imagine: Reflections on Peace exhibit” that is not explained with the photos. It describes three pictures from the Lebanon exhibit and the transformation that is possible between generations.
The Latest @ USIP: Why Central America’s Security Is a U.S. Priority
In this edition of "The Latest @ USIP,” Ricardo Zúniga, the principal deputy assistant secretary and special envoy for the Northern Triangle in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department, discusses why Central America is such a high priority for the Biden administration; the key strategies to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict; and how U.S. engagement, particularly in Guatemala, can help address conflict in the region.