Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
![Kathleen Kuehnast on Women in Conflict Zones](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2018-02/usip-sirius-on-peace-podcast-logo.jpg?itok=P6tKk4cz)
Kathleen Kuehnast on Women in Conflict Zones
At a recent USIP event, Nobel laureate Nadia Murad discussed her efforts to end sexual violence and human trafficking—two criminal practices that Kathleen Kuehnast says “have been institutionalized and militarized.” To disincentivize these human rights abuses, Kuehnast says we must reinforce that these heinous but often lucrative practices are “not a livelihood—this is criminality.”
![Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad Appeals for Aid to Save Yazidi Society](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-07/20190703-nadia_murad-ac.jpg?itok=0PiGVVTn)
Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad Appeals for Aid to Save Yazidi Society
Nadia Murad, the sad-eyed, soft-spoken Nobel laureate and voice of the Yazidi genocide, warned that her people along with Christians and other minorities are slowly disappearing from Iraq. Faced with challenges that include uncertain security, lack of health care, stalled reconstruction and inability to leave refugee camps, Yazidis and other minority groups urgently need international help if they are to survive as components of Iraq’s national character, she said.
![Hong Kong’s Turn to Violence Divides the Movement](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-07/20190703-nyt-hong_kong_protest_37-ac.jpg?itok=L6_GQ4UC)
Hong Kong’s Turn to Violence Divides the Movement
The weeks of peaceful protests by millions of Hong Kong residents opposed to the erosion of their civil liberties turned violent Monday. After days of aggressive police crackdowns that injured protesters and drew criticism from international human rights groups, hundreds of protesters bashed through doors into the city’s legislature yesterday. USIP specialists discuss the escalation of the conflict between residents and the city’s authorities—and the implications for one of the territory’s largest protest movements since Britain handed it over to Chinese control two decades ago.
![Egypt Timeline: Since the Arab Uprising](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-02/20190212_egypt_protests_2-nyt-ac.jpg?itok=qbTTeeif)
Egypt Timeline: Since the Arab Uprising
Since 2011, Egypt has witnessed protests, political turnovers, sporadic violence, and waves of repression. This analysis spans key events: a new generation of activists energized long-stagnate politics and countrywide demonstrations; political rivalries pitted secularists against Islamists; and internal turmoil led to the election of a former field marshal.
![Burma’s Big Test: Preventing Election Violence in 2020](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-07/20190702-nyt-myanmar_elections_9-ac.jpg?itok=QKRZCxEB)
Burma’s Big Test: Preventing Election Violence in 2020
The people of Burma will head to the polls in late 2020 to elect more than 1,100 representatives to national, state, and regional legislative bodies. During a recent field assessment, the U.S. Institute of Peace confirmed that the risk of election-related violence is surprisingly low considering the ongoing conflicts and multitude of grievances. However, hate speech, disinformation, and intense competition between parties could create violent incidents, particularly during the campaign period. Early efforts to promote peaceful elections need to start now as the window for effective prevention will soon be closed.
![Libya Timeline: Since Qaddafi's Ouster](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-02/20190212_libya_conflict_4-nyt-ac.jpg?itok=1HKwpb9F)
Libya Timeline: Since Qaddafi's Ouster
The North African country has struggled to remain unified since the uprising in 2011 and the end of Moammar Qaddafi’s four-decade long rule. During the subsequent chaos, armed groups proliferated, and Islamism emerged as a powerful new political force.
![The North Korea Show: More Than a Photo Op](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-07/20190701-nyt-trump_nkorea_takeaways_2-ac.jpg?itok=JdoWq6f2)
The North Korea Show: More Than a Photo Op
News coverage of President Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has focused significantly on the optics of their televised encounter at the demarcation line separating North and South Korea. But according to two senior U.S. experts—Ambassador Joseph Yun, the former U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Frank Aum, who served as advisor for North Korea to four U.S. defense secretaries—the announced plan for a resumption of working-level talks is potentially significant.
![As U.S.-China Ties Slide, Trump and Xi Look to Bridge Divide](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-06/20190626-nyt-trump_g20_7-ac.jpg?itok=xNCik2t9)
As U.S.-China Ties Slide, Trump and Xi Look to Bridge Divide
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to have an “extended meeting” on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan this week. The summit comes amid an escalating trade dispute and a recent U.S. decision to ban five Chinese tech companies from buying U.S. equipment without government approval. Beyond trade and technology issues, Trump and Xi are expected to discuss nuclear negotiations with North Korea—following Xi’s meeting last week with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un—and increased U.S.-Iran tensions. USIP’s Patricia Kim and Jacob Stokes analyze how the trade dispute has impacted the bilateral relationship and prospects for cooperation between Washington and Beijing.
![Palestinian Politics Timeline: Since the 2006 Election](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-02/20190212_palestinian_abbas_8-nyt-ac.jpg?itok=_ec0iey9)
Palestinian Politics Timeline: Since the 2006 Election
The Palestinian movement split—politically, geographically, militarily and strategically—after the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Fatah, a secular movement, led the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Hamas, an Islamist movement, ruled in Gaza.
![As China Projects Power in the Indo-Pacific, How Should the U.S. Respond?](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2019-06/20190625-bcd_china_indopac-ac.jpg?itok=8a6pNk-z)
As China Projects Power in the Indo-Pacific, How Should the U.S. Respond?
There is a growing bipartisan consensus in Washington that China’s ascendance is a major strategic concern for U.S. and international security and stability. This is reflected in the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy, which recalibrates U.S. foreign policy to address the challenges posed to American power and interests from escalating geopolitical competition with China and Russia. After a recent trip to the Indo-Pacific region, Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) and Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) said they came away alarmed at how China is tightening its grip on U.S. allies across the region. What can the U.S. do to address China’s power projection and coercion in the Indo-Pacific and beyond?