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.
Panel Urges New View of Middle East Refugees
The refugee crisis that has spread to Europe and the breakdown of the Middle East’s century-old political order demand new thinking about the economic role of displaced people and a reassessment of donor strategies to rebuild societies in conflict, a working group convened by the U.S. Institute of Peace concluded. The panel’s report, developed under USIP’s Manal Omar and Elie Abouaoun as part of Atlantic Council’s Middle East Strategy Task Force, calls for refugees to be viewed as potential e...
Pakistan’s Sharif Urges Renewed Peace Talks in Afghanistan
A military victory over the Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan is unlikely, and the parties to the conflict must try to resolve it through negotiations, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today.
Europe’s Refugee Flood Shows Urgent Need for Action on Middle East
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley joined U.S. Institute of Peace President Nancy Lindborg, a U.K. foreign secretary-turned humanitarian advocate and other experts in calling for U.S., European and other world leaders to accelerate assistance to refugees in the Middle East and reinvigorate efforts to end the conflicts that drive them out of their homes in the first place.
U.S. Envoy Feldman Urges Continued Support to Solidify Afghan Gains
The U.S. can’t assess yet the precise impact the confirmed death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar will have on the group’s talks with the Afghan government, but officials do believe the insurgency faces a more stable and united administration than at any time in the past six years, according to Dan Feldman, the outgoing U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Will U.S., Iranian Politics Undercut a Nuclear Deal – or Save It?
A former Iranian lawmaker and a former member of Congress agreed that the question of whether American politics will give President Barack Obama the leeway he needs to reach a nuclear deal with Iran remains one of the central issues as negotiations resume this week. The Middle Eastern nation and the world’s six major powers face a June 30 deadline for converting a blueprint into a final agreement.
Entrepreneurs Hunt for 'Peace Tech' to Defuse Conflict
When Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in February in the face of massive protests in the capital Kyiv, major news media made only passing references to Crimea. But Georgetown University fellow Kalev Leetaru had a map tracking protests and incidents of violence. It showed Crimea "really lighting up."
Nuclear Flashpoints: US-Iran Tensions Over Timetables and Terms
Another round of diplomatic talks over Iran’s nuclear program with six world powers starts June 16. Despite the promise of a potential deal, the most recent round of negotiations exposed the still-deep divisions between the two sides on basic questions. A final agreement will have to establish timetables and settle on interpretation of terms, among other critical issues.
USIP’s Hadley Scans Conflict Horizon for Civilian Solutions
U.S. Institute of Peace Board Chairman and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley said shifts in the nature of conflict worldwide demand sophisticated, long-term strategies to address conflicts from Europe to the Middle East to Asia.
China’s Ambassador Says Ties with U.S. Are No Longer 'Zero-Sum Game'
Ambassador Cui Tiankai of the People's Republic of China spoke at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) about the "new model of major country relations" between the U.S. and China, underscoring that cooperation benefits not only the two countries but the world.
America the Gentle Giant
Vladimir Putin's cynical efforts to annex Crimea and intimidate the fledgling government of Ukraine make it all too clear that naked aggression in world affairs is not a thing of the past. The United States and its allies must respond firmly when such aggression occurs. But there are other perhaps less dramatic instances of resorting to force of arms. These include unresolved disputes between states -- or ethnic, tribal, and religious disputes within states -- that degenerate into armed confl...