July 23, 2012

I am extremely pleased that the Institute’s Board of Directors has appointed former Congressman Jim Marshall as the next president of the United States Institute of Peace.  He has an impressive record of public service at several levels of government, including four terms in Congress, as well as an outstanding record of service in the U.S. Army.  He has the experience and vision to build on the Institute’s foundations of three decades of programmatic work in international conflict management and peacebuilding.  These activities are a recognized contribution to the national security needs of our country, especially in building civilian capacity for conflict management and developing partnerships that are so critical, especially in constrained economic times.

The world of the 21st Century presents dramatically new challenges to our national security than was the case in the violent century now past. That is why I believe the most important work of the Institute is yet to come.

In the 28 years since the Institute was created, its mission has expanded because the role of the United States as a world leader for security and peace has been transformed.  The Institute's contributions are ever more relevant as we partner with the agencies of our government, with other countries, with non-government organizations, and with the private sector to deal with a world burdened with the challenges of nuclear proliferation, terrorism, failed states, ethnic and religious conflict, and the instabilities of economic globalization.

The Institute’s Board of Directors and staff look forward to supporting President-elect Marshall as he prepares to lead the Institute of Peace into the next phase of its institutional growth.  I am confident that USIP under his leadership will make ever-more significant contributions to America’s dealings with the world – consistent with its congressional mandate of non-violent conflict management and peacebuilding.

• USIP Board of Directors Names Jim Marshall as Future President