Question And Answer
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.
Democracy in Myanmar — combating the Rohingya Crisis
The indisputable fact of the unfolding Rohingya crisis is that more than 600,000 people have been forced to flee across the Burmese border into Bangladesh since August, with terrible reports of rape and ethnic cleansing. Beyond that, however, the facts of what happened — and how — dissolve into confusing and competing narratives, underscoring the difficulty of resolving a complex and long simmering conflict.
Iraqi Leader Urges a National Dialogue With U.S. Help
Iraqi Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi, a leader of the nation’s Sunni minority, called for a national dialogue that would effectively reboot Iraq’s post-ISIS political life by forging a binding consensus on religious rights, federalism, justice reform and distribution of national wealth.
How the Catholic Church Can Bolster Alternatives to Violence
The Catholic Church, with its 2.1 billion adherents worldwide, has been pivotal in some of the most significant nonviolent struggles in modern history. Many will recall the iconic image of Filipino religious sisters confronting military forces and a kleptocratic dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in prayerful resistance during the 1986 “people power” revolution. Today, Filipino religious leaders, facing another violent dictator, Rodrigo Duterte, once again are the leading face of nonviolent resistance. The Vatican is discussing these and other examples of powerful nonviolent movements as it rethinks its long-held doctrine of “just war.”
Want Women at Peace Talks? Mandate It
The evidence on ending violent conflict is clear: when women participate in negotiations it helps achieve peace. A study of 182 signed peace accords over two decades showed these accords were 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years when women were involved. Yet 17 years after the United Nations first called for including women in all peace talks globally, women remain sidelined. The lack of structural incentives for change is the key—until we get the incentives right, exclusion will rule.
Afghan Women Step Up in Local, National Taliban Talks
Amid a spate of recent Taliban attacks across Afghanistan, I heard a different but equally important story during a visit to Kabul last week: women from major cities to rural villages are taking action to defuse local tensions...
Nigerian Civic Leaders Assert a Role Against Violence
As Nigeria struggles to calm violent conflicts nationwide, including the Boko Haram insurgency, 11 eminent civil society leaders are summoning government officials to seek an unprecedented degree of citizen input on policy. Prominent religious, military, academic...
Taliban Hostages Freed: Can It Ease U.S.-Pakistan Ties?
Today’s announcement that Pakistani troops rescued a U.S.-Canadian family held hostage by a Taliban faction comes as the U.S. and Pakistani governments labor to avert a break in their strained relations. It’s unclear whether the rescue can be parlayed into a broader improvement in their ties.
Liberia’s Sirleaf Calls on U.S. to Remain Global Leader
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf called on the U.S. to maintain its position of world leadership, a role that she said rescued her country from a ruinous civil war and an outbreak of a terrifying, deadly disease.
U.S. Signals Africa Policy Shifts
The U.S. plans to continue diplomatic and military support for African nations but expects its counterparts to step up significantly in areas ranging from fighting corruption to countering terrorism and stopping arms purchases from North Korea, U.S. officials said during a symposium at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
On Famine Caused by Conflict, U.N. States Must Be Bold
The global surge in humanitarian emergencies related to violent conflict, including looming famines in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, are on the agenda of world leaders meeting at the United Nations General Assembly this week. With 20 million people across four countries on the brink of starvation...