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.
Haiti in Waiting
Former USIP Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Louis-Alexandre Berg, who recently returned from a trip to Haiti, provides an update on the political situation and Haitian President Michel Martelly’s plans to rebuild the conflict- and disaster-prone country.
The Secrets of Peacebuilding: A Conversation with Military Officers
Ending or preventing conflict almost always means talking to the people who understand it best: the women. It was one of many pieces of sage advice USIP Chief of Staff Paul Hughes gave to a group of Air Force officers visiting USIP in September as part of a tour of Washington. The officers are studying the role of the Air Force officer and his or her role in political-military strategy.
Libyan Official Calls for Libyan Lead in Transition
Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), the immediate successor to the ousted regime of Col. Moammar al-Qaddafi, needs significant international help to prepare the North African nation for a democratic future, but Libyans themselves must be in the lead, and outside governments and institutions must show patience as Libya tries to address its many challenges, a key senior official in Libya’s new government told an audience at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on September 23.
"Customary Justice and the Rule of Law in War-Torn Societies"
What dilemma does customary justice present to international justice actors and how does this volume address it? What challenges or constraints do rule-of-law practitioners face when engaging customary justice systems? What are the arguments against engaging with customary justice systems? Why is it so important for international justice practitioners to take customary justice systems into account? What principles does the volume set forth to guide policy and programming in environmen...
Nigerian Foreign Minister Lays Out Ambitious New Agenda for Country
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, visited the U.S. Institute of Peace on September 29 to lay out President Goodluck Jonathan’s agenda.
State Dept.’s Schwartz Calls for Stronger Humanitarian Capabilities
In tackling complex humanitarian crises in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, the U.S. government will “proceed on two fronts—building our national capacities while strengthening the multilateral system of humanitarian response,” Eric P. Schwartz, the assistant secretary of state for population, refugees, and migration told an audience at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on September 28.
"International Mediation in Venezuela"
What was the situation in Venezuela at the start of the Carter Center’s intervention? What did the Carter Center aim to achieve in Venezuela? The ultimate goal of preventing violence was achieved by the intervention, but the underlying issues producing polarization and new forms of political exclusion were not resolved. What explains the mixed results of such an unusual international intervention?
State's Tauscher Headlines USIP's Academy Course on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Arms Control
The Institute’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding held the course in nuclear nonproliferation Sept. 26-30. And, for the first time ever, an undersecretary of state, Ellen Tauscher, spoke to an Academy class. Tauscher is the undersecretary of state for Arms Control and International Security Affairs.
U.S. Troops in Iraq after 2011?
After more than eight years on the ground in Iraq, the U.S. military pull-out is proceeding rapidly, with about 40,000 soldiers still in the country as of the end of September. Three of the Institute’s leading specialists on Iraq weighed in on the question of extending U.S. troop presence after the December 31, 2011 deadline.
Syria's Opposition Takes Form
There is little doubt the creation of a unified front among the various dissident groups in Syria is a positive development for their cause. But it remains unclear if it reflects a true "coalescing" of all the different rebel voices, or if the group can grow into an effective political force capable of being seen as a viable alternative to the Assad regime.