Featured Event
Events
As a national, nonpartisan, independent Institute, the U.S. Institute of Peace draws on our exceptional convening power to create opportunities for diverse audiences to exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas necessary for creative solutions to difficult challenges. We serve as an important, neutral platform for bringing together government and nongovernment, diplomacy, security, and development actors, and participants across political views. The Institute’s events help shape public policy and priorities to advance peaceful solutions to conflict and strengthen international security.
![Pakistan, U.S. Relations—and a New Administration](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/20170130-Bhutto-event.jpg?itok=laFDszA9)
Pakistan, U.S. Relations—and a New Administration
President-elect Trump’s surprise November phone conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif underscored Pakistan’s continuing importance to U.S. interests in a stable South Asia. The new U.S. administration can expect to see this vital country hold national elections within 18 months. On January 30, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a conversation with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the largest opposition party in parliament. The discussion addressed Pakistan’s serious internal security challenges; debate among Pakistani civilian and military leaders over the country’s domestic counterterrorism initiatives; and Pakistan’s broader political and democratic dynamics. As a new U.S. administration and Congress begin work, Mr. Bhutto Zardari also shared his perspective on the two countries’ relationship.
![Keeping Elections Peaceful](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/20170109-Malawi-Peace-Message-Jonas-Claes.jpg?itok=oRpLhKqg)
Keeping Elections Peaceful
The U.S. Institute of Peace held an online conversation via Twitter to discuss past and upcoming elections at risk of violence. Participants included the contributing authors of Electing Peace, a recent research volume that examines the effectiveness of common practices to prevent election violence.
![U.S. Special Envoy Speaks on Sudan and South Sudan](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/20170118-Amb-Booth-event.jpg?itok=eOih-Nj0)
U.S. Special Envoy Speaks on Sudan and South Sudan
Ambassador Donald Booth is completing almost two and half years as the U.S. special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. He discussed the lessons learned from recent international initiatives to end violent conflict in both countries, and the road ahead for that effort and for the U.S. role.
![Passing the Baton 2017: America's Role in the World](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2020-05/20170110-passing-the-baton-event.jpg?itok=a18TElnF)
Passing the Baton 2017: America's Role in the World
As the United States prepared to inaugurate its 45th president, the U.S. Institute of Peace again held its Passing the Baton conference—a review, during the transition between administrations, of global challenges confronting our nation. USIP convened Cabinet-level and other senior foreign policy and national security figures from the outgoing and incoming administrations as part of two days of meetings January 9 and 10. They were joined by top officials from previous administrations, thought leaders and other foreign policy experts.
![India and Pakistan: What Path to Peace?](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/IP%205254-X3.jpg?itok=VLXb8Zcv)
India and Pakistan: What Path to Peace?
On December 19, USIP hosted a discussion with a diverse group of South Asia experts on the crisis and the potential U.S. diplomatic role under the next U.S. administration.
![U.S. Envoy Perriello on Foreign Policy Lessons](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/20161215-Special-Envoy-Perriello-event.jpg?itok=R-cn9u95)
U.S. Envoy Perriello on Foreign Policy Lessons
Thomas Perriello, at the completion of nearly 18 months as the U.S. Special Envoy for the Africa Great Lakes region after previously leading the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), discussed lessons for U.S. foreign policy drawn from his tenure on December 15, 2016.
![Cambodia’s Paris Peace Accords: 25 Years Later](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-05/20161116-137763-un-photo-pernaca-sudhakaran.jpg?itok=7sZ3Av4k)
Cambodia’s Paris Peace Accords: 25 Years Later
Cambodia’s 1991 peace accord launched a process of cease-fire, peacekeeping and rebuilding that stabilized the country, but left deep wounds still unhealed from the 1970s genocide and decades of war. The Cambodian peace process was one of the first of its scale undertaken by the international community after the Cold War—and a quarter-century of work to implement it offers lessons for current and future peacebuilding work, both in Cambodia and worldwide. On December 15 at USIP, two panels discussed how the accords were achieved, political tensions since then, lessons that might be drawn from Cambodia's experience for other peace processes, and what role the international community might play going forward to preserve the peace and the intent of the accords.
![Implementing the ‘Kigali Principles’ for Peacekeeping](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/Kigali%206805-X3.jpg?itok=r_B4yWaM)
Implementing the ‘Kigali Principles’ for Peacekeeping
Communities expect U.N. peacekeepers to protect them. Currently, 97 percent of uniformed personnel in U.N. peacekeeping operations serve under mandates to protect civilians. The “Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians” are a non-binding set of pledges to implement certain best practices in peacekeeping. This event aimed to familiarize the Washington, D.C. community with the Kigali Principles, and highlight how they might be used to improve the implementation of protection of civilians’ mandates in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
![The Evolving Threat of Violent Extremism: Getting Ahead of the Curve](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/Evolving%20Threat%204336-X2.jpg?h=8bda9928&itok=Ypp433gi)
The Evolving Threat of Violent Extremism: Getting Ahead of the Curve
The West failed to predict the emergence of al Qaeda in new forms across the Middle East and North Africa. It was blindsided by ISIS's sweep across Syria and Iraq, a blow that changed the map of the Middle East, at least temporarily. Both movements skillfully continue to evolve—and surprise. They have produced dozens of franchises, expanding the threat globally. A new U.S. administration faces daunting tests in navigating violent extremism and the related policy problems. On December 12 the U.S. Institute of Peace held a discussion with two panels of experts who will explore future trends in extremism and outline comprehensive policy responses.
![Not on Our Watch in South Sudan](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2017-01/South%20Sudan%204261-X3.jpg?itok=9Uv5WRhL)
Not on Our Watch in South Sudan
On December 8 the U.S. Institute of Peace and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum held a discussion with experts about the risks for mass violence and options for upholding the shared U.S. and global responsibility to prevent genocide.