On the Issues

Expert Interviews

The U.S. Institute of Peace has experts on virtually every major conflict in the world today, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. As part of a new series, USIP will publish interviews with our experts to discuss the background and stakes for the United States of recent developments in these conflict zones.

• Philippines
  September 18, 2008
  In the Philippines, a peace agreement—eleven years in the making—between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is now in question because of a Supreme Court decision. Renewed violence has broken out. Eugene Martin, who directed USIP's Philippine Facilitation Project between 2003 and 2007, discusses the situation.
• North Korea
  September 15, 2008
  Recent reports on the ill health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il have renewed speculation over his succession and the country’s future, while chronic food shortages and stalled denuclearization activities complicate the situation. In this On the Issues, Senior Research Associate and North Korea specialist John S. Park explores these issues.
• Pakistan
  September 5, 2008
  The resignation of Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf — once a key Washington ally — marks a new stage in the country’s often volatile politics. Institute specialists Alex Thier and Qamar-ul Huda discuss a host of challenges on Pakistan's political scene.
• Zimbabwe
  July 10, 2008
  What are the national, regional and international consequences of recent electoral violence in Zimbabwe? What triggered the outbreak? Read more from Senior Research Associate Dorina Bekoe.
• North Korea
  July 10, 2008
  What are the repercussions of Pyongyang's and Washington's recent steps on the nuclear issue? Is this a major shift or a calculated short-term move? Read analysis from Senior Fellow John S. Park.
• UPDATED Kosovo/Serbia
  March 10, 2008
  In an interview conducted shortly before Kosovo gained independence from Serbia, Daniel Serwer discussed the possible impacts of this development and Serbia's recent elections.
• Kenya
  February 1, 2008
  Dorina Bekoe and Jacki Wilson discuss the renewed violence in Kenya, sparked by a flawed electoral process.
• Colombia
  January 25, 2008
  Ginny Bouvier discusses the hostage situation in Colombia.
• Afghanistan/Pakistan
  January 4, 2007
  J Alexander Thier puts into context the new strains on Afghanistan and Pakistan's relationship including the recent assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Afghanistan's resurgent Taliban and out of control opium trade.
• Cambodia
  December 7, 2007
  Scott Worden, a specialist on both transitional justice and Cambodia, discusses the legacy of the Khmer Rouge and Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
• Burma
  November 8, 2007
  Susan Hayward discusses how Burma's "saffron revolution" demonstrates the powerful capacity of the religious realm to assist in the creation of global peace.
• Bangladesh
  April 27, 2007
  Christine Fair explains how Bangladesh's current problems stem from decades of failed governance and rule of law.
• Lebanon
  March 1, 2007
  Patricia Karam helps unravel Lebanon's complexities by talking about Lebanon's past and its prospects for the future.
• Somalia
  January 9, 2007
  David Smock is interviewed on Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia, and event that thrusted Somalia back into the international spotlight.

Conflict Resources

The U.S. Institute of Peace has accumulated two decades worth of resources on a spectrum of world conflicts. As part of a new series, USIP will highlight these resources.

• UPDATED Georgia
  August 29, 2008
  Recent violence between Russia and Georgia, preceded by Georgia's hostility with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, has led many to reconsider emerging paradigms in conflict analysis and conflict management. Over the past decade, USIP has produced a series of resources and facilitated a number of events and trainings related to the region.