Currently numerous disputes at the local level are unresolved in Afghanistan, leading to local instability, a growing distance between the government and people and encouraging communities to turn to the Taliban. In March 2010, USIP began working with… Read more
The exclusionary governance that led South Sudan to secede from the rest of Sudan continues to bedevil the government of the new Republic of Sudan to the north. Both the July secession and the Arab Spring could provide the impetus the ruling party needs… Read more
While China continues to call for US respect of its core interests as a means toward greater cooperation on the Korean Peninsula and global climate change, the United States prefers an immediate focus on cooperating on those common concerns. A leading… Read more
Climate change, a growing number of voices in media and policy circles warn, is raising the risks of violent conflict in the twenty-first century. Dire futures are predicted for some of the world’s poorest, least prepared countries and their most… Read more
This report, sponsored by the Centers of Innovation at the US Institute of Peace (USIP), draws on the experiences of the author and Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) over the past four years in the Niger Delta. During this period, conflict has… Read more
This brief outlines key findings from the first phase of research on Afghan stakeholder views on the conflict. The author worked in Afghanistan for the World Bank and the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit from 2005-2010, and has researched… Read more
This Peace Brief follows a series of interviews conducted with senior EU officials in Brussels, and examines the anticipated impact of the new European External Action Service on EU prevention activities.SummarySo far the European Union has not operated… Read more
The militarization and politicization of humanitarian efforts have led to diminishing effectiveness on the ground and greater dangers for humanitarian workers, leaving humanitarian action in a state of crisis. Summary With the end of the Cold War,… Read more
This Peace Brief draws on the authors’ experiences in Iraq and a two-day, off-the-record meeting co-hosted by USIP in February 2011.SummaryWith U.S. military forces scheduled to depart Iraq in December of this year, the State Department and other… Read more
Countries emerging from authoritarianism frequently face constitutional challenges, among them sequencing constitutional reform with a transition to democracy, designing a constitutional review process that is seen as legitimate, and addressing… Read more
In many peace negotiations International Contact Groups have been a helpful tool in preventing a peace process from stalling or failing. Members, commonly states and international organizations, exert leverage on the parties to the conflict, sustain the… Read more
This brief was written by the director of USIP’s Rule of Law Center of Innovation and three of the center’s senior advisers: Colette Rausch, Jason Gluck, Vivienne O’Connor and Scott Worden. The authors’ analysis is informed by their knowledge of the… Read more