Religion, Violence, and Coexistence
On October 22, 2012, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a panel discussion about civil society’s role in preventing and addressing provocative statements of religious bias and violent responses to it.
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.
On October 22, 2012, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a panel discussion about civil society’s role in preventing and addressing provocative statements of religious bias and violent responses to it.
In May 2012, Education Above All, a Doha-based education group, commissioned papers from practitioners and thematic experts that map and analyze the most widely used of different curricula, collectively designated as “education for global citizenship,” and the policies that have accompanied their implementation. To explore the findings of this research, the project director, technical adviser and expert on conflict and education, Margaret Sinclair, discuss these research findings with experts...
Dr. Chaiwat Satha-Anand, a prominent nonviolent activist and scholar from Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, joined us for a conversation on the subject of transforming radical extremism with principles of nonviolence action.
The United States Institute of Peace, together with the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, will host six distinguished Iran analysts on June 27, 2012. Drawn from USIP’s Internal Iran Study Group co-chaired by Daniel Brumberg and Farideh Farhi, these scholars will consider a diverse range of political struggles now unfolding in Iran. Chairing this event will be Haleh Esfandiari, director of Middle East Programs at the Woodrow Wilson Center, who will also be joined by visiting Wo...
After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the QDDR as a major step in elevating development alongside diplomacy as a key pillar of American foreign policy, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) welcomed the QDDR as the beginning of a better coordinated and more effective approach to global development. USIP and Webster University will host a day of discussion about how the QDDR complements NGO efforts in development, humanitarian relief and conflict management as well as the c...
In recent decades, civil wars have caused more deaths than any other form of organized mass violence. Between 2000 and 2010, an extraordinary 90 percent of civil wars were recurrences of earlier wars, according to the World Bank’s 2011 World Development Report. This event will bring together experts on civil war, the success of post-war peace agreements, and deeply divided societies to discuss the key elements that contribute to the success or failure of post-civil war peace.
On May 22 USIP hosted a special screening of the Oscar-winning documentary “Saving Face,” followed by a conversation with filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the documentary, and more broadly on the state of Pakistan’s women and how acid attack violence presents an opportunity for a greater role for women in addressing Pakistan’s challenges.
Among regional actors, Pakistan is always highlighted as the most critical player in a sustainable peace in Afghanistan, yet prolonged tensions in the Pakistan-U.S. relationship and Pakistan’s worries about India’s role in Afghanistan make this a challenging issue to resolve. On May 18, USIP hosted a debate among eminent South Asia experts on Pakistani and Indian interests and strategies toward Afghanistan. The participants focused on how Islamabad and New Delhi are viewing developments in Af...
Extremist violence and growing radicalization continue to present a serious challenge to Pakistan’s stability. As efforts to counter violent extremism grow in prominence, the drivers of radicalization and extremism and the means to undercut these drivers remain inadequately understood. On May 9, USIP convened a panel of experts on radicalization for a discussion examining what drives radicalization, and how to address these drivers through strategies to counter violent extremism. Read the ...
On April 6, USIP convened a panel of regional experts to discuss how Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors – Pakistan, Iran, and the bordering Central Asian Republics – view the present situation and impending security transition in Afghanistan, and what their role and policies are likely to be between now and 2014, and beyond.