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 August 3, USIP hosted a discussion with U.S. and Vietnamese officials on the Vietnamese Wartime Accounting Initiative and how it fits into broader efforts to overcome legacies of war.
On June 17, USIP hosted a discussion on the latest findings from USIP’s Iraq Conflict and Stabilization Monitoring Framework, which collects data directly from conflict-affected communities across Nineveh province. The conversation shed light on the current reality of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities, as well as...
On May 27, USIP hosted experts on Nigeria and violent extremism to discuss timely, policy-relevant findings about what it really takes for armed actors to leave terrorism behind. The conversation looked at ways to better understand policy relevant trends like the risks of recidivism, explored effective predictors of support for violence, and uncovered how community members actually view reintegratees.
On January 28, USIP honored the 30th anniversary of German reunification with the establishment of “Reconciliation Hall” in the Institute’s George H. W. Bush Peace Education Center. This virtual event, featuring preeminent figures in the U.S.-German partnership, looked back at the lessons German reunification provides to peacebuilders around the world, and explored why continued cooperation between the two nations will be as essential to meeting the challenges of this century as they were in meeting the challenges of the 20th.
On October 16, USIP and prominent experts and policymakers held a discussion on possible solutions for resolving the ongoing conflict. The event looked at the current status of peace negotiations, as well as what a settlement might look like, the war’s political and social consequences and how COVID-19 has exacerbated its effects, and how regional dynamics—including instability in neighboring Belarus—have the potential to influence Ukraine's security situation.
USIP hosted a discussion with U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. Since his appointment in September 2018, Special Representative Khalilzad has brokered the U.S.-Taliban agreement, enlisted regional support for a peace process, and worked with both sides to get them to the negotiating table.
USIP hosted CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie and other experts for a discussion on the challenges of the post-ISIS landscape across Syria and Iraq, as well as the military’s role working alongside diplomacy and development to achieve the enduring defeat of ISIS and long-term stabilization.
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 was pleased to host Dr. Abdullah for his first public event as chairman of the HCNR. Dr. Abdullah discussed preparations for negotiations with the Taliban, the key issues that need to be addressed, and what can be done to strengthen national unity and consensus on peace. His address was followed by a live question and answer session.
USIP hosted a panel of former U.S. government senior officials as they discussed the significance of the reported agreement, the potential for a sustainable and inclusive peace process, and what this latest development means for bringing an end to the eighteen-year war in Afghanistan.