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.
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace on April 8 opened an exhibit exploring the role of architects and architecture in conflict resolution and held a panel discussion on the issue.
The U.S. Institute of Peace, in collaboration with Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Bernstein Family Foundation, convened a panel discussion with women leaders from Brazil, Cambodia, and Palestine on April 4 at USIP. These 2013 Vital Voices Global Leadership Award honorees offered unique perspectives on working with government and civil society, and on the importance of an enabling environment that supports their work.
As President Barack Obama embarks on his second term and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu builds his coalition government, many warn that time is running out for the two-state solution. On the occasion of its publication, the authors of “The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace” discussed their own views on whether and why that door is closing, and what the next Obama administration can do to keep it open. Read the event coverage, America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli P...
"Two Sided Story," a USIP grant-supported documentary film, documents what transpires when hardline Israeli settlers meet Palestinian activists resisting the Israeli occupation, and when Israeli soldiers meet Palestinians who have served time in Israeli jails. Ben Mayor then accompanies the participants back home when they return to their families and grapple with a complex daily reality. Please join us for a screening of the film and a discussion with two active participants in the dialogue...
Today’s international conflicts typically involve multiple actors, interests, and drivers that have sparked long, violent histories. Ending these conflicts relies more and more on facilitated dialogue, a process in which a neutral third party helps a broad spectrum of conflicting parties overcome the many barriers to effective communication.
The United States Institute of Peace held a public event on trauma and its effects on rule of law in conflict-affected societies. This two-panel event examined trauma from the panelists' experiences in post-conflict zones, shared new and innovative approaches to building trauma resilience, and focused on Libya as a case study to examine the trauma phenomenon among the general population. Read the event coverage, Trauma Resilience as a Keystone to Building the Rule of Law in Conflict-Affect...
Israeli-Palestinian talks are at a standstill and Fatah-Hamas reconciliation moves raise new questions about the direction of the conflict and the continuation of Western aid. Meanwhile, religiously-motivated attacks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are on the rise. Given the current low expectations for Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations, what is the role of religious leaders in preventing incitement and promoting peace? What has been achieved, and what are the current chall...
On Feb 16, 2012, Ambassador William B. Taylor, special coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the U.S. Department of State and Ellen Laipson, President and CEO of the Stimson Center met for the second in a series of breakfast briefings organized by the United States Institute of Peace in partnership with the Defense Education Forum of the Reserve Officers Association. Read the event coverage, Challenges of Reconstruction after Arab Uprisings Discussed at USIP-ROA Briefing
In May, President Obama defined the Arab Spring as a “historic opportunity” to redefine and strengthen America’s relationships in the Middle East, demonstrating that “America values the dignity of the street vendor . . . more than the raw power of the dictator.” One year after the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, has the promise of the Arab Awakening been realized? Please join former national security adviser Stephen Hadley and former Jordanian foreign minister Marwan Muasher on Wednesday, Ja...
Regional and global security experts addressed questions on the links between the fields of security and conflict management and the balance between regional/local security initiatives and global ones. The discussion centered on the themes of USIP’s book, "Rewiring Regional Security in a Fragmented World", edited by Chester A. Crocker, Fen Olsen Hampson, and Pamela Aall. Read the event coverage, "Rewiring Regional Security" Released at USIP Gathering