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.
Timing Mediation Initiatives
A mediation initiative cannot be launched at just any time if it is to succeed, and and this toolkit lays out five steps mediators can take to determine when a conflict is ripe for mediation. This handbook is part of the Peacemaker’s Toolkit series, published by the United States Institute of Peace.
Debriefing Mediators to Learn from Their Experiences
This handbook enhances the practice of mediation by showing how lessons from individual mediators can be identified and made available both to their organizations and to a wider practitioner audience. It also gives guidance to staff debriefing mediators who are or have been directly involved in peace negotiations. This handbook is part of the Peacemaker’s Toolkit series, published by the United States Institute of Peace.
Integrating Internal Displacement in Peace Processes and Agreements
Leading experts on mediation and the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) collaborated to produce this handbook, which gives mediators the tools they need to incorporate IDPs' concerns into peace processes and agreements. This handbook is part of the Peacemaker’s Toolkit series, published by the United States Institute of Peace.
Forensic Training for Human Rights and Humanitarian Investigations
Physicians for Human Rights, with support from USIP, developed this web-based distance-learning course in the forensic sciences. It targets a wide audience, from less experienced volunteer human rights investigators to expert international professionals. In addition to collecting physical evidence, the course also covers working with families and communities affected by violence. Regular 'quizzes' and exercises encourage trainees to reflect on the material that they have been exposed to and h...
Framework for Success: Fragile States and Societies Emerging from Conflict
This strategic framework is crafted to be useful to (and ideally shared by) all the actors involved in post-conflict stability and state-building operations (i.e., military, government, NGO, IGO, private sector, and host nation leaders).
New Tactics in Human Rights: A Resource for Practitioners
This material, developed by The Center for Victims of Torture with the support of USIP, is an essential toolkit for human rights advocates. A Workbook includes practical options for the practitioner, while Tactical Training Notebooks illustrate how human rights advocates and practitioners can effectively engage with a wide variety of community leaders using actual cases.
State-Building Competencies
State-building is an increasingly important foreign policy mission, whether in the form of assistance to the developing world or in the form of stability and reconstruction operations in post-conflict societies.
Law of War Training: Resources for Military and Civilian Leaders
Law of War Training is a resource for military and civilian leaders to find information and assistance in providing law of war training for their military personnel. The manual analyzes different options for law of war training and helps leaders assess how to implement training within specific financial and operational constraints.
Conflict Prevention - A Strategic Framework
This strategic framework, one in a series of peacebuilding frameworks being developed by USIP, provides a sophisticated, but easily understandable way of conceptualizing conflict prevention. The framework is organized around a desired end state of "stable peace." The core of the framework is found in the leadership responsibilities and key objectives. The key objectives are divided into three broad, potentially complementary preventive strategies—mitigate global risks, mitigate societal risks...
Managing Public Information in a Mediation Process
This handbook helps mediators identify and develop the resources and strategies they need to reach their audiences. It is part of the Peacemaker's Toolkit series, published by the United States Institute of Peace.