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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 Needs a Political Dialogue Alongside the Multinational Security Mission
This week, the U.N. Security Council voted to send a multinational armed force to Haiti in the hopes of addressing the beleaguered Caribbean nation’s rampant gang violence and instability. While there is not yet an official timeline for its deployment, the Kenyan-led force will face a complex security environment — one that has been made all the more daunting by Haiti’s ongoing political turmoil. Whether the mission succeeds will hinge not only on the deployed force’s ability to quickly establish peace, but whether or not it can pave the way toward a meaningful and democratic government reset in the historically tumultuous country.
Haïti a besoin d'un dialogue politique parallèlement à la mission de sécurité multinationale
Cette semaine, le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU a voté en faveur de l'envoi d'une force armée multinationale en Haïti dans l'espoir de faire face à la violence endémique des gangs et à l'instabilité qui sévissent dans la nation caribéenne en difficulté. Bien qu'il n'y ait pas encore de calendrier officiel pour son déploiement, la force dirigée par le Kenya sera confrontée à un environnement sécuritaire complexe, d'autant plus rendu redoutable par les troubles politiques persistants en Haïti. Le succès de la mission dépendra non seulement de la capacité de la force déployée à établir rapidement la paix, mais aussi de sa capacité à ouvrir la voie à une réinitialisation gouvernementale significative et démocratique dans ce pays historiquement tumultueux.
There is a Path Forward in Haiti — But It’s Not the One We Are On
There are few international crises where the tension between international assistance and locally led solutions is in greater conflict than Haiti. Failure to get that balance right goes a long way toward explaining the failure to solve the crisis for the two long years since the assassination of Haiti’s president. The country has a long list of needs, including on pressing, immediate issues like food security, health care, rampant gang violence and education. Ultimately, Haiti needs a credible and transparent election to reset its political system. But the functioning transitional government it requires is something that can best be achieved through an assertive political process that blends outside assistance with independent local actors, bringing together all key stakeholders under international facilitation.
Keith Mines on the Crises in Venezuela and Haiti
While Haiti’s and Venezuela’s political, security and humanitarian situations remain dire, there are promising regional efforts underway to address both countries’ crises. While “the U.S. is looking for someone else to take the lead” on these situations, “there are things at play that are encouraging and at some point are going to need very tangible U.S. support,” says USIP’s Keith Mines.
Have Haitians Finally Found the Formula for Moving Forward?
The headlines from Haiti have been so bad for so long that few get the world’s attention anymore. It seems like nearly every day there are stories of dozens being killed in the country’s capital or of the U.S. Coast Guard stopping hundreds of Haitian migrants from reaching U.S. shores. Then there are the more ominous headlines that say war or even a Rwanda-style massacre are approaching amid the countries “nightmarish conditions.” But at the end of last year, an underreported development could help put the country on a new path, injecting a glimmer of hope despite much pessimism.
Les Haïtiens ont-ils enfin trouvé la formule pour avancer ?
Les gros titres d'Haïti ont été si mauvais pendant si longtemps que peu attirent plus l'attention du monde. Il semble que presque chaque jour, il y a des histoires de dizaines de personnes tuées dans la capitale du pays ou de la Garde côtière américaine empêchant des centaines de migrants haïtiens d'atteindre les côtes américaines. Ensuite, il y a les titres les plus inquiétants qui disent que la guerre ou même un massacre à la rwandaise s’approchent parmi les « conditions cauchemardesques » du pays. Avec la situation d'Haïti apparemment plus inextricable que jamais, certains observateurs se sont demandé si le monde est tout simplement fatigué d'essayer d'aider Mais à la fin de l'année dernière, un accord peu médiatisé a été forgé par les Haïtiens - injectant une lueur d'espoir que le pays pourrait emprunter un nouveau chemin.
Keith Mines on Securing Haiti’s Political Future
President Biden recently asked Canada to lead a security force to stabilize Haiti. While neither side “wants to do this as something that just props up the [interim] government,” a lack of action “doesn’t mean 11 million people go away. It just means we’re not paying attention,” says USIP’s Keith Mines.
An Assault on Brazil’s Government Raises Hemispheric Alarm Bells
On January 8, hundreds of protesters fueled by rage over election results invaded federal buildings in Brazil’s capital city Brasília while tens of thousands gathered outside military installations across the country, openly calling for a coup.
Un asalto al gobierno de Brasil enciende las alarmas en el hemisferio
El 8 de enero, cientos de manifestantes alimentados por la ira causada por los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales, invadieron los edificios federales en la capital de Brasil, Brasilia, mientras que decenas de miles se reunieron al frente de instalaciones militares en todo el país, pidiendo abiertamente un golpe de Estado.
Six Ways to Help Sustain Venezuela’s Negotiations
At the end of last year, Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to disband the “interim government,” led by Juan Guaidó, a four-year project designed to displace the country’s ruler, Nicolas Maduro. This comes amid a shifting regional landscape, with newly elected leftist governments in neighboring Brazil and Colombia supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict, and a more nuanced approach from many of the opposition’s traditional international supporters. The key to progress in the year ahead will be maintaining consistent negotiations, which remain the most efficient venue for key decisions, such as on elections, and engagement. There are several key ways to help nurture and sustain these talks, and to make them more impactful in achieving short-term improvements in the lives of the Venezuelan people.