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.
Lessons from Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq
Now that the U.S. program embedding civilian units with combat brigades in Iraqi provinces has ended, civilian team members weigh in on how to do it better in Afghanistan and elsewhere. They urged adequate funding and the ability to disburse it quickly, concrete goals and objectives, and an integrated chain of command.
Evaluating Media Interventions in Conflict Countries
Experts lay out a set of common principles for assessing how media programs in conflict zones help or hinder peacebuilding.
Reconstruction Zones in Afghanistan and Haiti
The record of countries coming out of war or chaos is dismal: roughly half of them fall back into crisis. Among the other half, most end up highly aid dependent. The author of this Special Report was invited to develop her proposal for reconstruction zones as a way to jump-start the economies of conflict- and disaster-affected countries in a dynamic and inclusive way, by improving aid effectiveness and accountability.
Youth in Rwanda and Burundi
This report compares the results of parallel research projects carried out among impoverished, nonelite youth in postconflict Rwanda and Burundi. Arguing that the plight and priorities of nonelite youth should be of serious national and international concern, particularly in countries that have unusually youthful populations that are overwhelmingly poor and undereducated, it finds striking differences between the groups, with a significantly bleaker picture for youth in Rwanda.
Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Uprising: The Impact on Lebanon and Hezbollah
This Peace Brief is part of a series examining the regional dimensions of Syria’s popular uprising. The Institute invited leading experts from the U.S. and across the Middle East to identify key vectors of influence Syria’s neighbors are bringing to bear on the conflict; to forecast how the on-going conflict in Syria will affect the delicate and volatile regional balance of power; and to examine how the Syrian opposition and the Syria regime are factoring in regional and cross-border dynamics...
The Iraq Federal Police
In Iraq, the U.S. learned that setting up an effective local constabulary during conflict requires broad agreement on the police force’s roles and mission, a clear division of police and military responsibilities, and role models who can train and mentor candidate officers on their moral obligation to protect society.
Baghdad’s Wary Support for the Syrian Status Quo
Iraq’s reaction to the popular uprising in Syria is mostly determined by the chaos its Shiite-led government believes would follow the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This Peace Brief outlines how Baghdad possesses limited ability to influence the course of events in Syria, but uses this to provide modest support to the Assad regime. This Peace Brief is part of a series examining the regional dimensions of Syria’s popular uprising.
Oral Histories: Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and Afghanistan
In 2009, USIP was invited to participate in a U.S. government interagency effort to capture and institutionalize lessons learned and best practices from the U.S. experience with PRTs. From 2009-2011, USIP interviewed 200 returning government, military, and NGO representatives who had served in PRTs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From Endearment to Estrangement: Turkey’s Interests and Concerns in Syria
This brief is part of a series examining the regional dimensions of Syria’s popular uprising. The Institute invited leading experts from the U.S. and the Middle East to identify key vectors of influence Syria’s neighbors are bringing to bear on the conflict, to forecast how the situation there will affect the regional balance of power and to examine how the opposition and the Syria regime are responding to these regional dynamics. This study on Turkey was written by Yigal Schleifer, a Washing...
Syrian Uprising: Looking In, Looking Out
Amr al-Azm is an active member of the Syrian opposition and a professor of Middle East history and anthropology at Shawnee State University. This Peace Brief aims to examine the deteriorating relationship between the Syrian regime and its neighbors and the possible emergence of a “Benghazi scenario” involving Turkish military engagement.