Summary The rebuilding of Iraq is the most far-reaching reconstruction enterprise since the efforts in Europe and Japan at the conclusion of World War II. The vast bulk of the civilian Iraq funding is being spent in rehabilitating physical infrastructure. About $730 million is now programmed for democracy, civil society, human rights, and refugees, including the Institute’s conflict management activities.

Summary On December 10, 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council adopted the "Statute of the Iraqi Special Tribunal," providing the legal foundation and laying out the jurisdiction and basic structure for the Tribunal that will be responsible for prosecuting acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in Iraq between 1968 and 2003.

Summary In the wake of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist regime, two main tasks have confronted the Americans and Iraqis who now hold power. One is to stabilize the country; the other is to liberalize it economically, politically, and socially. Although the requirements of stabilization have so far overshadowed progress toward liberalization, significant steps have been taken in transitioning from totalitarianism to free market democracy. Much more, however, remains to...

Summary Islamism, as a basic feature of Muslim and especially Arab politics, is destined to play a major role in the future of Iraqi politics. A huge moral and ideological vacuum has now emerged in Iraq, and Islam is tailor-made to provide a new moral compass to the people.

Religion

On January 8, 2009, the United States Institute of Peace convened Passing the Baton 2009, a remarkable full-day public conference that convened high-level, bipartisan US foreign policy leaders to speak on crucial foreign policy and security issues facing the Obama administration as it transitions into power.

USIP was directed by Congress in December 2004 to create a Task Force on the United Nations. The task force assessed the extent to which the United Nations is fulfilling the purposes stated in its Charter and recommended an actionable agenda for the United States on the UN. While not an official U.S. government effort, the Task Force was obligated to provide its report to Congress.

USIP's Lessons Learned program captures the experiences of US military and civilian officials returning from work in Sudan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. 

On February 3, 2009, USIP's Center of Innovation for Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding joined the Independent Television Service (ITVS) to convene Media as Global Diplomat, a day-long conference that brought together many of the top thinkers in U.S. public diplomacy and strategic communication with independent film and media producers to identify innovative paths forward in the increasingly important effort to improve mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through ...