Many conflicts on the international scene today involve extremist groups that employ violence to achieve their goals.   But should states and international bodies engage entities such as the Taliban, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and if so, which ones, when, and how?

Many conflicts on the international scene today involve extremist groups that employ violence to achieve their goals.   But should states and international bodies engage entities such as the Taliban, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and if so, which ones, when, and how?  These questions are among the most politically fraught and vexing challenges facing international negotiators and mediators. 

This event featured a discussion of two recent USIP Press publications, "Engaging Extremists: Trade-offs, Timing, and Diplomacy," edited by I. William Zartman and Guy Olivier Faure (USIP Press, 2011), and "Talking to Groups That Use Terror," by Nigel Quinney and A. Heather Coyne-the latest publication in the Institute's Peacemaker's Toolkit series.   The Institute  also be acknowledeged Professor Zartman's extraordinary contributions to building the conflict resolution field.

Speakers

  • I. William Zartman
    Professor Emeritus, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University
  • Teresa Whitfield
    Senior Advisor, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and Senior Fellow,  Center for International Cooperation, New York University
  • Ambassador Luigi R. Einaudi
    Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University
  • Virginia Bouvier, Moderator
    Senior Program Officer, Centers of Innovation, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Steve Riskin, Introductions
    Senior Program Officer, Grant Program, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Chester A. Crocker, Special Presentation
    James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University and U.S. Institute of Peace board member

Related Academy Courses

Related Publications

Iran’s Attack and the New Escalatory Cycle in the Middle East

Iran’s Attack and the New Escalatory Cycle in the Middle East

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The Middle East is entering a new phase after unprecedented attacks by Israel and Iran during the first two weeks of April. Robin Wright, a senior fellow at USIP and the Woodrow Wilson Center who has covered the region for a half century, explores what happened, the strategic implications, the political context and the divided world reaction.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Linking Early Warning and Early Response Networks to Curb Violence in West Africa

Linking Early Warning and Early Response Networks to Curb Violence in West Africa

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

A conflict early warning and early response (EWER) ecosystem has been developing in West Africa as multilateral organizations, governments, civil society groups, and others have established systems that detect threats and provide critical information to relevant authorities. Yet individual EWER systems are prone to a range of failures—from gaps in data to decision-making bottlenecks to response coordination breakdowns. This report argues that linking individual systems—a network-of-networks approach—can improve outcomes for people across West Africa and serve as a model for other conflict-affected regions around the world.

Type: Peaceworks

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

The Growing Flashpoints Between the U.S. and Iran

The Growing Flashpoints Between the U.S. and Iran

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Tension between Washington and Tehran has been a growing undercurrent of the war in Gaza, even as both countries tried to prevent it from sparking a direct confrontation during the first six months of fighting. Robin Wright, a joint fellow at USIP and the Wilson Center, explores the evolving flashpoints in the world’s most volatile region as well as the challenges for U.S. diplomacy, the new triggers for a wider regional conflagration and the historical backdrop.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications