Special Reports
USIP publishes in-depth reports analyzing various aspects of international conflict and its resolution. The following is a list of the most recent reports. A number of these reports are also available in Arabic.
Latest Releases
Consolidating Disarmament: Lessons from Colombia’s Reintegration Program for Demobilized Paramilitaries
November 2008 | Special Report | Jonathan Morgenstein
An essential component of any post-conflict stabilization program is the permanent dismantlement of armed groups and their fruitful absorption into civilian society—this process is known as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. Although Colombia continues to wrestle with violent conflict at the hands of multiple armed factions, the country embarked on a major DDR program in 2003 with the goal of permanently ending the threat of violence from one of those armed factions—the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC).
The Treasury Approach to State-Building and Institution-Strengthening Assistance: Experience in Iraq and Broader Implications
October 2008 | Special Report | Jeremiah S. Pam
Drawing on a series of consultations convened by USIP's Center for Sustainable Economies, author Jeremiah S. Pam focuses on the role of the U.S. Treasury Department in finance-related state-building and institution-strenthening. Specifically, the report identifies key dynamics in the field and discusses aiding local institutions, providing technical assistance, improving interagency coordination and enabling local champions for such efforts.
Whither Peace Operations?
October 2008 | Special Report | Donald C. F. Daniel
Peace operations have undergone several evolutions since the first United Nations–administered peace mission in 1948. A characteristic feature of the most recent evolution, which began about a decade ago, is that today peace operations are more broadly accepted as a tool for contending with destabilizing events in all regions of the globe.
Abrahamic Alternatives to War: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Just Peacemaking
October 2008 | Susan Thistlethwaite and Glen Stassen
Eight Muslim scholar-leaders, six Jewish scholar-leaders, and eight Christian scholar-leaders met from June 13 to 15, 2007, in Stony Point, N.Y., at a conference sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace and the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy. The purpose of the conference, titled Alternatives to War, was to specify practices within each of the three Abrahamic traditions that could lay the groundwork for a nonviolent program to resolve global conflict and address injustice.
Reconciliation Strategies in Iraq
September 2008 | David Steele
A window of opportunity now exists for post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq. In this Special Report, senior reconstruction facilitator David Steele—who has worked on the ground for three years with Iraqis and Provincial Reconstruction Teams—examines effective processes of relationship building and dispute resolution.
Thwarting Afghanistan’s Insurgency: A Pragmatic Approach toward Peace and Reconciliation
September 2008 | Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai
Afghanistan is in a crucial phase of transition. In this report, USIP's first Afghanistan fellow Masoom Stanekzai, who has interviewed a broad spectrum of Afghan senior government officials, members of the international community, and ordinary citizens in the country, shares his recommendations for a pragmatic approach toward peace and reconciliation.
Would You Fight Again?: Understanding Liberian Ex-Combatant Reintegration
September 2008 | Richard Hill, Gwendolyn Taylor, and Jonathan Temin
Stemming from a survey of more than 1,400 ex-combatants in Liberia's 14-year civil war, this report explores the reasons behind renewed fighting, including poverty, unemployment, peer and family pressure, gender and tribal tensions.
Making Borders Irrelevant in Kashmir
September 2008 | P. R. Chari and Hasan Askari Rizvi
In this report, a duo of experts from India and Pakistan explore the prospect of "making borders irrelevant" in Kashmir through increased movement of people, goods and services across the "Line of Control." The findings draw on the results of a survey of stakeholders and public opinion on both sides.
Securing the Future: A Primer on Security Sector Reform in Conflict Countries
September 2008 | Sean McFate
Security sector reform (SSR) is essential in the transition from war to peace in conflict zones and is a topic of urgent importance. This report discusses definitions of SSR, the field's emergence, and challenges in current SSR implementation, among other topics.
Haiti: Confronting the Gangs of Port-au-Prince
September 2008 | Michael Dziedzic and Robert M. Perito
The UN mission in Haiti's successful campaign against the country's gangs set a precedent for future missions. Based on field research, authors Michael Dziedzic and Robert Perito explore the conduct of military and police operations, Haitians' overwhelmingly positive views of the UN intervention and lessons learned.
Integrated Security Assistance: The 1207 Program
July 2008 | Robert M. Perito
This Special Report report details USIP's assessment of the "1207 Program," an example of the U.S. military's growing involvement in integrated "whole-of-government" approaches to U.S. security assistance programs.
Mullahs, Money, and Militias: How Iran Exerts Its Influence in the Middle East
June 2008 | Barbara Slavin
This report focuses on Iran's interactions with groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and to a lesser extent, the Palestinian territories. The intent is to help policymakers understand the real extent of Iranian influence so that they can better motivate Iran and its allies to become more constructive actors in the Middle East.
Why We Should Still Study the Cuban Missile Crisis
June 2008 | Michael Dobbs
Few events have been as studied and analyzed as the Cuban missile crisis. Drawing on previously undiscovered archival materials and interviews with Soviet and American veterans of the crisis, Michael Dobbs has taken a fresh look at the history of those fateful thirteen days.
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