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 held an on-the-record presentation and discussion with Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, which was webcast live on Thursday, March 22nd from 10:30am to 11:30am. NSA Atmar discussed the security challenges in Afghanistan and the path to peace and the recording is available for viewing.
We invite you to join the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum at the U.S. Institute of Peace on January 25, as a panel of leading experts will discuss options for advancing peace talks, reaching an inclusive political settlement, and transitioning Taliban and other insurgents off the battlefield and into nonviolent politics.
For a world in which more than 80 percent of people identify themselves as religious, the role of religious leaders, ideas, and institutions is critical to countering the many strains of violent extremism. On January 17 USIP held a discussion of the latest trends in policy and practice around the intersection of religion and its role in preventing and countering violent extremism.
In the past few weeks, the Islamic State (ISIS) “caliphate” has collapsed. Syria’s Assad regime all but formally won the six-year war, a consolidation of Iranian and Russian influence. Saudi Arabia purged parts of its royal family. Lebanon’s prime minister abruptly resigned. Iraq’s Kurds voted for independence, triggering a confrontation with Baghdad. Years of U.S. and international engagement has failed to politically and physically rebuild fractured countries, and the very viability of states like Iraq and Syria has been challenged. Where is the region headed, and what are the U.S. roles amid this tumult? At USIP, distinguished Middle East analysts explored where the region is headed, and the U.S. roles amid this tumult.
The European Union recently has added a new priority to its foreign and defense policies: Help countries vulnerable to crisis build their resilience against catastrophic events, notably violent conflict, which has uprooted 65 million people worldwide. On November 30, USIP gathered U.S., European and World Bank officials to discuss how governments and international organizations can better coordinate the implementation of this broad new approach to halting violent conflicts.
On November 29, the U.S. Institute of Peace held a discussion on the complex governance challenges in Raqqa and how the United States and the international community can constructively address them.
On November 17, USIP held Facebook Live forum with youth leaders who build peace, some despite personal traumas, in homelands facing violent conflicts. This forum originated from Dharamsala, India, where these 25 youth leaders shared their experiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
As Iraq nears a military defeat of ISIS, Iraqis and their leaders are debating how best to sustain the security gains, prevent any extremist revival, and stabilize the country. They must shape a post-ISIS Iraq as the country finds itself amid increased regional tensions between the Gulf Arab States and Iran. A key voice in this debate—and an important Iraqi interlocutor with U.S. policymakers—is Dr. Saleem al-Jubouri, since 2014 the elected speaker of parliament. He spoke at USIP amid his meetings with House Speaker Paul Ryan and other U.S. officials.
On September 28, USIP hosted a rare gathering of eminent Nigerian civic leaders and U.S. policymakers to examine what concrete steps Nigeria and the United States can take to stabilize Africa’s demographic and economic giant.
On Wednesday, September 27, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the RESOLVE Network of global experts on violent extremism discussed issues such as the risks in hotspots across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe at their annual forum.