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A New Test for Iraq’s Democracy and Stability

A New Test for Iraq’s Democracy and Stability

Monday, March 7, 2022

The sudden crisis around Russia threatens democratic norms and energy markets worldwide, only heightening the urgency of stabilizing Iraq, the world’s fifth-largest oil producer. Yet five months after Iraq’s elections, held in response to massive protests against ineffective governance, political factions remain dangerously deadlocked in efforts to form a new government. Shaping a more stable, peaceful Iraq—and responding to the 2019-2020 grassroots demands for democratic, accountable governance—will require a fuller inclusion of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities. Yet the prospects remain unclear. Iraq’s minority communities are watching carefully, as their future depends on it. 

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

Support Humanitarian Corridors and a Humanitarian Pause in Ukraine

Support Humanitarian Corridors and a Humanitarian Pause in Ukraine

Friday, March 4, 2022

As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its second week, the world is witnessing a mounting humanitarian disaster as civilians attempt to leave the country for safety and refuge. Images of indiscriminate Russian airstrikes and the dead bodies of soldiers and civilians are flooding social media and the internet throughout the world.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionHuman Rights

Tragically, Ukraine’s Agonies Have Only Begun

Tragically, Ukraine’s Agonies Have Only Begun

Friday, March 4, 2022

One week into Russia’s escalated war on Ukraine, it is millions of Ukrainians who have spoken most clearly, as civilians have joined their soldiers to resist for eight heroic days the Russian armored columns that many had expected to quickly capture Kyiv and other cities. The message is clear for Russians and others unable to see it before: Vladimir Putin is engaged in an unprovoked and unjustified war built on lies—about Ukraine, Russia and history—that he has spun purely to dominate Ukraine and advance his ambitions as a modern-day Russian emperor. Tragically, Ukrainians and the world must now prepare for the violence and risks to dramatically increase. Early costs of Russia’s assault: 15,000 Kyiv residents are sheltering in subway stations, above.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGlobal Policy

China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine.

China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine.

Friday, March 4, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the most consequential military conflict Europe has witnessed since the Second World War — has riveted the attention of the world. Observers have grappled with the meaning of the act of aggression and scrambled to ponder the wider implications of the war. Almost inevitably people look to draw analogies—both historical and contemporary ones. 

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGlobal Policy

Countering Coups: Experts Offer Steps for U.S. Policy

Countering Coups: Experts Offer Steps for U.S. Policy

Thursday, March 3, 2022

After a “year of coups” around Africa’s greater Sahel region, U.S. and other policymakers and democracy advocates are discussing how to respond. What policies—by the United States, other democracies and international institutions—can preserve democratic advances of recent decades and reverse the surge in military takeovers? Recent discussion among U.S.-based policy analysts has converged around several priorities. Analysts convened by USIP suggest concrete steps to broaden support for fragile democracies and to reverse coups when they happen.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceFragility & ResilienceGlobal Policy

The Peacebuilding Implications of the Latest U.N. Climate Report

The Peacebuilding Implications of the Latest U.N. Climate Report

Thursday, March 3, 2022

This week, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its most extensive and alarming report yet. The findings made clear that the window to stifle the worst impacts of climate change is rapidly closing — and that efforts to protect the most vulnerable communities have fallen short thus far. This places peacebuilders in a difficult bind, as unchecked climate change correlates to increased conflict, but rapid adaptions and a wholesale transition to green energy risk further disruption in already fragile regions. USIP’s Tegan Blaine looks at how climate policy and peacebuilding can work together to ensure that we stay ahead of the climate curve while still putting affected communities on the path toward long-term peace and stability.

Type: Analysis

EconomicsEnvironmentFragility & Resilience

Peaceful Masculinities: Religion and Psychosocial Support Amid Forced Displacement

Peaceful Masculinities: Religion and Psychosocial Support Amid Forced Displacement

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

The number of people displaced globally due to conflict and violence nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020 from 41 million to 78.5 million, the highest number on record. Forced displacement, within and across national borders, exposes persons to stressful events and trauma, making psychosocial support a critical part of successful integration in new communities and societies. Those forcibly displaced include women and girls, men and boys, and gender and sexual minorities.

Type: Analysis

GenderReligion

Afghan Taliban Views on Legitimate Islamic Governance

Afghan Taliban Views on Legitimate Islamic Governance

Monday, February 28, 2022

Since their return to power in August 2021, Taliban leaders have not yet articulated a clear vision of how they plan to structure the Afghan state. Some observers have expressed guarded optimism that the Taliban can be persuaded to move away from the more authoritarian and illiberal aspects of their first regime. This report is intended to help these negotiators—whether from the international community or Afghan civil society—find possible compromises between the Taliban’s vision of “true” Islamic governance and liberal democracy and respect for human rights.

Type: Peaceworks

Mediation, Negotiation & Dialogue