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.
Central African Republic: A Role for Religious Leaders in Calming Conflict?
Presidential and legislative elections loom large in the Central African Republic (CAR) amid high tension and spikes in violence. CAR’s religious leaders have been on the frontlines of efforts to calm tensions ahead of polls opening on December 27. From religious leaders in the capital to those at the grass roots, they have made their voices and positions clear. The question, therefore, is not if religious leaders are crucial actors in conflict stabilization and peace efforts in CAR: They already are. Rather, policymakers and practitioners should be unpacking these leaders’ experiences—past and present—and asking how to strengthen their role as peacebuilding partners in the immediate post-electoral context and longer-term.
Nuclear Diplomacy with Russia: What’s Ahead for the Biden Administration?
With relations between the United States and Russia at a low point, the incoming Biden Administration faces the challenge of finding the right balance between showing firmness toward the Kremlin and engaging on issues of mutual interest, above all arms control. President-elect Joe Biden has indicated he may agree to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) for five years, a decision that could clear the way for further negotiations. But while extension of New START could lead to discussions on other areas of arms control, the potential for breakthroughs in the U.S.-Russia relationship appears dim.
Could a National Dialogue Solve Ethiopia’s Political Crisis?
While the recent conflict in Tigray renewed international focus on Ethiopia, more challenges lie ahead, including elections now scheduled for June 5. The state of Ethiopia’s political transition is contested, and the country remains polarized. However, as Ethiopian scholars Emebet Getachew, Mehari Taddele Maru, and Yohannes Gedamu discuss, a national dialogue process may have the potential to address the country’s dilemmas.
USIP to Train Senior Pakistani Religious Figures in Conflict Resolution
In an effort to strengthen peacebuilding skills inside of volatile but strategically important Pakistan, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) will conduct an unusual training workshop on mediation, conflict resolution and conflict-prevention skills for 20 senior religious leaders from Pakistan in June.
Strengthening Afghanistan's Resilience to Withstand Transition Challenges
The major attacks in Kabul this week have renewed questions on how well the country can deal with such challenges and also meet civilian needs ahead of the security transition in 2014.
Beyond the Annan Plan for Syria
One week after the first United Nation monitors arrived in Syria to oversee implementation of the peace plan negotiated by U.N. Special Envoy Kofi Annan, conditions on the ground have already made it irrelevant. What remains to be seen is how long it will take for the international community to acknowledge its failure and press ahead with its collective efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Syria.
Head of the Secretariat for Afghanistan's High Peace Council Visits USIP
Minister Masoom Stanekzai, the head of the Secretariat for Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, was joined by other members of the council as well as Afghanistan expert Dr. Barnett Rubin, serving as a senior adviser to the U.S. State Department’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Stenekzai was a former fellow at USIP.
Despite Big Unresolved Issues, Progress in Iran Nuclear Negotiations
Daniel Brumberg looks at the outcomes of the April 14 "P5+1" talks with Iran in Istanbul.
U.S. Envoy to Sudan, S. Sudan Addresses USIP's Academy
Ambassador Princeton Lyman, the U.S. special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, on April 23 spoke to a group of students at USIP's Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. The students were attending the Academy's Two Sudan course, running this spring from April 23-April 26
Continuing Burma's Transition to Democracy
Policymakers and experts consider how to advance U.S.-Burmese relations during this fragile period of transition in the Southeast Asian nation.