News Releases

Releases for the public and media announcing new events, people, projects, or publications at USIP.

Latest Releases

U.S. Institute of Peace Marks Milestone in Headquarters Construction
May 8, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) today celebrates a milestone in the construction of its permanent headquarters facility on the northwest corner of the National Mall, known as a "topping out" ceremony. "Topping out" refers to the day when a construction team pours the last bit of concrete for the base structure of the building.

Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States Issues Final Report
May 6, 2009

The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of The United States, facilitated by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), today issued its final report to the administration, to the Congress, and to the American people. The report includes a total of nearly 100 findings and recommendations to strengthen America's strategic security.

Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States to Deliver Final Report to White House, Congress
April 30, 2009

Next Wednesday, May 6, a group of senior experts with decades of public service will present its final report on our nation’s strategic posture, to include its nuclear weapons strategy, to the President and Congress. They will detail their findings and respond to media questions in a press conference.

USIP Names Tara Sonenshine Executive Vice President
April 28, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has named Tara Sonenshine as the Executive Vice President of the Institute. Sonenshine joined the USIP leadership team in January 2009 as Vice President for Planning and Outreach.

Lockheed Martin Contributes $1 Million to Endowment of the United States Institute of Peace
April 22, 2009

Lockheed Martin Corporation has become the premier sponsor of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) annual Dean Acheson Lecture for five years beginning in 2009. In addition to prominently recognizing the company as a sponsor in all lecture-related materials, Lockheed Martin will be included as a Founding Corporate Partner for the Institute's new National Mall headquarters and public education center campaign.

U.S. Institute of Peace Launches Peace Media Clearinghouse with Georgetown University
April 17, 2009

The U.S. Institute of Peace announced today the release of an online resource that pulls together, in one site, the full range of multimedia resources that can help with international conflict management work. The database will include links to audio, video, teaching guides, and other multimedia products to assist practitioners, non-governmental organizations, policymakers and the education community working in conflict management.

USIP Announces National Peace Essay Contest Winners
April 13, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) announces the winners from each state and abroad of the National Peace Essay Contest. Fifty American high school students from around the U.S., and one living in South Korea, have written winning essays.

Iraqi Judicial Authorities Announce Creation of Joint Federal and Regional Coordination Committee At Conference Organized by USIP/IIRL
April 1, 2009

Officials from the Higher Judicial Council (the supreme federal judicial authority) and the Kurdistan Judicial Council (the supreme regional judicial authority) agreed on the need for increased coordination between their respective authorities and announced the creation of a Joint Coordination Committee during a conference organized by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the chief implementing partner for USIP’s Rule of Law Program in Iraq, the International Institute for the Rule of Law (IIRL). The conference, entitled Judicial Federalism in Iraq and conducted in Erbil, Iraq on March 28 & 29, 2009, focused on increasing coordination and harmonization between the federal and regional judiciaries in light of Iraqi federalism.

United States Institute of Peace Announces Congressional Newsmaker Series
March 31, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP), created and funded by Congress, announced today the formation of a new outreach forum entitled “Congressional Newsmaker Series” to feature Members of Congress speaking at USIP about issues related to war and peace with a special focus on international conflict prevention and resolution. The first guest will be Senator Kit Bond, who will address issues related to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

USIP Guest Scholar Frank Ricciardone Heads to Kabul
March 27, 2009

The staff and board of directors at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) wish our colleague, Ambassador Frank Ricciardone, much success in his new upcoming mission as Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. While at USIP, Ricciardone had been on leave from the U.S. Department of State, and will soon report to his new post.

Former United Nations Special Envoy for Darfur Joins USIP
March 18, 2009

Ambassador Jan Eliasson will be joining the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as a Senior Visiting Scholar on March 18, 2009. He will participate in several Institute events, including a seminar on mediation and be a keynote speaker at a new U.S.-U.N. forum initiated by the Institute’s Center for Conflict Prevention.

USIP Mourns Passing of Board Member Ron Silver
March 16, 2009

United States Institute of Peace (USIP) board of directors member Ron Silver passed away at his home in New York City on Sunday, March 15, 2009. USIP staff and board of directors will remember in Ron an accomplished, personable, dedicated colleague who served the Institute with distinction.

U.S. Institute of Peace Welcomes Pakistan Experts
March 9, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is pleased to announce the arrival of a staff expert on Pakistan-- an American born in India with decades of South Asia expertise-- and a new Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow-- a Pakistani recently nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

U.S. Institute of Peace Appoints Acting Director of Public Affairs
March 4, 2009

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has named Lauren Sucher Acting Director of Public Affairs. Previously Assistant Director for Media Relations, Sucher will assume management responsibility for the Institute’s Web team, a writer and departmental assistant.

U.S. Institute of Peace Report on "Mapping Peace Between Syria and Israel" Outlines Framework for a Possible Deal on the Golan Heights
March 2, 2009

A new report by Frederic C. Hof commissioned by the United States Institute of Peace's Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution, provides groundbreaking ideas on facilitating a Syrian-Israel Peace. "Mapping Peace Between Syria and Israel" comes out at a critical time in the Arab-Israeli peace process as a new U.S. administration is looking for ways to move the process forward despite the recent violence in Gaza.

Getting Granular: USIP Analyzes Specific Weaknesses in Afghan Security Environment
February 17, 2009

New USIP report, "Securing Afghanistan," strengthens case for urgent, sustainable reforms. This first-ever comprehensive analysis of international security assistance shows many donors have not met their Afghan commitments. A lack of focus on long-term sustainability, an inability to map the entirety of donor nations' security assistance programs and the subsequent failure on the part of the international community to understand precisely what is needed in Afghanistan are among the leading reasons why international stabilization efforts in the country have not been more successful over the last seven years, says the new report.

New Era of U.S. Public Diplomacy Requires New Approach
February 4, 2009

Effectively communicating American values to the world is a crucial part of U.S. foreign policy, but doing so effectively will require adopting five essential but underutilized communication strategies, say the conveners of “Media as Global Diplomat”, a one-day conference held on February 3 that examined a broad array of media and communication-related aspects of U.S. public diplomacy efforts. Media as Global Diplomat was jointly sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Independent Television Service (ITVS) and moderated by Ted Koppel.

Genocide Prevention Task Force Report Receives Bipartisan Praise
January 15, 2009

As the nation approaches the swearing in of America’s 44^th president, and as the 114^th Congress gets underway, a group of bipartisan leaders joins the Genocide Prevention Task Force’s call for the new administration and congressional leaders to make preventing genocide and mass atrocities a national priority. The Genocide Prevention Task Force, co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, was jointly convened by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The American Academy of Diplomacy and the United States Institute of Peace.

Stability in Afghanistan Requires Fundamental U.S. Policy Shift
January 7, 2009

US policy toward Afghanistan will require a fundamental change in order to achieve long-term stability in that country, according to The Future of Afghanistan, a new U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) collection of essays written by some of the world's top South Asia analysts. "A focused, coherent, and long-term approach to Afghan and regional stability is necessary to get Afghanistan out of its vicious cycle of insecurity, insurgency, impunity, and corruption" says the Institute's J Alexander Thier, who edited the volume.

United States Institute of Peace Names New Vice President
December 17, 2008

The U.S. Institute of Peace today announced that Tara D. Sonenshine will become Vice President for Planning and Outreach effective January 5, 2009. In that capacity, Sonenshine will oversee strategic planning, public outreach and publications. She will also manage the planning of the Public Education Center that will be part of the Institute’s new headquarters project on the National Mall.

Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States Sends Interim Report to Congress
December 15, 2008

Today the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States ("the Commission") submitted an interim report to members of the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The interim report summarizes the Commission’s activities since it began its work in spring 2008 and reiterates its commitment to deliver a final report on April 1, 2009.

Genocide Prevention Task Force Delivers Blueprint for U.S. Government to Prevent Genocide and Mass Atrocities
December 8, 2008

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen and other leading figures call on new administration and Congress to make preventing genocide and mass atrocities a national priority.

New Board Members Begin Tenure at U.S. Institute of Peace
October 16, 2008

Today Ikram U. Khan, Kerry Kennedy, Stephen D. Krasner and Nancy Zirkin were sworn in as members of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The four were nominated by President George W. Bush in March 2008 and confirmed by the Senate on June 4, 2008.

United States Institute of Peace Welcomes 22^nd Class of Jennings Randolph Senior Fellows
October 6, 2008

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) today announced the names of the eight Jennings Randolph Senior Fellows who began a 10-month residency at the Institute on October 1. The Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship program is a highly competitive international program that provides scholars, policy analysts, policymakers, and other experts with opportunities to spend time in residence at the Institute, reflecting and writing on pressing international peace and security challenges.

United States Institute of Peace Welcomes 22^nd Class of Jennings Randolph Peace Scholars
September 18, 2008

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) today announced the names of this year’s 10 Jennings Randolph Peace Scholars who will each receive a grant of $20,000. The JR Peace Scholar Program is a competitive pre-doctoral award program open to American and non-American students writing doctoral dissertations at American universities on topics related to the prevention and management of international conflict and post-conflict stabilization efforts.

BP America Foundation Contributes $1.5M to United States Institute of Peace Headquarters Project
September 8, 2008

Just as major construction is beginning for the United States Institute of Peace’s (USIP) permanent headquarters project at the corner of the National Mall, the Institute is very pleased to announce a $1.5 million contribution from the BP America Foundation that will bring the Institute a step closer to completing this new public facility.

Back To School With a New Tool: Secondary School Teachers Ready to Integrate Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution into Upcoming Lesson Plans
August 12, 2008

Sixteen high school teachers from around the country will begin the new school year armed with strategies to teach peacemaking and conflict management, without adding any new textbooks, classroom hours or expenses.

In Memoriam: Institute Mourns Former Board Member Peter W. Rodman
August 5, 2008

The U.S. Institute of Peace was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely death on August 2 of Peter Warren Rodman. Rodman served as the Department of Defense’s ex officio representative on the Institute’s board from March 2004 until March 2007.

Francis J. Ricciardone Begins Tenure at United States Institute of Peace
July 16, 2008

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) welcomes as a visiting expert Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. from the U.S. Department of State. Ricciardone served as Ambassador to Egypt from 2005 to 2008. While at USIP, he will draw on eight years of residence in Egypt over the course of four decades to illuminate how the United States and Egypt can interact effectively to advance areas of mutual interest and to manage their differences.

Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the U.S. Begins Work
July 11, 2008

The newly created Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States recently began its work to — in the words of its congressional charter — “examine and make recommendations with respect to the long-term strategic posture of the United States.” The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has been selected to facilitate the commission’s work.

Robert Boorda Takes Lead of USIP Baghdad Operations
Rusty Barber Returns to Washington to Oversee Iraq Programs
July 9, 2008

Robert Boorda, a former Navy lawyer, has replaced Rusty Barber as Chief of Party, Iraq in the US Institute of Peace’s (USIP) Baghdad office. Barber, a former Foreign Service Officer who served in the post for the last 15 months, has returned to Washington, DC to oversee all of USIP’s Iraq programs.

National Prizes Awarded in Peace Essay Contest
June 27, 2008

Three high school students—one each from Tennessee, Arkansas and Virginia—have won scholarships of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively as national, first and second place prizes in the National Peace Essay Contest (NPEC) conducted each year by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

USIP to Break Ground for Headquarters by National Mall
May 30, 2008

On Thursday, June 5, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its permanent headquarters and Public Education Center (PEC) located at the Northwest corner of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Experienced Peacebuilder Named Vice President at United States Institute of Peace
April 15, 2008

On May 5, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) welcomes Dr. Abiodun Williams as Vice President of its Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention. Williams brings a combination of experience in the classroom and on the ground that makes him uniquely suited to head this primary division of USIP.

National Peace Essay Contest Winners Announced
April 11, 2008

Forty-seven American high school students have been selected as winners of the National Peace Essay Contest sponsored each year by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Each student is invited to join other winning contest essayists from around the country in an all-expenses paid weeklong seminar in Washington, D.C. this June.

USIP Iraq Programs Make Significant Security Contributions
April 8, 2008

General David Petraeus called Iraq's security situation 'uneven' in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, saying significant gains made in the last year are 'fragile and reversible'. Addressing the country's remaining security gaps by pursuing peacebuilding at the national, provincial, and neighborhood level will be a crucial part of building a sustainable peace, says the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), which has led successful peacebuilding programs on the ground in Iraq since 2004.

In Memoriam: Christopher H. Phillips
February 21, 2008

Christopher H. Phillips, USIP board member from 1993 to 1996, passed away on January 10, 2008 in Gloucester, MA.

Pakistanis Want Larger Role for Both Islam and Democracy
January 7, 2008

An in-depth survey of Pakistani public opinion by WorldPublicOpinion.org and USIP reveals majority support for a moderate and democratic Islamic state, though a small but significant minority shows sympathy for Islamist militant groups.

Institute Mourns Passing of Former Board Member and Friend Elspeth Davies Rostow
December 14, 2007

The U.S. Institute of Peace lost a great friend, strong supporter, and early leader with the death on December 9 of Elspeth Davies Rostow. Rostow was the first woman appointed to the Institute’s Board of Directors. She served as a Board member from 1987 to 1995, as Vice Chair of the Board from 1989 to 1991, and as Board Chair in 1991 and 1992.

Madeleine Albright and William Cohen to Co-Chair Genocide Prevention Task Force
November 13, 2007

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen today announced that they will co-chair a Genocide Prevention Task Force jointly convened by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States Institute of Peace. The Task Force will generate practical recommendations to enhance the U.S. government's capacity to respond to emerging threats of genocide and mass atrocities.

USIP-Facilitated Iraq Reconciliation Conference Begins Restoring Stability to Triangle of Death South of Baghdad
October 19, 2007

At the conclusion of a reconciliation conference in Baghdad, 31 tribal sheikhs from Mahmoudiyah, a district of approximately 500,000 people just south of Baghdad, signed a path-breaking statement that puts forth 37 goals to improve security and quality of life in a region a that has experienced such horrific violence it has commonly been referred to as the "Triangle of Death."