Terms of Endurance

Terms of Endurance

Friday, January 10, 2014

By: Jon Temin;  Susan Stigant

Only two and a half years removed from its birth, South Sudan is in crisis. A dispute between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, his former vice president, has quickly taken on ethnic overtones and escalated into widespread fighting, with dire consequences. Over 1,000 people have been killed -- perhaps many more -- with another 200,000 displaced. The national army has split in two and is essentially fighting itself. Forces loosely aligned with Machar control several key parts of the countr...

Type: Analysis

Zimbabwe Crisis: USIP Experts on What You Need to Know

Zimbabwe Crisis: USIP Experts on What You Need to Know

Thursday, November 16, 2017

By: USIP Staff

In Zimbabwe, the military has taken control and detained its longtime leader, President Robert Mugabe. Despite what appears to be a coup, shops and banks remain open and there has been no violence or resistance. The world is keeping a careful eye on Zimbabwe as Mr. Mugabe’s four decades of ironclad rule are seemingly coming to an end and the immediate future of the country is perilous and uncertain.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

Foreign Policy Priorities for the Trump Administration

Foreign Policy Priorities for the Trump Administration

Thursday, January 5, 2017

By: USIP Staff

As Donald J. Trump prepares for his inauguration as president on Jan. 20, he and his incoming foreign policy team face the full array of global challenges confronting the United States. They’ll have to determine what should demand their immediate attention and where strategic investments might pay big dividends. In this series of brief video interviews, four U.S. Institute of Peace experts offer their recommendations. They spoke ahead of USIP’s Passing the Baton conference, which will convene Cabinet-level and other senior foreign policy and national security figures from the outgoing and incoming administrations for meetings on January 9 and 10. 

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

South Sudan Crisis Requires More Active U.S. Role, USIP’s Lyman Says

South Sudan Crisis Requires More Active U.S. Role, USIP’s Lyman Says

Thursday, January 9, 2014

U.S. officials and senators warned that South Sudan’s warring leaders risk losing American backing unless they end violence that has killed more than 1,000 people in the past month, and experts such as the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Princeton Lyman urged that the international community take a more assertive role.

Type: Analysis

Participatory and Inclusive Constitution-Making

Participatory and Inclusive Constitution-Making

Thursday, January 29, 2015

By: Jason Gluck;  Michele Brandt

In the wake of the Arab Spring, citizens across the Middle East and North Africa are demanding reforms from their governments. How these governments respond to their people and promote inclusive constitution-making processes may determine whether their new social compacts lead to a durable peace. This report draws from the work of scholars and constitution makers who have been exchanging ideas about how to ensure that modern constitutions incorporate the needs and aspirations of the citizens ...

Type: Peaceworks

Justice, Security & Rule of LawDemocracy & Governance

The Pivotal Elections of 2024: Key Races That Will Shape the Global Landscape

The Pivotal Elections of 2024: Key Races That Will Shape the Global Landscape

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

By: Ashish Kumar Sen

Around 2 billion people in more than 50 countries, including India, Chad, Mexico and South Africa, will go to the polls this year in what has been described as the Super Bowl of elections. From major democracies to emerging nations, the outcomes of these votes will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future trajectory of countries around the world. While some elections could produce conflict, most will take place under the threat of disruption — all of this will have serious implications for U.S. foreign policy and security.

Type: AnalysisQuestion and Answer

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Elections & Conflict

Civil War Pushes Sudan to the Brink of Humanitarian Disaster

Civil War Pushes Sudan to the Brink of Humanitarian Disaster

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

By: Ashish Kumar Sen

Away from the headlines dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a civil war between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is pushing the country to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. As an allegedly genocidal RSF gains the upper hand, a U.N. official has warned that Sudan is “facing a convergence of a worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis.”

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionHuman Rights