Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Credible Afghan Presidential Vote Hinges on Process, Politics
A U.S. official outlined the tests the Afghan government faces in cementing the first democratic change of top leadership in the country’s history, as one of Afghanistan’s most prominent civic activists described a “vibrant and active political environment” that just might help pull it off.
Soft Power in an Age of Austerity
USIP President Jim Marshall spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on March 11 for the release of a new report, “U.S. Navy Humanitarian Assistance in an Era of Austerity.” Marshall delivered the keynote address and participated in a panel discussion with Admiral (ret.) Gary Roughead (Hoover Institution), Rear Admiral (ret.) Thomas Cullison (CNA Institute for Public Research), and moderated by CSIS’s Dr. J. Stephen Morrison.
Sustainable Security in Yemen: Popular Committees in Abyan
In early 2011, as the Arab Spring protests swept through Yemen and crippled government control even in more urban areas Ansar al-Sharia (AAS), a local Islamic militant group affiliated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), began to take control of major areas of the far southeastern governorate of Abyan. This not only posed a serious threat to local residents but also to those beyond Yemen’s borders. With Abyan in the control of AAS and beyond government reach, Abyan risked becoming ...
Obama’s Africa Trip Seizes on Progress to Trumpet Economic Potential
President Barack Obama’s first extended trip to Africa will seize on democratic and economic progress in the three countries on his itinerary – Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania – to inspire further advances across the continent and encourage more American companies to plunge in.
USIP-Supported Radio Drama Aims to Strengthen Justice, Young People in Afghanistan
Young Afghan villagers Zarlakhta and Jamil would like to marry. But there is a big problem: Zarlakhta’s father is deceased and her uncle Akram is dead-set against the union, fearing that his family will lose good farm land that, in a marriage, would transfer to Jamil’s family. Akram is so opposed to the marriage that he is trying to fix Zarlakhta up with his son Khudaidad to keep the land in his own family, and when that scheme doesn’t work he shoots Jamil. Jamil survives, and Akram flees the...
USIP President Jim Marshall Leads U.S. Delegation to Crisis Avoidance Track 1.5 Dialogues in Beijing
USIP President Jim Marshall recently led a U.S. delegation to two Track 1.5 dialogues in Beijing aimed at moving quickly beyond intractable official government statements and finding ways for de-escalating tensions in East Asia.
Pakistan Premier Sharif Calls for Trade While Pledging Security Solutions
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, visiting Washington for the first time since his party won the general election in May, made a pitch for more foreign investment and trade links, saying he’s determined to tackle the domestic and regional security problems that hamper economic growth and development.
Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki Urges Greater U.S. Support
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in an October 31 address at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, called for more support from the United States in countering an ongoing wave of terrorism in Iraq that has been attributed primarily to al-Qaida-backed extremists, as well as for American patience as Iraq tries to build its young democracy amid the country’s deep internal political disputes.
Libya Institute Accord Advances On-the-Ground Work for Transition
The U.S. Institute of Peace entered an agreement today with the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS) to consolidate and formalize USIP’s work on the ground in helping strengthen Libya’s governing institutions and civil society.
Amid Violence, Egypt’s Interim Regime Faces Skeptics on Pledges of Dialogue
Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. Mohamed M. Tawfik pledged that his interim government would increase public discussion about a revised constitution in the coming weeks as a 50-member commission finalizes a draft for a planned referendum in December. But amid violence, polarization and intimidation, the co-founder of a civic movement said the interim regime has failed to deliver its promised dialogue.