Question And Answer
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.
Getting to ‘Afghan Good Enough’
With the Obama administration poised to transition the bulk of its forces out of Afghanistan by 2014, it’s all the more critical to build credible, accountable and enduring institutions there.
Five Myths of Afghan Reconciliation
Amid the budding political discourse on a peace process in Afghanistan, USIP’s Gordon Lubold examines five myths about reconciliation.
The Politics of Dispute Resolution and Continued Instability in Afghanistan
In this Special Report Noah Coburn analyzes findings from USIP's in-country research projects on dispute resolution in Afghanistan. The report argues that the lines between formal and informal justice systems in Afghanistan are blurred and that this has major implications for international programs engaging the informal sector, and ultimately concludes that lack of security and political stablity are the greatest challenges to dispute resolution.
Optimism and Obstacles in India-Pakistan Peace Talks
USIP is engaged in research and dialogue on India-Pakistan relations. This brief applies a problemsolving lens and draws upon the lessons provided by the Track II dialogue process.
The Kabul Courts and Conciliators: Mediating Cases in Urban Afghanistan
Between January 2010 and July 2011, a USIP researcher officer, Zuhal Nesari, observed court proceedings, collected data and conducted interviews in civil and criminal divisions of Kabul’s fourth zone Primary Court in addition to commercial and family courts.
Pakistan, the United States and the End Game in Afghanistan: Perceptions of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Elite
This brief summarizes the perceptions of Pakistani foreign policy elite about Pakistan’s strategy and interests in Afghanistan, its view of the impending “end game”, and the implications of its policies towards Afghanistan for the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.
NGOs and Nonstate Armed Actors
Two seasoned NGOs engage nonstate combatants on international human rights law to get them to change behaviors, from eliminating use of landmines to protecting civilians. Their work can inform and complement other attempts at engagement.
Afghan Civil Society and a Comprehensive Peace Process
The peace brief summarizes key findings of the field research undertaken during five trips to Kabul, Afghanistan and one trip to Pakistan between 2009 and 2011.
Customary Justice and the Rule of Law in War-Torn Societies
Customary Justice and the Rule of Law in War-Torn Societies presents seven in-depth case studies that take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the study of the justice system. Moving beyond the narrow lens of legal analysis, the cases—Mozambique, Guatemala, East Timor, Afghanistan, Liberia, Iraq, Sudan—examine the larger historical, political, and social factors that shape the character and role of customary justice systems and their place in the overall justice sector.
Military Strategy Alone Cannot Lead to Durable Peace in Afghanistan
USIP’s Andrew Wilder comments on President Barack Obama’s call to draw down U.S. forces and why achieving durable peace in Afghanistan is essential for U.S. national security.