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.
USIP-Supported Radio Drama Aims to Strengthen Justice, Young People in Afghanistan
Young Afghan villagers Zarlakhta and Jamil would like to marry. But there is a big problem: Zarlakhta’s father is deceased and her uncle Akram is dead-set against the union, fearing that his family will lose good farm land that, in a marriage, would transfer to Jamil’s family. Akram is so opposed to the marriage that he is trying to fix Zarlakhta up with his son Khudaidad to keep the land in his own family, and when that scheme doesn’t work he shoots Jamil. Jamil survives, and Akram flees the...
Questions and Answers with the Robert M. Perito
Where Is the Lone Ranger? Questions and Answers with the Author Why is the figure of the Lone Ranger emblematic of the need for a U.S. stability force, and what does this tradition have to offer in the way of guidance? The Lone Ranger, “the most famous Ranger of them all,” stands against lawlessness and injustice. He never shoots to kill but disarms his opponents and restores peace. At the conclusion of his mission, the Lone Ranger and his companion ride off into the sunset and toward ...
USIP President Jim Marshall Leads U.S. Delegation to Crisis Avoidance Track 1.5 Dialogues in Beijing
USIP President Jim Marshall recently led a U.S. delegation to two Track 1.5 dialogues in Beijing aimed at moving quickly beyond intractable official government statements and finding ways for de-escalating tensions in East Asia.
U.S. Senators, Officials Urge Speed, Priority for Afghan Elections Preparations
The U.S. Senate this week called for more urgency and accountability in preparations for Afghanistan’s presidential election in 2014, which will be a key marker for a political transition that U.S. Special Representative James Dobbins called “our main priority for the coming year.”
USIP Meeting Examines Iran’s Post-Election Politics
Iran’s June 14 presidential election, with its surprise, first-round win for the most moderate candidate in the officially approved field, demonstrates that Iranian politics and support for reform remain vibrant despite the right wing’s hold on power in recent years, a panel of experts said at a July 15 meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).
USIP Hosts Round of Northeast Asia Track 1.5 Dialogue
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) this week hosted the eighth round of the Trilateral Dialogue in Northeast Asia, a Track 1.5 project involving current and former senior policymakers and military officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The discussions delved into a variety of security and diplomatic topics, including historical tensions between South Korea and Japan, and “achieved candor in a relaxed and truly non-defensive environment,” said one of the participants, Stephen...
USIP, Partners Release Report on Realizing ‘Responsibility to Protect’
Despite the war-weariness of Americans and political and institutional obstacles, the United States should take the global lead in fulfilling the "Responsibility to Protect," an international norm aimed at protecting civilians from genocide and mass atrocities, two senior U.S. foreign policy figures said July 23 at the release of a report issued by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), the U.S. Holocaust Museum and the Brookings Institution. The Responsibility to Protect principle is generally ...
At USIP, Zimbabwe’s Beatrice Mtetwa Describes Repression, Legal Challenges
Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who has defended peace activists, journalists, opposition candidates, farmers and ordinary citizens arrested and prosecuted by the government of Robert Mugabe, appeared at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on April 25, discussing her ongoing efforts to use the country’s laws and court system to defend clients against politically-motivated charges that seem aimed at deterring opponents to Mugabe’s three decades of rule.
South Sudan’s Political Turmoil
Recent political developments in South Sudan have raised concerns about the new nation’s current stability and future peace. USIP’s Susan Stigant discusses the latest.
Egypt’s Political Chasm Reflects Miscalculation of Public Support
The standoff in Egypt that resulted in yesterday’s lethal crackdown by the military on Muslim Brotherhood protestors may reflect a dangerous miscalculation by leaders on both sides about how much public support they have and how long they can keep it, said U.S. Institute of Peace expert Manal Omar.