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.
Tribute to Libyan Peacebuilders Salwa Bughaigis & Essam Gheriani
It is with broken hearts and the deepest of sorrows that we at USIP write this blog post. On June 25, the world lost a cherished peacebuilder and heroine to many, Salwa Bughaigis. She was killed at her home in Benghazi, shortly after voting in the parliamentary elections. Her husband, Essam Gheriani is presumed kidnapped by the same perpetrators. The U.S. Institute of Peace has been honored to know both of them, and our team has been personally moved by their sacrifices for freedom in Libya.
Iran Sanctions and the Possible Trade-Offs for a Nuclear Deal
Since 2006, the United States has imposed more sanctions on Iran than any other country, so it may have to cede the most ground to get a nuclear deal in 2014. An expert panel assembled by eight Washington think tanks and organizations examined the potential trade-offs during a discussion July 8 at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Political Pluralism in the OSCE Mediterranean Partners
William B. Taylor, vice president for Middle East and Africa, testifies before the United States Helsinki Commission on OSCE Mediterranean Partners.
Corruption: Sleeper Threat to International Security
In non-violent uprisings and more full scale revolutions ranging from the Arab spring to the overthrow of the President in Ukraine, one common underlying propellant was rebellion against government corruption. The same fuel has fed continuing turmoil in post-revolutionary Libya and undercut Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram. Yet the role of acute corruption in fomenting protests and violence is underappreciated and makes Western efforts to combat it insufficient.
Q&A: Iraq’s Spreading Turmoil
With fighting in Iraq spreading since the shocking onslaught of a militant group once aligned with al-Qaida, the country's Parliament convened this week to start forming a new government based on the April elections, only to adjourn again within hours. Sarhang Hamasaeed, a senior program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace, explains the latest developments, the forces tearing at the country's fabric and the effects on the broader region.
Steering Youth from Violence: Lessons Learned
In efforts to steer young people away from violence, context is everything. Whether it's understanding how a program for selected youths in Sierra Leone could backfire or digging deep for the reasons young Palestinian men turn to violence, effective interventions require rigorous research and attention to local conditions.
Holding It Together
Ending conflict demands more than knowing why countries go to pieces -- it calls for knowing why they don't.
Through Syria, Darkly
Will Assad agree to a political solution? Can ISIS be defeated? A sobering report from the latest PeaceGame.
Acclaimed Iraqi Women’s Rights Lawyer Pleads, 'Please Don’t Forget Iraq'
A poignant plea from a prominent Iraqi lawyer who was lauded this week for her community leadership illustrated the determination it takes to achieve change in the most daunting circumstances. “Please, don’t forget Iraq,” Suaad Allami told an audience at the U.S. Institute of Peace, just hours before President Barack Obama announced plans to send 300 military advisers to support her country’s security forces amid the current crisis.
Could Colombia's Election Kill Its Peace Process?
Colombia's presidential campaign is in its final days before run-off elections on Sunday, June 15, and as the contest winds down, it has become clear that the fate of the two peace processes that have been spearheaded by President Juan Manuel Santos hang in the balance. An election marked in an earlier phase by dirty politicking and mudslinging -- with mutual accusations over narco-financing and wiretapping (complete with authenticated audiovisuals of efforts by challenger Oscar Iván Zuluaga'...