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.
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the University of South Carolina Rule of Law Collaborative hosted a public event examining the obstacles and strategies for the empowerment of women in countries with "mixed" legal systems on May 1, 2015.
What roles do media and the arts play in peacebuilding? Can theatre inspire nonviolent action to resolve conflict, transforming individuals from victims of violence to protagonists actively seeking to end it? The Embassy of Sweden, The Power of 7 team, and the U.S. Institute of Peace presented an interactive discussion on the use of the arts and media to create social change on April 29, 2015. This event was held at House of Sweden.
From Iraq to Burma, from Peru to Yemen, from Nicaragua to Nepal, the personal stories of widows, children, workers, and soldiers often are lost in the cacophony of war. The U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a discussion and launch of "Speaking Their Peace: Personal Stories from the Frontlines of War and Peace," a book that tells the extraordinary stories of "ordinary" people from eleven conflict zones. This event included a moderated discussion with the book's author, Colette Rausch, and two members of the team that captured these memorable interviews, followed by a reception and book-signing session.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also has been a pivotal figure in the African Union, gave remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace on April 22, exploring Africa’s leadership challenges in terms of “What’s Right With Africa.”
Genesis at the Crossroads, a Chicago-based organization that uses the arts in peacebuilding, joined the U.S. Institute of Peace on April 22, 2015 to host an interactive panel discussion on building peace and human rights—and the role that the arts and artists can play.
Iran and the world’s six major powers now face a June 30 deadline for converting a blueprint into a final nuclear deal. A unique panel of former U.S. and Iranian officials assessed the status of the talks and the political dynamics that will determine the fate of any agreement in Washington and Tehran. The discussion was held on April 20 at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
On April 17, Pakistani legislators visiting Washington met with their American counterparts and discussed their country’s challenges and the role that the National Assembly can play in meeting them.
State Department Counselor on Counterterrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism, Eric Rosand, joined the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum on Tuesday, April 14, at the U.S. Institute of Peace for a discussion of the results of these efforts, and how to build on effective approaches.
Every day in Burma, monks, doctors, teachers, even a popular reggae singer from Yangon, set examples of unity and cooperation, in contrast to headlines about violence between Buddhists and Muslims. On April 9, the U.S. Institute of Peace, in partnership with the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, held a screening of a film series highlighting such stories, Portraits of Diversity, followed by a discussion of how these examples can inform support for the country’s transition.
Nigeria’s March 28 election and the aftermath constitute a critical test for Nigeria’s democratic development and stability as the country struggles against the Boko Haram insurgency. On April 2, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted an interactive live-streamed discussion with experts including USIP Senior Advisor Ambassador Johnnie Carson, who had just returned from co-leading an international election observation mission to Nigeria.