Sudan, One Year After Bashir

Sudan, One Year After Bashir

Friday, May 1, 2020

By: Manal Taha;  Payton Knopf;  Aly Verjee

Dictator Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for nearly three decades, was overthrown in April 2019. After months of protests, negotiations led to a joint civilian-military transitional government to govern the country for a period of 39 months. However, Sudan’s political transition remains tenuous, and even before the coronavirus pandemic, the risks of failure were many. USIP’s Manal Taha, Payton Knopf, and Aly Verjee discuss the past year in Sudan and the need for further international support to shore up the transition.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Health

The Coronavirus Crisis Could Reshape U.S. Policy in the Middle East

The Coronavirus Crisis Could Reshape U.S. Policy in the Middle East

Thursday, April 30, 2020

By: Mona Yacoubian

Although COVID-19 has yet to hit the Middle East with full force, the pandemic’s second and third order effects could impact the region in the most profound ways. The virus threatens to exacerbate the region’s deep-seated ills—poor governance, inadequate economic growth, deep societal fissures, pervasive conflict, and displacement—and shape the Middle East’s post-pandemic landscape.

Type: Analysis

Fragility & ResilienceGlobal Health

Jonathan Pinckney on Social Movements and Coronavirus

Jonathan Pinckney on Social Movements and Coronavirus

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

By: Jonathan Pinckney, Ph.D.

Coronavirus has led to a 70 percent decline in public protests worldwide compared to last year—but this doesn’t mean social movements are going away. “There are literally hundreds of other tactics … to express dissent while still following social distancing guidelines,” says USIP’s Jonathan Pinckney.

Type: Podcast

Global HealthNonviolent Action

Amid Coronavirus, Online Activism Confronts Digital Authoritarianism

Amid Coronavirus, Online Activism Confronts Digital Authoritarianism

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

By: Jonathan Pinckney, Ph.D.

As the COVID-19 pandemic expands, many social movements have had to drastically rethink their strategies. Movements that previously relied on the visibility and disruption of street protests have either been forced off the streets by quarantine restrictions or have voluntarily ended public protests to protect public health. Yet, this significant reduction in public protests does not mean that movements have gone away.

Type: Analysis

Global HealthNonviolent Action

Can We Make Peace with the Coronavirus?

Can We Make Peace with the Coronavirus?

Monday, April 27, 2020

By: Erica L. Sheeran;  Jeremy Moore

As humanity struggles to confront the coronavirus pandemic, we face no greater obstacle than the violent conflicts worldwide that prevent many communities and nations from the necessary task of working in unison. Is it conceivable to have Israelis and Palestinians working cooperatively to contain the virus, or the opposing sides in bitter conflicts from Afghanistan to Yemen? It is not only conceivable, a practical model for achieving this cooperation is available in the work of environmental peacebuilders—visionary groups that have been working across the lines of conflict to confront the universal threat of climate change.

Type: Analysis

EnvironmentGlobal HealthEconomics

What You Need to Know about Iran’s Coronavirus Crisis

What You Need to Know about Iran’s Coronavirus Crisis

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

By: Garrett Nada

Iran’s outbreak has been the worst in the Middle East by far and there are concerns that the pandemic’s spread is significantly worse than reported by Iranian authorities. The virus hit at a particularly bad time for Iran with the economy already suffering from the impact of U.S. sanctions. USIP’s Garrett Nada discusses the debate over the number of cases, Tehran’s decision to ease containment measures, and whether the coronavirus crisis could open the door to de-escalation with the United States.

Type: Analysis

Fragility & ResilienceGlobal Health

Coronavirus in Afghanistan: An Opportunity to Build Trust with the Taliban?

Coronavirus in Afghanistan: An Opportunity to Build Trust with the Taliban?

Thursday, April 16, 2020

By: Belquis Ahmadi;  Palwasha L. Kakar

The COVID-19 crisis comes at a critical juncture for Afghanistan. The disputed 2019 presidential election has led to a stalemate between incumbent President Ghani and the chief executive of the last government, Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom claim the right to govern. At a time when the Afghan government should be focused on the best chance to bring peace in years, it’s distracted by a political crisis. Meanwhile, progress in the peace process has slowed since the U.S. and Taliban signed a deal in late February.

Type: Analysis

Global HealthPeace Processes