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.
Twitter Chat on Libya’s Turmoil draws in U.S., U.K. Ambassadors
American and British ambassadors joined Libyan activists and analysts for a USIP Twitter chat this week, as rival lawmakers in Libya met for negotiations brokered by the United Nations to end the recent surge of violence and the political crises that sparked it.
Why the U.S. Foreign Aid and Disaster Relief Process is Broken
Changing how peacebuilding organizations measure success could save aid projects that are stuck trying to meet rigid, dated, and increasingly arbitrary goals in conflict zones.
Security and Justice in Post-Revolution Libya
Three years after the death of Muammar Qaddafi and the end of the revolution in Libya, security and justice are stalled and elusive despite the proliferation of security providers. The power of the gun prevails over the rule of law. Many see no end in sight. Based on a nationwide survey and drawn from interviews and focus group sessions, this report—supported by the USIP and the Small Arms Survey—tracks security and justice in Libya from before the revolution through today, its realities, and...
The Crowd Who Would Be King
Technology is connecting people all over the world, giving them new power and a stronger voice. But is it making government any better?
Tribute to Libyan Peacebuilders Salwa Bughaigis & Essam Gheriani
It is with broken hearts and the deepest of sorrows that we at USIP write this blog post. On June 25, the world lost a cherished peacebuilder and heroine to many, Salwa Bughaigis. She was killed at her home in Benghazi, shortly after voting in the parliamentary elections. Her husband, Essam Gheriani is presumed kidnapped by the same perpetrators. The U.S. Institute of Peace has been honored to know both of them, and our team has been personally moved by their sacrifices for freedom in Libya.
Political Pluralism in the OSCE Mediterranean Partners
William B. Taylor, vice president for Middle East and Africa, testifies before the United States Helsinki Commission on OSCE Mediterranean Partners.
Corruption: Sleeper Threat to International Security
In non-violent uprisings and more full scale revolutions ranging from the Arab spring to the overthrow of the President in Ukraine, one common underlying propellant was rebellion against government corruption. The same fuel has fed continuing turmoil in post-revolutionary Libya and undercut Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram. Yet the role of acute corruption in fomenting protests and violence is underappreciated and makes Western efforts to combat it insufficient.
Libya’s Criminal Economy of Arms, Drugs, People Shakes Prospects for Transition
"What are black markets? They are people's markets." The declaration by then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi illustrates one of the many reasons it will be difficult to end Libya's illicit trade in drugs, weapons and people. In a new USIP report, Mark Shaw and Fiona Mangan use more than 200 interviews with Libyan smugglers, detainees, port managers, security officials and others to map trafficking in the region and explain how it hurts the transition to democracy.
Illicit Trafficking and Libya’s Transition: Profits and Losses
As Libya emerges from forty years of autocratic rule, the criminal economy is undermining government efforts at state consolidation. This report maps the flow of weapons, migrants, drugs, and smuggled goods through Libya and details the interactions between armed groups who control illicit markets and local communities. The authors warn that efforts to beef up border control policing will not be sufficient. Combating organized crime in Libya requires a broader approach that will engage margin...
NATO’s Balancing Act
NATO's Balancing Act evaluates the alliance’s performance of its three core tasks—collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security—and reviews its members’ efforts to achieve the right balance among them. Yost considers NATO's role in the evolving global security environment and its implications for collective defense and crisis management in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Africa, Libya, and elsewhere.