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.
The Economy of Burma/Myanmar on the Eve of the 2010 Elections
Summary The government of Burma is undergoing a critical transition: Before the end of 2010, the military regime that has ruled the country since a palace coup in 1998 will hold an election based on a constitution drafted in a nondemocratic process and approved by a referendum in 2008. The referendum fell far short of global standards of credibility and the election is likely to yield a government that neither the antimilitary movement nor the international community views as legitimat...
Food Security and Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Regions
As President Barack Obama outlines how the U.S. will address current and future security threats in his National Security Strategy, USIP’s Raymond Gilpin discusses why hunger is relevant to our concerns, and why providing humanitarian aid is not necessarily the best solution.
The International Donors’ Conference and Support for Haiti’s Future
At the March 31, 2010 International Donors’ Conference on Haiti some $10 billion was pledged in support of the government of Haiti’s “Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti,” with $5.3 billion earmarked for the next two years. A Multi-Donor Trust Fund, managed by the World Bank, will oversee the allocation of international resources toward activities approved by a mixed Haitian/international Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC).
The Link Between DDR and SSR in Conflict-Affected Countries
Summary Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR) processes should be interrelated and mutually reinforcing. As DDR and SSR share the same objective--consolidation of the state’s monopoly of force to uphold the rule of law--they succeed or fail together and should be planned, resourced, implemented, and evaluated in a coordinated manner. The natural point of intersection for DDR and SSR is in the reintegration phase, as many ex-combatants find...
Haiti: A Republic of NGOs?
Concerns about the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Haiti’s development have been present for decades. However, these issues have gained increasing prominence following the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince.
Preventing Conflict in the "Stans"
Several destabilizing dynamics persist throughout eastern Central Asia, such as weak governance, poor social and economic conditions, ethnic tensions and religious militancy. While these differ in kind and scope in each country, some conflict drivers are transnational in scope, such as energy insecurity and environmental degradation.
The Tigris-Euphrates River Basin: A Science Diplomacy Opportunity
Iraq’s post-conflict struggles for sustainable economic growth and regional stability are undermined in both the short and long term by poor water management in the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Poor regional water management has negative effects on Iraq’s regional political relationships, its economy and its ecology.
Hydrocarbons in the Amazon: Awakening Old Inequalities
Private oil companies invested $800 million in Peru in 2009 alone, and another $1 billion is planned for investments in natural gas developments between 2010-2013, as Peru is rapidly on its way to becoming Latin America’s first exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). New oil and gas revenues have contributed to Peru’s steady economic growth. But growing opposition from indigenous groups to these new hydrocarbons projects is polarizing Peru’s already highly unequal society and creating danger...
Can Economic Reform Open a Peaceful Path to Ending Burma’s Isolation?
After decades of domestic conflict, military rule and authoritarian governance, Burma’s economy could provide a viable entry point for effective international assistance to promote peace. Doing so would require a detailed understanding of the country’s complex and evolving political economy.
Can Economic Reform Open a Peaceful Path to Ending Burma’s Isolation? (Burmese edition)
After decades of domestic conflict, military rule and authoritarian governance, Burma’s economy could provide a viable entry point for effective international assistance to promote peace. Doing so would require a detailed understanding of the country’s complex and evolving political economy.