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 Forced Return of Afghan Refugees and Implications for Stability
Afghan refugees have been returning home from Pakistan and Iran in growing numbers, and many of these returns have been involuntary. The situation is adding stress to an already challenging environment, characterized by insecurity, lack of access to employment and services, land and housing tensions, and rapid urbanization. This brief presents important considerations for developing a clear, well-coordinated strategy that addresses the impacts of large-scale returns and the specific needs of ...
The Causes and Consequences of Violent Extremism and the Role of Foreign Assistance
Nancy Lindborg, USIP president, submitted testimony for the record, to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and related programs.
War in Syria: Next Steps to Mitigate the Crisis
Nancy Lindborg, USIP president, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The ISIS Genocide Declaration: What Next?
Sarhang Hamasaeed, senior program officer for the Middle East programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.
Improving Accountability for Conflict-related Sexual Violence in Africa
Local practitioners who work with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) on a daily basis during peacetime also play a vital role in accountability for conflict-period SGBV. With appropriate training and resources, they can even contribute to the documentation and prosecution of SGBV committed as a war crime, crime against humanity, and act of genocide. This Peace Brief illustrates how new research from the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, School of...
U.S. Leadership and the Challenge of ‘State Fragility’
The new administration, a coming change in leadership at the United Nations, and an emerging global consensus about the fragility challenge make this an opportune moment to recalibrate our approach. The United States cannot and should not try to “fix” every fragile state. Nor can we ignore this challenge; all fragility has the potential to affect U.S. interests to some extent, especially when left to fester. There is simply too much at stake for our interests, our partners, and the global ord...
In Fragile States, Put Citizen Involvement First, Panel Says
A common strategy for state-building and development aid to transitional nations—getting basic services to the population—will fail to establish a government’s legitimacy unless citizens are included in the process, a leading researcher on conflict management said at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
New U.N. Goals Highlight Danger of 'State Fragility' to Development
A new set of development goals that will be adopted by the world’s heads of state at the United Nations in September highlights the crucial problem of “fragile states” and the need to strengthen their governance, according to experts including current and former top diplomats and USIP President Nancy Lindborg.
Aid Remains Key to a Counter-ISIS Plan, Tunisia Says
As the Trump administration prepares an international conference to shape strategy against ISIS, the plan should include economic aid to undercut extremist recruitment, Tunisia’s foreign minister said March 14. Financial help is essential to help nations at risk, such as Tunisia, offer jobs and futures for unemployed, disillusioned youth, Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui told an audience at USIP.
Beneath the Saudi-Iran Proxy War in Yemen, Part 1
Looking at the maneuvers by Iran and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen from afar, the battlefield looks a lot like a black-and-white contest for regional power. But as the U.S. considers escalating its role in the conflict—and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis visits Riyadh this week—it is essential to understand how local realities can get lost in a proxy war.