On the Issues

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.

• NEW Sri Lanka
  April 17, 2009
  Recognizing the need to promote peace and minority rights in this conflict-ridden country, on March 23rd and 25th the Institute hosted a group of 17 young Sri Lankan professionals as part of a State Department professional exchange program in conjunction with NGO Relief International. Relief International’s Sri Lanka office selected the participants.
• Human Rights and Peacebuilding
  March 26, 2009
  USIP has supported over 300 products, projects, and activities related to human rights and peacebuilding. From grants to fellowships, from training to education, from working groups to publications, the Institute strives to encourage more practice and scholarly work on the issue of human rights, and seeks to deepen understanding of the role human rights play in conflict and in peace.
• Women, Conflict, and Peacebuilding
  March 6, 2009
  Over the past 15 years, USIP has supported over 90 projects related to women, conflict, and peacebuilding. From grants to fellowships, from training to education, from working groups to publications, the Institute strives to encourage more practice and scholarly work on women, and seeks to deepen understanding of the role of women in conflict and in peace.
• Syria
  February 24, 2009
  The recent war in Gaza has again underscored the tensions involved in brokering sustainable peace in the Middle East. USIP has actively explored the critical role neighboring countries in the Middle East play in the success of creating peace throughout the region. In this "On the Issues," USIP presents a collection of resources and tools about the role of Syria in peacebuilding efforts. Building upon the foundation started in 2005 with the Syrian Working Group, USIP has held a number of recent events, activities, and programs resulting the development of some recent resources.
• 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.

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.

• NEW North Korea
  April 15, 2009
  The White House said North Korea had taken "a serious step in the wrong direction" when the regime expelled international inspectors from the country and announced it would restart its nuclear program. USIP’s John S. Park provides regional context to the latest developments.
• Somalia
  April 10, 2009
  Raymond Gilpin, Associate Vice President and director of USIP’s Sustainable Economies Center of Innovation, talked about this new development, factors fueling Somali piracy, and offers policy options to address the problem.
• Iran
  April 2, 2009
  Daniel Brumberg, acting director of USIP's Muslim World Initiative, discusses the recent meeting between senior U.S. officials and Iranian diplomats during an international conference at the Hague on March 31. This meeting represents the Obama administration's biggest step so far to reestablish dialogue with the Islamic Republic after 30 years of hostility.
• 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.
• 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.