Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

The Impact of COVID-19 on Local Peacebuilding in the Middle East

Reflections from Yemen, Syria, and Iraq

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 / Time: 9:30am - 11:00am 

Center: Middle East North Africa Center

Share This
Print the Page

The outbreak of COVID-19 in conflict zones was regarded by many as an opportunity for peace. But today, the stark reality in many conflict zones has shown that the opportunity may have been missed. Cease-fires are being ignored, and the politics of the pandemic have enabled conflict and violence rather than deterred them. The past few months have shown that while the COVID-19 health crisis will eventually subside, its economic, social, and political implications will unfortunately outlive it. In the face of these challenges, how are local peacebuilding efforts in the Middle East coping with the far-reaching effects of the pandemic in both the short- and long-term?

Arabic

English

On October 14, USIP and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) held a panel discussion featuring peacebuilding experts and practitioners from the Middle East. The online conversation looked at the implications of COVID-19 on peacebuilding at the local level in three particular Middle Eastern contexts—Yemen, Syria, and Iraq—as well as how regional and international actors should engage in the Middle East to support local peace actors as they try to preserve the gains they’ve made over the past few years.

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #COVIDInMiddleEast. 

Please note: this event will be broadcast live at 9:30am EDT. The event will be streamed in Arabic on YouTube and in English on USIP's LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Both the English and Arabic versions will be available during the event on this webpage. 

Speakers

Dr. Elie Abouaoun, opening remarks
Director of Middle East and North Africa Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace

Dr. Sultan Barakat
Founding Director, Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies

Dr. Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, opening remarks
Director of Politics and Governance, ODI

Mrs. Nadwa Al-Dawsari
Non-resident Fellow, The Middle East Institute

Mrs. Noor Qais
Program Officer, Sanad for Peacebuilding, Iraq

Dr. Sherine Taraboulsi-McCarthy, moderator
Interim Senior Research Fellow, The Politics and Governance Program (ODI)
 

Latest Publications

China, Philippines Have Big Disagreements Over Their Recent Deal

China, Philippines Have Big Disagreements Over Their Recent Deal

Thursday, July 25, 2024

By: Andrew Scobell, Ph.D.;  Daniel Spinelli;  Brian Harding;  Carla Freeman, Ph.D.;  Lyndi Tsering;  Dean Cheng

China and the Philippines this weekend reached a deal aimed at reducing their growing tensions over Second Thomas Shoal. The agreement comes as maritime confrontations have been increasing in frequency and intensity, raising fears of a broader conflict that could lead to the Philippines invoking its mutual defense treaty with the United States. While the deal could be a key step to reducing tensions, messaging from both Beijing and Manila suggests that both sides still firmly maintain their positions on the disputed waters, and that they see the agreement’s provisions in fundamentally different ways.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Palestinian Factions Pledge Unity: Another Diplomatic Win for China?

Palestinian Factions Pledge Unity: Another Diplomatic Win for China?

Thursday, July 25, 2024

By: Robert Barron;  Andrew Scobell, Ph.D.;  Adam Gallagher

Hamas, Fatah and a dozen smaller Palestinian factions signed on Tuesday in Beijing a joint statement calling for, among other things, the formation of a national unity government. Fatah, the secular party that controls the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas, which perpetrated the October 7 terrorist attack that led to the ongoing war in Gaza, have been divided since 2007. Their rivalry has long been a thorn in the side of the Palestinian cause and numerous attempts at reconciliation have failed. This latest attempt comes as efforts to devise a post-war governance system for Gaza are picking up steam.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy;  Reconciliation

Japan-Pacific Islands Summit: Contending with Nuclear and Colonial Legacies

Japan-Pacific Islands Summit: Contending with Nuclear and Colonial Legacies

Thursday, July 25, 2024

By: Camilla Pohle

Last week, Pacific Island leaders flew to Tokyo for the Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting (PALM), a summit between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The meeting, which has occurred every three years since 1997, is designed to elevate Japan’s engagement with the forum and address common challenges, including climate change, fisheries and development.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

As Russia Builds Influence in Africa, its Church Takes a Role

As Russia Builds Influence in Africa, its Church Takes a Role

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

By: Andrew Hoyle

Vladimir Putin’s campaign to make the world safe for violent authoritarianism visibly exploits conflicts and bolsters military rule in Africa with mercenary armies, internet-borne disinformation and weaponized corruption. A less recognized Russian effort to build influence in Africa is an expansion across the continent of the Russian Orthodox Church. As the Russian church’s overt support for Putin’s war on Ukraine has corroded its influence in the traditionally Orthodox Christian world, the Moscow Patriarchate is opening parishes and hiring priests away from the established African church.

Type: Analysis

Religion;  Global Policy

Cómo Puede Contribuir EE.UU. a la Resolución del Conflicto en Venezuela

Cómo Puede Contribuir EE.UU. a la Resolución del Conflicto en Venezuela

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

By: Víctor Álvarez R.

El reciente anuncio de negociaciones directas entre Venezuela y Estados Unidos fue recibido con agrado por muchos venezolanos como una oportunidad para aumentar las posibilidades de que las elecciones del 28 de julio se desarrollen pacíficamente y conduzcan a un futuro de coexistencia democrática. Sin embargo, la clave de este resultado dependerá menos de las cuestiones tácticas electorales —como los incentivos para no anular la candidatura de la oposición— y más de la cuestión más amplia de asegurar que no habrá persecución del perdedor y que ambas partes puedan volver a la alternancia del poder en lugar de un régimen de partido único. EE.UU. está en una posición clave tanto para influir en el ambiente general de las elecciones como para tomar acciones específicas que faciliten un resultado democrático, que se desarrollará a lo largo de un período post-electoral extendido.

Type: Analysis

Global Elections & Conflict;  Global Policy

View All Publications