Tuesday, June 25, 2024
First Ladies of Peace: Women’s Role in Reducing Conflict in Africa
Women have long been key partners and leaders in peace across Africa, and the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) was created to help further women’s representation in promoting peace and security throughout the continent. Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, the first lady of The Gambia and the president of AFLPM, and former Malawi President Joyce Banda discuss how USIP and AFLPM are working together to reduce and prevent violent conflict.
What Is Africa's Lobito Corridor?
The Lobito Corridor is a railway project stretching from the Angolan port of Lobito on Africa’s Atlantic coast to the city of Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which contains one of the largest mining deposits in the world. Anthony Carroll, a member of USIP's senior study group on critical minerals in Africa, discusses how this multi-country project can help speed access to critical minerals for U.S. and European markets, bolster African economic development and reduce reliance on China for critical mineral supply lines.
China's Growing Role in Central Asia’s Security
China has shown a greater interest in Central Asia’s security and stability in recent years, expanding its engagement with countries in the region both bilaterally and as a whole. Bates Gill, senior fellow in Asian security at the National Bureau of Asian Research, discusses his recent trip to Central Asia with USIP colleagues and what they learned about why China has taken a larger role in Central Asia, how Central Asian countries view China’s increased security engagement and why there’s still interest in greater U.S. engagement with the region.
The Latest @ USIP: Connecting U.S. and African Diplomats
As the U.S.-Africa partnership continues to grow, so too does the importance of close diplomatic cooperation between Washington and African countries. Nyiel Angok from the Embassy of South Sudan and Al Jerome Anastas Chede from the Embassy of Liberia discuss how USIP’s African Diplomats Seminar offers a chance for representatives of African countries to directly connect with U.S. government officials and learn the inner workings of U.S. foreign policy.
Faith Leaders and Community in Nigeria: An Antidote to Violent Extremism
In Nigeria, insurgent groups such as Boko Haram use religious extremism as a pretext for their violence — a justification that is often repeated in reporting and analysis on the situation. But many of the country’s religious leaders see this as a harmful narrative that can conflate religious belief with violent conflict, especially when religion can be such a powerful force for peace. Imam Shefiu Abdulkareem Majemu from the Strength in Diversity Development Centre and Major Olimma Adinwenka Nueka of the Ministry of Defence Provost Company discuss how new training for religious actors can help them prevent violent conflict and de-escalate tensions in Nigeria.
How the World Can Better Support Women Peacebuilders
Whether it’s providing clean drinking water to displaced persons, organizing education for at-risk youth or directly engaging in mediation between warring parties, the 2023 Women Building Peace Award finalists have all shown themselves to be impactful advocates of peace and stability in their communities. USIP spoke to award recipient Pétronille Vaweka of the Democratic Republic of Congo and finalists Dr. Marie-Marcelle Deschamps of Haiti, Abir Haj Ibrahim of Syria and Hamisa Zaja of Kenya about their work and how the international community can help to empower and expand the critical efforts of women peacebuilders around the world.
The Latest @ USIP: Unlocking Africa’s Development Potential
Despite Africa’s immense potential, the pace of development is not keeping up with Africans’ needs. This deficit has helped fuel a troubling rise in poverty, conflict and coups across the continent, all while global issues like climate change and strategic competition begin to take their own toll. USIP spoke with Afrobarometer’s Joe Asunka, Open Society Foundations’ Mooya Nyaundi and the Institute for Security Studies’ Jakkie Cillers at the Africa Futures Summit about the challenges facing the African continent — and how the international community can partner with African leaders to harness Africa’s development potential and promote stable, democratic governance.
The Untapped Potential of Grassroots Peacebuilding in Papua New Guinea
This past January, deadly riots in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, spilled over into other towns and cities across the nation. As the dust settled, many held the country’s struggling youth population responsible, at least partially, for kindling the widespread unrest. Papua New Guinea’s government responded by announcing ambitious plans to address a broad range of problems facing youth — a promising move.
Where is Gabon Headed After Its Coup?
Despite boasting one of the highest GDPs per capita in Africa, nearly two in five Gabonese live in poverty. That inequality — combined with decades of monolithic rule under the Bongo family — were contributing factors to Gabon’s military coup last August. USIP spoke with Charles M'bah, Gabon’s minister of public accounts, about what the people of Gabon expect from the current political transition and how the international community can help bolster Gabon’s democratic and economic development.
How Indigenous Practices Can Address Today’s Peacebuilding Challenges
Too often, conventional peacebuilding not only overlooks Indigenous peoples — especially women — it dismisses Indigenous methods of building peace as well. But these methods are rooted in deep traditional practices that have a proven history of success. So, while they may differ from current approaches, Indigenous peacebuilding practices offer a chance to expand the peacebuilding field’s understanding and ability to resolve conflict. USIP spoke with several Indigenous leaders at the first Global Summit on Indigenous Peacebuilding about how Indigenous practices can contribute to current peace processes around the world.