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.
2005-2006 Winning Essay
National First Place Winner Kona L. Shen The Northwest School Seattle, Washington Coordinator: Mr. Jeff Blair Since the dawn of the nuclear age and the subsequent onset of the Cold War, tense arms races have swept the world, threatening global security. Many nations, however, have recognized the danger of global proliferation and chosen to dismantle their nuclear programs.1 While countries such as Brazil and Argentina have dismantled their programs rapidly and successfully, other nuclea...
Generals in the Cabinet Room
Israel’s foremost analyst of civil-military relations identifies and investigates a dramatic shift of power within Israel’s political system. Where once the military was usually the servant of civilian politicians, today, argues Yoram Peri, generals lead the way when it comes to foreign and defense policymaking.
India-Pakistan Negotiations
This book provides a historical and current review of the trends of six key India-Pakistan negotiations, largely over shared resources and political boundaries. Pre-independence political leadership and negotiations that led to the partitioning of British India into these two nation-states provides insight on subsequent India-Pakistan negotiations.
Responding to Crisis in Nigeria
Nigeria currently faces a three-pronged crisis involving Muslim-Christian relations, the Niger Delta region, and presidential term limits. USIP brought together three professors to comment on the different aspects of the crises in Nigeria—this USIPeace Briefing is the convergence of their analyses.
What Makes Zarqawi Tick?
As Iraq teeters on the precipice of a civil war, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s leader in Iraq, continues to search for ways to push the country over the edge. Yet questions linger about Zarqawi’s ultimate motivation: Is it his loathing of foreign occupation forces that make him tick? Or is his hatred of Iraq’s Shia the essential and irreducible sentiment that sustains his violent jihad?
Sudanese-Chadian Relations: A New Dimension to the Conflict in Darfur?
Following more than a decade of close relations, tensions between the governments of Chad and Sudan have risen in recent months. What impact will this fraying relationship have on both countries?
Anti-Conversion Laws and Religious Freedom in South Asia and the Middle East: The Case of Abdul Rahman
J Alexander Thier testified on Friday, April 7, 2006, before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on helping Afghans implement a legal system that understands, respects, and promotes the rule of law.
The Basque Conflict: New Ideas and Prospects for Peace
The international community lacks updated information on the latest stage of the Basque conflict—the longest enduring violent conflict in Western Europe—and the emerging opportunity for a peace process among the key parties to it. This report examines recent promising developments, outlines remaining obstacles, and offers recommendations to ensure that the present opportunities for peace in the Basque Country are not lost.
The Peace Process and Palestinian Refugee Claims
The property abandoned by Palestinian refugees in 1948 is an acutely sensitive subject for Palestinians and Israelis alike, and wary negotiators have often steered clear of so impassioned an issue. But the failure to deal with claims for compensation or restitution has ultimately served only to undermine numerous peace endeavors.
Lebanon's Confessionalism: Problems and Prospects
Over the past year and a half, Lebanon has witnessed tremendous political upheaval. Can Lebanon escape its sectarian politics and offer itself as an example for the region?