Intersecting conflicts across the Middle East and North Africa pose significant risks to U.S. national security and the international community. The Islamic State in particular has spawned unprecedented terrorism and chaos, helping fuel the Syrian civil war, which, in turn, has triggered a refugee crisis reverberating as far as Europe. Working with local partners, the U.S. Institute of Peace fosters peaceful outcomes in community conflicts inflamed by religious, ethnic and ideological divides. The Institute works to strengthen the rule of law and improve governance, seeing both as effective strategies to undermine the lure of extremism.