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.
2007–2008 Winning Essay - National Second Place Winner
National Second Place Winner Kensey Berry Pulaski Academy Little Rock, Arkansas Coordinators: Bill Topich, Ginger Kidd Colonialism and disrupted transition into the capitalist-driven world are often cited as the most significant commonalities among international conflicts. The causal chain must be traced back further, however, in an attempt to divulge the true root of these conflicts: natural resources.1 During the age of colonialism, when global powers in search of infinite treasures vi...
2007–2008 Winning Essay - National Third Place Winner
National Third Place Winner Olga A. Korostelina W. T. Woodson High School Fairfax, Virginia Coordinator: Catherine R. Horowitz A country with rich natural resources is both blessed and cursed. It can enjoy peace and prosperity or may suffer from the “resource curse”: countries that should be wealthy, thanks to large resource reserves, in fact experience dire poverty, deterioration, and conflict.1 In many cases, disputes over rights to control the resources, denial of indigenous land righ...
My Kashmir
The picturesque Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, for centuries a model of harmony and coexistence, has been ravaged by conflict for sixty years, caught in a tug-of-war between historical rivals India and Pakistan. Now that both nations are nuclear powers, some see the Kashmir issue as a flash point for what could become a nuclear war. In My Kashmir, Wajahat Habibullah lays out the intricate web of issues at the root of the conflict: ethnicity, religion, national identity, friction between n...
Is Liberia’s Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program a "Necessary Intrusion?"
Liberia's Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) is improving the country's fiscal profile after years of neglect. Is this internationally-monitored system a "necessary intrusion" into Liberia's sovereignty?
Analyzing Iran's Domestic Political Landscape
The surprising success of Iran's "third way" movement in the March 2008 parliamentary elections may pose a significant challenge in the country's 2009 presidential election.
Iraq After the Surge: Options and Questions
The Bush Administration and Congress face difficult choices in Iraq. How can the relative success during the surge be prolonged and solidified? Should the drawdown continue? When will the Iraqi security forces be ready to take over? What can be done to accelerate political progress?
Resurrecting the Wall of Fear: The Human Rights Situation in Syria
Over the past several months, Syrian authorities have engaged in a harsh campaign of repression against leading dissidents and human rights activists. The crackdown, overshadowed by developments elsewhere in the region, has received scant media coverage in the U.S. and Europe.
Kenya: Setting the Stage for Durable Peace?
After botched elections, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Kenya’s recent National Accord? Will the deal hold up? What are the costs of withdrawing from the coalition government?
Managing Crisis and Sustaining Peace between China and the United States
A series of crises have strained relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United States since the end of the Cold War. Although none of these crises led to direct military hostilities, they have had an adverse impact on bilateral relations and portend future such crises between the two countries. To determine how best to mitigate such crises in the future, it is important to study these recent crises and identify the positive and negative responses and actions of both governm...
Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace
As Washington struggles to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process, Kurtzer and Lasensky offer the definitive guidebook on how to broker peace in the Middle East.