Getting It Right in Afghanistan

Getting It Right in Afghanistan

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

By: Moeed Yusuf;  Scott Smith;  Colin Cookman;  editors

As the United States and NATO prepare to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in 2014, the question remains as to what sort of political settlement the Afghanistan government and the Taliban can reach in order to achieve sustainable peace. If all parties are willing to strike a deal, how might the negotiations be structured, and what might the shape of that deal be? Getting It Right in Afghanistan addresses the real drivers of the insurgency and how Afghanistan's neighbors can contribute to...

Type: Book

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

USIP & Afghanistan’s Political Transition

USIP & Afghanistan’s Political Transition

Since 2011, USIP has advocated that Afghanistan’s political transition, and the presidential election in particular, will be the most crucial factor in determining the country’s stability post-2014. USIP has conducted research, facilitated discussions, and raised awareness of this issue through publications, projects on the ground, events, and briefings for government officials on the importance of and need to support the political transition. Learn more on USIP’s Support for a Successful Afg...

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGenderReligionEnvironmentEconomics

Ukraine-Russia Conflict Colors View of Civic Roles in Central Asia

Ukraine-Russia Conflict Colors View of Civic Roles in Central Asia

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

By: Hanne Bursch

Ukraine and the countries of Central Asia wouldn’t seem to have much in common other than their former Soviet past. But post-Soviet Russian ambitions may be linking them in unexpected ways. The outcome of Ukraine’s current effort to consolidate its democracy, against Russia’s resistance, has ramifications for whether the Central Asian countries view civil society and democracy as a driver of instability or a force for reform.  

Type: Analysis

 Credible Afghan Presidential Vote Hinges on Process, Politics

Credible Afghan Presidential Vote Hinges on Process, Politics

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

By: Viola Gienger

A U.S. official outlined the tests the Afghan government faces in cementing the first democratic change of top leadership in the country’s history, as one of Afghanistan’s most prominent civic activists described a “vibrant and active political environment” that just might help pull it off.

Type: Analysis

Afghanistan’s Emerging Mining Oligarchy

Afghanistan’s Emerging Mining Oligarchy

Thursday, January 22, 2015

By: Javed Noorani

Rich in natural resources—ferrous and nonferrous metals and strategic minerals in particular—Afghanistan faces a dual threat as international troops withdraw and international aid declines. On the one hand are inadequate government revenues. On the other is the resource curse that affects so many low-income countries. This report, drawn from case studies of five ongoing Afghan mining operations, addresses resource exploitation, its impact on the political economy and internal conflict, and po...

Type: Special Report

EnvironmentEconomics

Understanding Afghanistan's 2014 Presidential Election

Understanding Afghanistan's 2014 Presidential Election

Friday, April 24, 2015

By: William Byrd, Ph.D.

Afghanistan’s 2014 presidential election did lead to its first peaceful transfer of power. The process, however, was scarcely democratic. This report explores the election and its internationally mediated unity government outcome. Elections—when they can even be held in fragile and conflict-affected situations—tend to be more destabilizing than stabilizing. The overall lesson, as this report makes clear, points to certain critical needs for such countries: a better understanding of inherent i...

Type: Special Report

Mediation, Negotiation & DialogueDemocracy & Governance

Mutual Accountability

Mutual Accountability

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

By: William Byrd

This paper builds on remarks on mutual accountability at the July 18 U.S. Institute of Peace panel discussion “From Transition to the Transformation Decade: Afghanistan’s Economic and Governance Agenda after Tokyo” (second session on “Filling the trust gap—what does ‘mutual accountability’ mean, what are the first steps, what is the role of civil society?”). The views expressed in this brief do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Institute of Peace, which does not take policy positi...

Type: Peace Brief

Conflict Analysis & PreventionMediation, Negotiation & Dialogue