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.
Four Lessons for Fighting Extremists – Without Guns
As the military campaign against the Islamic State stalls, it's time to turn to a civilian solution.
Deradicalization Programming in Pakistan
The December 2014 terrorist attack in Peshawar that killed 132 schoolchildren forced Pakistan to acknowledge the extent of its ongoing problem with radical Islamist militancy. Islamabad, however, has yet to implement a comprehensive deradicalization strategy. In January 2015, it took a formal step in this direction with its twenty-point National Action Plan in response to the Peshawar attack—a step, but only a first step. If deradicalization is to meet with any success in Pakistan, the nation...
Understanding and Countering Violent Extremism in Afghanistan
Youth recruitment into extremist groups in Afghanistan continues to be a major source of group building. In field studies and interviews conducted in three provinces to elicit views on extremist groups, both violent and nonviolent, and factors thought to induce youth to join such groups, violent extremist groups emerged as unpopular and mistrusted, being perceived as un-Islamic and controlled by foreign powers. Nonetheless, the activities and ideologies of such groups have not been effectivel...
Twitter Forum Explores Lawlessness at Sea
The unreported murder of four men in plain view, all too common on the high seas, led New York Times reporter Ian Urbina into the merciless world that resulted in his investigative series, "The Outlaw Ocean." In an event hosted by the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL) and USIP on Aug. 18, Urbina and a panel of experts convened from three continents for a virtual forum on Twitter to discuss the issues and impact of lawlessness at sea.
U.S. Envoy Feldman Urges Continued Support to Solidify Afghan Gains
The U.S. can’t assess yet the precise impact the confirmed death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar will have on the group’s talks with the Afghan government, but officials do believe the insurgency faces a more stable and united administration than at any time in the past six years, according to Dan Feldman, the outgoing U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Afghan Youth and Extremists
Four decades of political instability, violent conflict, and socioeconomic crisis has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan and its citizens. As this Peace Brief explains, understanding the process of radicalization and the drivers of violent extremism is vital to designing effective counterstrategies.
An Appraisal of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act
Pakistan passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 1997 in response to the rising threat of terrorism within its borders. The law was designed to help law enforcement combat terrorism. Instead, conceptual difficulties within the law and procedural problems in implementing it have led to an alarmingly high number of acquittals. This report examines the weaknesses in the Anti-Terrorism Act and suggests ways to improve the law and its application to better fight terrorism in Pakistan.
Women and Violent Extremism: A Growing Threat Demands Concerted Action
The extremist organization ISIS manipulates gender dynamics far better than its opponents often understand. It recruits young men with promises of control over women and uses mass rape as a form of cohesion. At the same time, it lures isolated women with appeals to enlarge their lives by joining a cause. Policymakers seeking to address the role of women in countering violent extremism must take an equally layered, multi-pronged approach to gender, according to experts from government, the Uni...
Conflict and Extremist-Related Sexual Violence
As extremist groups in the Middle East and North Africa perpetrate sexual violence against women as part of their campaigns to further their interests and propagate fear, scholars are reaching a deeper understanding of the ways in which sexual violence, before, during, and after conflict, arises from a complex pattern of political, military, social, and economic factors. International actors can draw from this work to craft responses that better assist survivors and hold perpetrators accounta...
Women Under ISIS Rule: From Brutality to Recruitment
Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, director of gender programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. More from Dr. Kuehnast following her testimony, ”How ISIS Exploits Children by Manipulating Gender Dynamics."