Lessons from Cambodia’s Paris Peace Accords for Political Unrest Today

Lessons from Cambodia’s Paris Peace Accords for Political Unrest Today

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

By: Laura McGrew;  Scott Worden

In December 2016, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement that ended the decade-long war between Cambodia and Vietnam, USIP hosted a conference to examine the implementation of that agreement and how the decisions made in the past have affected increasing political unrest in the country. Panelists included several key actors...

Type: Peace Brief

Peace Processes

Creating an Inclusive Burmese Peace Process

Creating an Inclusive Burmese Peace Process

Monday, May 8, 2017

Burma's peace process reached a milestone with the October 2015 signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. The Aung San Suu Kyi government, the most democratic in living memory, has prioritized the peace process; however, many women's and youth groups and other civil society organizations have been marginalized during the negotiations, their voices on important topics silenced in favor of elite input. As a result, a parallel track of activism aimed toward peacebuilding outside the formal structure has developed. The international community should support both tracks while continuing to urge the formal inclusion of marginal groups in the main process.

Type: Peace Brief

Peace Processes

Inclusive Peace Processes Are Key to Ending Violent Conflict

Inclusive Peace Processes Are Key to Ending Violent Conflict

Friday, May 5, 2017

By: Tina Luu;  Colette Rausch

Violent conflict, refugee flows, and internal displacements present international policymakers and practitioners today with unprecedented challenges. Tackling these problems requires not only signed peace agreements but also sustainable peace. It is not enough to bring armed actors to the negotiating table, however. To be effective, the peace process needs to be inclusive and participatory. But what constitutes inclusive participation, and how can peacemakers and peacebuilders achieve it in their own, very different societies? Drawing on discussions in a public forum held in early 2017, this Peace Brief looks at the elements of peacebuilding and explains how critical inclusive participation is to that process.

Type: Peace Brief

Peace Processes

Identity, Gender, and Conflict Drivers in Pakistan

Identity, Gender, and Conflict Drivers in Pakistan

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

By: Jumaina Siddiqui

Based on a study conducted in the Pakistani town of Haripur that investigated children’s attitudes toward identity, this Peace Brief finds that identity-based divides are in fact not the primary drivers of conflict at the community level, but notes the continuing salience of gender identity, which produces differing social expectations and differing understandings of conflict resolution roles.

Type: Peace Brief

GenderConflict Analysis & Prevention

The Afghan Refugee Crisis in 2016

The Afghan Refugee Crisis in 2016

Monday, February 27, 2017

By: Belquis Ahmadi;  Sadaf Lakhani

Hundreds of thousands of documented and undocumented refugees returned to Afghanistan in 2016, joining more than one million internally displaced within the country. International agencies warn of a humanitarian crisis that would affect hundreds of thousands of people as returnees struggle to meet basic needs. This Peace Brief provides an overview of the situation at the end of 2016, focusing on those returning from Pakistan, the humanitarian situation, and the security implications of the influx.

Type: Peace Brief

Fragility & ResilienceViolent ExtremismHuman Rights

Women, Peace, and Security in Pakistan

Women, Peace, and Security in Pakistan

Thursday, February 16, 2017

By: Zeenia Faraz

A society defined by patriarchal norms and structural inequalities keeps women and girls on the margins of the society and hinders women’s participation in public and political spheres. Yet women’s participation in decisions related to peace and security in the country is essential to peacebuilding and postconflict reconstruction. This brief examines the challenges in implementing the women, peace, and security framework in Pakistan.

Type: Peace Brief

GenderViolent ExtremismJustice, Security & Rule of Law

China’s Kashmir Policies and Crisis Management in South Asia

China’s Kashmir Policies and Crisis Management in South Asia

Thursday, February 9, 2017

By: I-wei Jennifer Chang

China’s policy on the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan has a significant impact on regional stabilization and crisis management efforts in South Asia. Beijing also plays an important third-party role in helping deescalate hostilities between the two countries. This brief discusses the evolution of China’s Kashmir policies over the past several decades and examines Chinese cooperation with the United States during periods of crises between the South Asian rivals. 

Type: Peace Brief

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGlobal Policy

Islamist Groups in Afghanistan and the Strategic Choice of Violence

Islamist Groups in Afghanistan and the Strategic Choice of Violence

Monday, November 14, 2016

By: Arian Sharifi

What causes established nonviolent groups to turn into violent organizations, and what leads organized violent groups to shun violence, even temporarily, and work within established political systems? This Peace Brief, which relies on in-depth interviews and primary source documents, explores the strategic choices Islamist groups in Afghanistan have made and make in using violence to contest government authority.

Type: Peace Brief

Violent Extremism

Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in War and Peace

Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in War and Peace

Monday, September 26, 2016

By: Amanda H. Blair;  Nicole Gerring;  Sabrina Karim

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) can undermine long-term state stability and security even after states have transitioned out of violent conflict. This brief highlights four areas around SGBV that require urgent attention: the conflict cycle, moving beyond armed actors, protectors as perpetrators, and the role of SGBV in threatening political participation. This Brief was prepared by several members of the Missing Peace Young Scholars Network, supported through a longtime partnership b...

Type: Peace Brief

Violent ExtremismGenderHuman Rights