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.
Henry Tugendhat on the Geopolitical Impact of BRICS Expansion
The expansion of BRICS is a significant step in the bloc’s push to counterbalance the Western-led international order. But as a consensus-based group, “the question remains to what extent will they agree on what [that] alternative world order might look like,” says USIP’s Henry Tugendhat.
How Should the U.S. Respond to China’s Influence in Latin America?
On August 21, the Central American Parliament — a regional body representing Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Panama — voted to expel Taiwan as a permanent observer and replace them with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
¿Cómo deberían responder los Estados Unidos a la influencia China en América Latina?
El 21 de agosto, el Parlamento Centroamericano – organismo regional regional que representa a Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, la República Dominicana y Panamá – votó a favor de expulsar a Taiwán como observador permanente y sustituirlo por la República Popular China (RPC).
Youth Mobilization Sparks Hope for Guatemala’s Democratic Future
On August 20, Guatemalans voted decisively in favor of Bernardo Arévalo in their runoff presidential election, ushering in what will likely be the country’s most progressive president in decades. In just two months, Arévalo’s Movimiento Semilla party used its low-budget, social media-fueled campaign to propel him from obscure underdog candidate to a 20-point landslide victory.
How Commemoration Can Help Unite a Divided Libya
In the al-Washishi district of Benghazi a burnt-out car stands in memorial to a slain Libyan National Army (LNA) special forces fighter, serving as a city-wide reflection of the country’s 2014-2017 civil war. The car belonged to Salem (Afareet) Al-Naili, whose father was brutally murdered, one of the many victims of terrorist violence in the city. Inspired by the personal loss of his father, Salem threw himself into the fighting in the city’s civil war and was ultimately also assassinated.
To Protect the Amazon, Target Transnational Criminal Networks
Earlier this month, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, often referred to as “Lula,” resurrected the moribund Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) with the group’s first summit in 14 years. Originally formed in 1995, ACTO was intended as a regional forum for its eight member-states to coordinate efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest. But prior to this month's meeting in Belém, Brazil, the organization had been mostly dormant since Lula’s first stint as Brazil’s president ended in 2010.
In Latin America, the U.S. Should Put Democratic Partnerships Front and Center
One of the most sage and skilled diplomats of the last century, the late Secretary of State George Shultz, used the analogy of a “garden” to describe the essential work of quiet statecraft. A healthy garden needs constant care and tending, he would say, as validation of the importance of sitting down with friends on a regular basis to discuss trends and developments in the absence of crisis flashpoints. This is exactly the type of approach that Costa Rica has warranted because of its strong commitment to democratic governance.
Why the BRICS Summit Could Be a Big Deal
The leaders of the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are gathering in Johannesburg this week in what is likely to be pivotal meeting for the bloc’s trajectory. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending due to an International Criminal Court warrant. But Moscow and Beijing will be pushing for the group’s expansion in a bid to strengthen the bloc as an alternative to the U.S.-led liberal international order. Over 40 countries have applied to join. But there is division within the five members. Brazil and India fear that expansion will dilute their influence and impact their nonaligned foreign policies.
Mirna Galic on the U.S.-South Korea-Japan Summit
While last week’s summit of U.S., South Korean and Japanese leaders may have been historic, the three countries hope “to really institutionalize trilateral cooperation going forward” through joint diplomatic and security initiatives that present “a stronger, united front” in the Indo-Pacific, says USIP's Mirna Galic.
Why We Should Back Ukraine’s Diplomatic Long Game
A number of commentators have criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s latest peace summit in Jeddah for failing to produce tangible deliverables. What these criticisms miss is that Ukraine is playing a game of diplomatic attrition aimed at countering Russia’s central objective: international acquiescence to its violent seizure of a neighbor’s territory. The United States should support Ukraine’s efforts, most immediately by seeking a U.N.-sanctioned conference on the sidelines of next month's U.N. General Assembly session.