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.
Music Plays Crucial Role in Non-Violent Civic Movements
In Libya’s 2011 uprising, protesters pumped loud music from radios or CD players in the streets in front of government buildings, then fled from the inevitable rush of security forces. The nonviolent early days of Egypt’s revolution that same year spawned a raft of new independent music groups. In Turkey, the “Song of Pots and Pans” exhorts political leaders to stop their lies and repressive tactics.
Wanted: A Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State and Assad
Halting the violent fracturing of the Middle East requires the U.S. and regional states to stop talking past each other.
Meet Syria’s Rescue Workers: When War Becomes 'Daily Life'
Update Aug. 15, 2016: Rescue worker Khaled Harah, who spoke at USIP in this 2014 discussion, died in the kind of airstrike he and others knew too well. See news report here. The day started with seven hours of digging through rubble to free three families from a building hit by a barrel bomb. Just as the workers thought they were finished, a frantic mother rushed up to them, crying and pleading to please help find her missing baby too, a child just 10 days old. The resulting 16-hour day of painstakingly clearing pieces of collapsed ceilings and walls typifies the daily routine for a group of Syrian rescue workers who told their stories at USIP recently.
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: What Did It Achieve?
Two months after the White House invited 50 heads of state to Washington for the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on Aug. 4-6, observers on both continents are asking, “What did the summit achieve, and how will any gains made be leveraged?” USIP asked several prominent Africans who have worked with the Institute over the years for their reflections.
How the Hong Kong Protesters Can Win
Over a century's worth of data shows that the Umbrella Revolution needs business, satire, and a whole lot of patience.
Twitter Chat on Libya’s Turmoil draws in U.S., U.K. Ambassadors
American and British ambassadors joined Libyan activists and analysts for a USIP Twitter chat this week, as rival lawmakers in Libya met for negotiations brokered by the United Nations to end the recent surge of violence and the political crises that sparked it.
Islamist Party Leader Appeals for Aid to Bolster Tunisian Example of Moderation, Democracy
Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, the founder of Tunisia’s Islamist party, appealed this week for U.S. political and economic support as his country struggles to complete its historic transition. Tunisia, the lone success story out of the Arab uprisings, could serve as an example for Iraq, Syria, Egypt and others, he said.
Entrepreneurs Hunt for 'Peace Tech' to Defuse Conflict
When Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in February in the face of massive protests in the capital Kyiv, major news media made only passing references to Crimea. But Georgetown University fellow Kalev Leetaru had a map tracking protests and incidents of violence. It showed Crimea "really lighting up."
Why the U.S. Foreign Aid and Disaster Relief Process is Broken
Changing how peacebuilding organizations measure success could save aid projects that are stuck trying to meet rigid, dated, and increasingly arbitrary goals in conflict zones.
Engaging Youth in Building Peace
From soccer games to theatre productions to entrepreneurial investments, young people are mobilizing to promote peace, according to participants in a September 16 Twitter chat on youth and peacebuilding. The chat showed the important role youth play as a force for peace in a world dominated by violent headlines.