The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and development, and increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide.

The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the globe.
 Learn more in this video.

The Future of Afghanistan

Afghanistan sits at the intersection of an array of conflicts, including the War on Terror; the India-Pakistan rivalry; Afghanistan and Pakistan; the Sunni-Shia conflict; complex U.S. relations with NATO allies; Russia's relations with the U.S. and NATO; and the U.S.-Iran feud. This new book from USIP identifies weaknesses of early approaches and outlines a vision for success going forward. It brings together leading thinkers and policymakers in a new collection of ten essays, the culmination of the USIP-sponsored Future of Afghanistan project. It also explores how Afghans and international stakeholders can face with these and related challenges over a ten-year horizon. |  Learn more

Passing the Baton 2009

Passing the Baton is a one-day conference examining critical foreign policy challenges and opportunities facing the new administration as it transitions to power. The event will convene leading experts and a high-level, bipartisan group of current and former U.S. foreign policy officials and practitioners. The conference takes place this Thursday January 8 at the Washington DC Convention Center. Online registration is required and still open but space is limited. |  Learn more and Register now

Telling the Story: Documentation Lessons for Afghanistan from the Cambodian Experience

USIP recently co-sponsored a conference in Cambodia to highlight lessons learned about war crimes documentation for Afghan human rights practitioners. Scott Worden, who organized the event, reports that a broad range of documentation techniques from computer databases to memorials are available to tell victims' stories in a way that promotes healing and a greater understanding of the past. |  Read more

Disaster in the DRC: Responding to the Humanitarian Crisis in North Kivu

Resurgent violence has left hundreds dead, thousands displaced and millions destitute in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this new report, Go Funai and Catherine Morris highlight the meaning of "human security" in a chronic conflict zone, informal lending mechanisms among local ethnically homogenous communities and the role of neighboring African states in contributing to conflict and stability in the DRC. |  Read more

Toward the End of Poverty in Haiti

Jennings Randolph fellow and Haiti expert Robert Maguire explores solutions to ending chronic poverty in Haiti, including enhanced government coordination in a "republic of NGOs" and the importance of a new donors' meeting. |  Read more