Research & Analysis
U.S. Institute of Peace’s articles, reports, tools and other features provide policy analysis, research findings, and practitioner guides. These publications examine critical conflict issues at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and resolve violent conflict.
The views expressed in these publications are those of the author(s).
Elections Could Plunge the Democratic Republic of Congo into Violent Conflict
Congolese went to the polls on Nov. 28 to elect a president and 500 members of parliament in an atmosphere of uncertainty, mistrust and violent unrest. Raymond Gilpin, director of USIP’s Sustainable Economies Center of Innovation examines the elections and their implications.
World Recognizes International Day of Peace
To honor this worldwide event, USIP presents some highlights of peacebuilding around the world in 2011.
Making Economics Work for Peace
Economists typically work in the realm of modeling rational economic behavior and drafting policies to foster growth, income and financial stability in that context. But when conflict strikes, the best designed models and the normal interplay of supply and demand can run head-on into some brutal realities. The disconnect between economic theory and real-world practice in societies torn by conflict is something that USIP’s Raymond Gilpin experienced firsthand early in his career as the res...
Truth Commission Digital Collection
The United States Institute of Peace’s Truth Commissions Digital Collection is part of the Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management. The collection contains profiles of truth commissions and substantive bodies of inquiry from nations worldwide - offering general background information on the composition of each body, links to the official legislative texts establishing such commissions, and each commission's final reports and findings.
Youth and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
In conflict and post-conflict situations, youth constitute a reservoir of energy. Some young people choose to fight or are forced into a life of violence. Others are able to work to improve their communities, contribute to peacebuilding, reconciliation and reconstruction, and become invested in their countries’ future peace. Youth and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Agents of Change uses three cases of post-conflict reconstruction—Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kosovo—...
Conflict-Business Dynamics in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has enormous economic potential thanks to its rich mineral deposits and vast tracts of arable land. Historically, these resources have been exploited by predatory leaders and a host of subregional actors. The time is now ripe for the DRC to put years of war and economic underdevelopment behind it.
Developing and Managing Congo’s Natural Resources
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is among the most mineral-rich countries in Africa. During the war, those natural resources fueled the conflict, and provided illegal sources of wealth for some. Now, as the DRC undertakes the rebuilding of its economy, the management of natural resources serves as a key component in its development strategy.
Healing and Reintegrating the Victims of Congo’s War
Child soldiers and women are among the most vulnerable victims of Congo’s war. Attending to their needs for reintegration, counseling, and medical attention are critical components for consolidating peace.
Putting Humpty Dumpty Together: Reconstructing Peace in the Congo
Summary Standing today at a crossroads between war and peace, the Congo threatens either to drag the entire Central African region into a quagmire of conflict or to provide the engine of economic reconstruction necessary for stability and democratization.
Zaire: Predicament and Prospects
For more than five years, the people of Zaire have struggled to survive in a state on the brink of utter collapse. Amid growing economic disarray and infrastructural breakdown, standards of living have plummeted, moral and ethical standards have withered, and violence has risen. Political authority is almost hopelessly fragmented and discredited.