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.
President Obama’s Speech an “Evolution” for U.S. Policy, Says USIP Expert
President Barack Obama’s May 19 speech presents an important evolution rather than a decisive break with U.S. Middle East policy, particularly as it regards the crucial question of democratic reform in the Middle East, says USIP expert Dan Brumberg.
President Obama: U.S. Supports Democratic Movements in the Middle East and North Africa, Pushes for Middle East Peace
President Barack Obama, in a wide-ranging policy address on the Middle East and North Africa, put U.S. support squarely behind the pro-reform, democratic movements reshaping the region and called for continued U.S. efforts to support Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
Democratization and Conflict in the Arab World: Challenges, Opportunities and Dangers
The mass protests seeking democracy and rule of law in the Arab world—amid the hope for change—have also produced an array of uncertainties, the likelihood of setbacks and the need for difficult policy choices by U.S. officials, the specialists addressing a United States Institute of Peace (USIP) conference on May 4 said. The event was co-hosted with Georgetown University.
Women and the Arab Spring
Women's participation in the Arab Spring has been significant, but it remains to be seen, however, if their participation will result in increased opportunities for women in the public sphere when the dust settles. USIP’s Mary Hope Schwoebel discusses the opportunities and challenges for women in the Arab Spring.
Constitutional Reform in Transitional States: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Egypt and Tunisia
Countries emerging from authoritarianism frequently face constitutional challenges, among them sequencing constitutional reform with a transition to democracy, designing a constitutional review process that is seen as legitimate, and addressing substantive constitutional concerns.
Israel and the Arab Spring
USIP’s Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen discusses how the Arab Spring could impact Israel.
Youth and the "Arab Spring"
USIP’s Stephanie Schwartz, author of “Youth and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Agents of Change,” discusses the critical role youth are playing in the “Arab Spring.”
The Arab Spring
Chester A. Crocker analyzes the “awakening” of new trends in the Arab world and North Africa and makes recommendations for the United States.
Traveling toward the Rule of Law in the Middle East and North Africa: Avenues and Obstacles
This brief was written by the director of USIP’s Rule of Law Center of Innovation and three of the center’s senior advisers: Colette Rausch, Jason Gluck, Vivienne O’Connor and Scott Worden. The authors’ analysis is informed by their knowledge of the Middle East and North Africa and their firsthand experiences in promoting the rule of law in transitional states such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Iraq, Kosovo and Nepal.
Arab Uprisings: Lessons from Africa
Senior Fellow Michael Bratton compares political transitions in Sub-Saharan African to the current uprisings and demonstrations calling for political change in the Middle East and North Africa.