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.
Civic Education and Peacebuilding
Between 2006 and 2010, the United States Institute of Peace developed several civic education programs for Iraq and Sudan as part of broader efforts to promote postconflict stability and development and help prevent a return to violence. This report describes those programs after first examining the conceptual bases for civic education and how they differ from and overlap with human rights.
Mental Health Services During and After Armed Conflict: The State of Knowledge and Practice
The need for mental health services as part of emergency and long-term health development responses in regions of armed conflict is widely recognized. To date, responses have too often been fragmented, lack comprehensiveness, and based on assumptions rather than on evidence of effectiveness. This Peace Brief reviews the challenges and how Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines can point a way forward.
Governance, Corruption, and Conflict
Corruption exists in all societies but its cost are particularly high for states emerging from conflict. Not only can it retard development but it can also create further instability. This study guide will help students understand the relationship between corruption and conflict and learn about ways to address corruption and promote good governance.
Graduate Education and Professional Practice in International Peace and Conflict
This report, requested by the United States Institute of Peace as part of its response to the focus on education and training provided for in the legislation that created it, examines the match between graduate academic programs in international peace and conflict, and the needs of organizations and agencies that hire individuals for conflictfocused work in the field.
Education and Conflict in Haiti
The massive earthquake of January 2010 devastated almost every aspect of Haitian society, but it also presented an excellent opportunity to address the problems of the largely dysfunctional education sector.
Why Youth Join al-Qaeda
Interviews and personal histories of 2,032 "foreign fighters" show that rather than be recruited, young men actively seek out al-Qaeda and its associated movements. Al-Qaeda is more than just an organization; it is an ideology and a popular global brand that spins a heroic narrative with an idealized version of Islamic jihad.
Is Nigeria a Hotbed of Islamic Extremism?
Recent incidences of ethno-religious violence in northern Nigeria have alarmed the international community to the point where Nigeria is now perceived as a potential breeding ground for transnational terrorism and violent religious extremism. According to Nigeria expert John Paden, this characterization is false. If anything, Nigeria is a hotbed of Islamic moderation.
Education and Conflict in Côte d’Ivoire
This Special Report discusses the impacts of civil war in Côte d’Ivoire on the education system and society.
The Current Status of Religious Coexistence and Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As Bosnia and Herzegovina’s longtime tradition of religious coexistence is disappearing, USIP examines how education for new generations can improve multiethnic understanding in the postwar country.
Nonviolent Civic Action
Nonviolent civic action includes such activities as boycotts and demonstrations undertaken by a group of people to persuade others to change their behavior. In this study guide, students will learn how nonviolent civic action has been used in the past to effect change without violence.