As a national, nonpartisan, independent Institute, the U.S. Institute of Peace draws on our exceptional convening power to create opportunities for diverse audiences to exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas necessary for creative solutions to difficult challenges. We serve as an important, neutral platform for bringing together government and nongovernment, diplomacy, security, and development actors, and participants across political views. The Institute’s events help shape public policy and priorities to advance peaceful solutions to conflict and strengthen international security.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also has been a pivotal figure in the African Union, gave remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace on April 22, exploring Africa’s leadership challenges in terms of “What’s Right With Africa.”
Iran and the world’s six major powers now face a June 30 deadline for converting a blueprint into a final nuclear deal. A unique panel of former U.S. and Iranian officials assessed the status of the talks and the political dynamics that will determine the fate of any agreement in Washington and Tehran. The discussion was held on April 20 at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Nigeria’s March 28 election and the aftermath constitute a critical test for Nigeria’s democratic development and stability as the country struggles against the Boko Haram insurgency. On April 2, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted an interactive live-streamed discussion with experts including USIP Senior Advisor Ambassador Johnnie Carson, who had just returned from co-leading an international election observation mission to Nigeria.
President Obama has raised the possibility of another push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement before he leaves office. With stability on the ground already severely at stake, it is imperative that any renewed attempt take account of lessons learned from last year's round of failed talks. On March 23, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Center for a New American Security held a discussion with Ilan Goldenberg, the chief of staff to the U.S. special envoy during those talks and author of the new report Lessons from the 2013-2014 Israeli-Palestinian Final Status Negotiations.
On Monday, March 16, founding director of USIP partner Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace Ms. Zahra’ Langhi discussed the current and potential roles of religious actors in peace and justice efforts in Libya. Specifically, she highlighted key themes from a USIP-sponsored project to map Libya’s religious actors, and she addressed the ways in which they are impacting efforts to counter violent extremism.
On February 26, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, spoke at an event hosted by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and the U.S. Institute of Peace in Hart Senate Office Building. The speech was during her first trip to Washington since Liberia’s declaration of a state of emergency over the Ebola outbreak last July.
On February 24 Senator Russell Feingold, the U.S. special envoy working to stabilize Africa’s Great Lakes region, spoke at the U.S. Institute of Peace following his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Nearly every modern U.S. administration has named special envoys or special representatives to address high-stakes conflicts by applying the kind of concentrated attention that exceeds the day-to-day capacity of the State Department and other regular bureaucratic structures. But how well does this approach really work? And what should be done to bolster the effectiveness of these envoys?
On December 18, USIP hosted members of the Hand in Hand school community to discuss their experiences in the wake of the recent attack on their school in Jerusalem. Panelists discussed the Hand in Hand model of coexistence within the broader field of peacebuilding, as well as the waves of diverse support and interest they’ve seen in the wake of the attack.
One year after South Sudan erupted into violence there are still no solutions for what might be done to end the conflict. Experts convened on Facebook on December 15, 2014 for a discussion on the peace process, transitional justice and more.