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.
What Is Boko Haram?
The group Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad, known the world over as Boko Haram, is an extremist Islamic sect in Nigeria that has created havoc across the north of the country and in the capital, Abuja. Its violent attacks on government offices, the United Nations, and churches threaten to destabilize the country. A range of conflicting narratives has grown up around Boko Haram, and the group’s origins, motivations, and future plans remain a matter of debate. This report addresses t...
Atrocity Prevention through Persuasion and Deterrence
This Peace Brief describes the key findings and conclusion from a working session organized by USIP on April 5, 2012. The brief serves as input for the U.N. Secretary-General’s report in advance of the U.N. General Assembly’s interactive dialogue on Pillar III tools this summer.
Sexual Violence and Justice in Postconflict Peru
Wartime sexual violence is rooted in preconflict inequalities and also perpetuates peacetime violence, as the case of Peru shows. Peru can begin to break this cycle of violence by treating rape in war as a crime against humanity.
Pakistan's Energy Crisis
Pakistan faces an acute energy crisis that it cannot fix by domestic policy alone. Instead, it will need to rely on regional cooperation. How Pakistan pursues its regional options will either increase competition among its neighbors or strengthen regional ties.
Learning from Women's Success in the 2010 Afghan Elections
This report, sponsored by the Center for Gender and Peacebuilding at the U.S. Institute of Peace, is based on data culled from the 2010 parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Using these numbers, the authors assess how female candidates and voters fared in the last election and provide recommendations for improving women’s participation in future Afghan elections.
USIP Prevention Newsletter - July 2012
The July 2012 Prevention Newsletter features a spotlight on Egypt: Morsi's Victory Brings Challenges New and Old: On June 14, Egypt's transition came to a turning point: Morsi became the first democratically elected President in the history of Egypt.
Avoiding Meeting Fatigue
This paper is based on the author's participation in and involvement with the preparations for many of the high-profile international meetings on Afghanistan over the past 10-plus years and reflects his concerns about their shortcomings and the excessive expectations typically associated with them.
First Anniversary of the Independence of South Sudan
As South Sudan celebrates the first anniversary of its independence, USIP offers a range of resources for examining the new country's first year and for beginning to discuss its trajectory in the coming years.
Blogs and Bullets II: New Media and Conflict after the Arab Spring
Based on Twitter and Facebook data gathered during the 2011 Arab revolutions, the authors of this Peaceworks report find that new media informed international audiences and mainstream media reporting, but they find less evidence that it played a direct role in organizing protests or allowing local audiences to share self-generated news directly with one another.
USIP President Solomon Introduces Defense Secretary Panetta
USIP President Richard Solomon introduces Defense Secretary Leon Panetta before he delivered the 2012 Dean Acheson Lecture.