USIP President-select Jim Marshall arrived in Kabul for the first stop of a series of visits overseas to see first hand some of the work USIP does in the field. Marshall, who will assume office Sept. 14, met with the staff of USIP’s Kabul office Aug. 28 before a day of back-to-back meetings with senior U.N. and local Afghan officials, as well as civil society representatives who are working to promote greater stability in Afghanistan.

Marshall, who served in Congress from 2003 to 2011, has visited Kabul several times before. This was the first time in this capacity as president-select after the USIP’s board chose him to succeed Richard Solomon, who is retiring after 19 years.

Marshall was briefed on the conflict resolution and prevention programs USIP runs in Kabul, from innovative media programming to others that strengthen the rule of law in Afghanistan, such as a national radio drama intended to help rural Afghans better understand justice issues. He also learned about other initiatives that build governance, improve the electoral process and expand women’s role in peacebuilding through dialogue. Marshall was struck by the different ways to promote peace in a country that has endured decades of war.

“I am impressed by the staff,” Marshall said after his briefing. “Good people doing good work and giving thought to how we demonstrate that to our USG partners.”

Later in the day, Marshall was briefed on a provincial dispute resolution program run by WADAN, a local nongovernmental organization with which USIP works closely. So-called “informal justice mechanisms” aim to harness age-old approaches to resolving disputes for a population that has relied on these methods for centuries. About 80 percent of disputes are reportedly resolved this way.

Afghans and the international community are gearing up for what will come after 2014, when most American troops are supposed to leave. Many here worry what will happen when the departure of NATO troops may create a security void.