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.
Extremist groups like ISIS have seized control in swaths of Iraq and Syria in part because they tout themselves as an alternative to corrupt and inept government at all levels. USIP hosted a discussion on January 6, 2016 highlighting new research by the global humanitarian and development organization Mercy Corps on the connection between citizens’ perceptions of governance and public support for armed opposition.
Three months after warring factions in South Sudan signed onto a peace plan, the fighting continues and the formation of a transitional government is behind schedule. USIP experts joined officials from the Office of the U.S. Special Envoy on Sudan and South Sudan on December 15, 2015 to chat online about how the delayed peace process can be advanced.
On December 10th, 2015 the U.S. Institute of Peace, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State held a discussion with Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield and other experts on how to make progress against the scourge, part of a week of activities to mark the United Nations-designated International Anticorruption Day Read the event coverage, Corruption Poses Unparalleled Threat, U.S. Official Says.
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the Great Lakes Policy Forum brought together the editors of Making Sense of the Central African Republic and several contributing authors on November 30 for a panel discussion on the roots of the recent crisis and the potential for peaceful, democratic change.
The Russian-Ukrainian war has uprooted more than 1.4 million Ukrainians who struggle for survival, and for futures, in cities and towns nationwide. While Ukraine’s civil society has responded vigorously to help, the prolongation of this massive displacement is deepening strains on the nation’s social cohesion and economy. How might Ukraine help its displaced citizens and their host communities become agents for national reconciliation and cohesion? On November 19, USIP gathered prominent Ukrainian and U.S. specialists to discuss strategy for such an effort.
Through international education, students become more effective communicators, more engaged citizens, and learn to think critically about the relationships between local and global issues. These skills are all vital to building peace in a world full of conflict.
On November 12, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the U.S. Institute to deliver a policy speech focused on Syria. Read the event coverage, Kerry Says Assad Staying as Syrian Leader Is a "Non-Starter".
Peacebuilding programs too often can secure funding only for relatively short-term projects, even though successful efforts require a long-term commitment at all levels of society. Donors, too, increasingly emphasize sustainability and lasting impact. On November 10, the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum with Search for Common Ground hosted a forum at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where leading practitioners and scholars discussed how to achieve sustainability in a competitive funding environment.
On November 4, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Alliance for Peacebuilding and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area hosted Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, for a discussion on how to turn commitments of peace into action in today’s global development assistance systems.
As Tunisia has democratized since its 2011 Jasmine Revolution, its frail economy remains a danger to social peace, with unemployment even higher than when the country’s mass protests began in late 2010. Terrorist attacks this year killed more than 50 foreigners, undercutting tourism, the country’s third-largest industry. On November 3, Houcine Abassi, Tunisia’s most prominent labor leader, discussed these economic troubles and their implications for the country’s evolution. Abassi heads the Tunisian General Labor Union, part of the National Dialogue Quartet, which in October was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.