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.
USIP and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) hosted a presentation of recently published research on drug issues in the region. USIP experts discussed their research on drug trafficking and consumption in Libya, while GI-TOC experts analyzed trends in the Maghreb as a whole.
On August 6, USIP and ODI hosted a panel discussion featuring peacebuilding experts and practitioners from North Africa. The online conversation looked at the implications of COVID-19 on peacebuilding at the local level in three particular North African contexts: Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt.
On August 4, USIP held an expert panel discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 in Syria. The panel featured field-based medical practitioners who provided on-the-ground insight on the pandemic’s effects in northern Syria, specifically among displaced populations within Syria.
On June 30, USIP hosted Assistant Secretary Robert A. Destro from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), as well as a panel of experts, for a discussion on the current reality for Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities, the international response in the aftermath of ISIS’s military defeat, and the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the new Iraqi government, and potential early elections.
USIP, in partnership with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in the U.S., hosted a screening of the documentary “One Yazidi Family vs. ISIS.” The screening was followed by a discussion of the film and the issues the Yazidi community continues to face, as well as the ways in which the international community can better assist Yazidis and other displaced communities so they can return to their homes with dignity.
The Congressionally appointed Syria Study Group hosted a panel discussion and presentation of the final report’s assessments and recommendations. The event included keynote addresses from Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who spearheaded the creation of the bipartisan study group, and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT).
As part of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s ongoing “Red Sea Rising” multi-track initiative, USIP hosted the release of the International Crisis Group’s forthcoming report unpacking the regional goals, motivations, and often conflicting aims of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
On June 28, USIP, in partnership with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, will host Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence, to discuss her work to help Iraq recover, the plight of the Yazidi people, and stabilization and resilience in the country.
Join USIP for a conversation with the Tunisian Minister of Defense Abdelkrim Zbidi, where we will discuss the dynamics of North Africa and how the U.S. and Tunisia are working together to promote regional security. The event will look at the risks of continued upheaval, as well as how the current uncertainty opens the door for democratic reform that was not possible in pre-2011 North Africa.
On March 29, we spoke with Iraq’s new speaker of the Council of Representatives, Mohammed al-Halbousi, about the newly formed parliament’s priorities, the ongoing battle against violent extremism, and his vision for peace and stability.