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.
More International Engagement on DRC Needed, Former U.N. Special Rep Says at USIP
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), though afflicted by conflict for nearly two decades, has made limited progress on several key issues but needs continued international support and engagement to help consolidate the gains, the former special representative to the United Nations secretary general told an audience at the Institute on December 11.
Peace Channel
In collaboration with Foreign Policy magazine, USIP presents the Peace Channel, an online portal for cutting-edge analysis and reporting on peacebuilding.
Syria Gamers at USIP Jockey for 'Best Possible Peace'
The posturing of Syrian, regional and international players in the first USIP-Foreign Policy magazine PeaceGame played out not only in USIP's Great Hall and via webcast, but also on Twitter. More than 40 players took on roles from President Bashar al-Assad to the United Nations to Sunni Islamists.
USIP, FP Group Launch Inaugural PeaceGame with Syria Focus
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and the FP Group jointly held their inaugural “PeaceGame” on December 9 at the Institute, an exercise that drew on a wide range of foreign policy specialists to examine what “the best possible peace for Syria” might look like.
Mandela’s Legacy: Timing, Spoilers, and Responsibility for Peace
As we mourn the death of Nelson Mandela, we can benefit greatly from the lessons he has given us on peace making. As ambassador to South Africa from 1992 to 1995, I came to know him and work with him during those fateful days of negotiations that eventually led to his election as president in 1994. Three lessons from Mandela, in particular, stand out to me.
Far From the Madding Crowd
On Saturday, Nov. 23, for the third evening in a row, the website Aymta.com sent a text message and e-mail blast to its subscribers, saying that a scud missile had been launched from Damascus, on its way to the northern Syrian city of Ar-Raqqah. Residents there had about ten minutes to shelter themselves however they could.
Mandela Legacy Extends Beyond Deeds
The legacy of a man is as much in the people he inspires as what he does.
Debate Lessons
What can we learn from other peace processes that could help ease the negotiations in Geneva this January between the Syrian government and the country's fractured opposition? Many seasoned practitioners would argue that since no two conflicts are alike, it is dangerous to assume that what worked in managing one conflict will work in another. At the risk of proving the skeptics right, however, there are a few areas in which earlier conflicts might provide useful lessons for Geneva: identity i...
Neighborhood Watch
After nearly 30 months of conflict in Syria, millions of refugees have fled across the country's borders, and violent spillover has touched Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Israel. What has been characterized as a civil war has already morphed into a regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran and heightened sectarian polarization that is eroding stability in Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Peace Economics
The Arab Spring rebellions in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Syria raise a crucial question for analysts: Why did authoritarian or kleptocratic rulers lose control over their polities? For decades, these rulers were able to use a combination of repressive and redistributive policies in order to maintain social order. Why did that order break down?