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.
Iraq’s 2010 national elections, run by Iraqi institutions and secured by Iraqi forces, will have far reaching consequences for Iraq’s stability, relations with its neighbors and U.S. engagement over the next four years and beyond. USIP and ISW experts engaged in a discussion on what the elections process reveals about the evolution of Iraq’s democracy as the U.S. military drawdown approaches.
Please join us for a presentation of sustainable business models for post-conflict societies, including a case example of Prosperity Candle which targets women entrepreneurs by providing them with kits and training in candle production for domestic and export markets. Other small enterprise models also discussed within the context of the greater economic challenges facing women during and after conflict.
Despite the challenges facing the next generation of Iraqis, many Iraqi youth are generally positive about their futures. This event will consider some of the ways these young people are contributing to their communities, with a particular focus on USIP's work with Iraqi youth and partners in education, media and civil society sectors.
Police and military forces are the first line of defense against corruption, but they can also engage in corrupt practices. What are the best practices for dealing with corruption, particularly in countries emerging from conflict? USIP's Security Sector Reform Working Group discussed these questions.
With national elections just around the corner on March 7, Iraq once again finds itself at a critical crossroads in determining what sort of society it wants and the extent to which truly representative politics will be central to that concept. Ambassador Christopher Hill offered his remarks.
This USIP event examined the complex nexus between democratic change and U.S. security interests, with a principal focus on Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen.
On the one-year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, USIP and POMED invited a public audience to assess the Obama administration's first year and to examine the administration's oppurtunities to implement its vision of a new beginning with the Arab and Muslim world.
Local ownership is essential for successful security sector reform (SSR), but donor countries often determine priorities and programs. What practical steps can policymakers and practitioners take to encourage local ownership of reform efforts? USIP's SSR Working Group hosted an expert panel to discuss this issue.
Major General Robert Caslen, recently returned from Iraq, where he served as commanding general of Multinational Division - North, discussed the strategic relationship between the U.S. and Iraq post-2011.
USAID’s Community Stabilization Program (CSP) in Iraq was designed as a non-lethal counterinsurgency program that aimed to reduce incentives for participating in violent conflict by utilizing job-creation programs and engaging the youth. This event considered the following questions and more: Was the CSP effective as a counter-insurgency tool in Iraq? Does the CSP foster local ownership and sustainability?