Events

The United States Institute of Peace, together with the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, will host six distinguished Iran analysts on June 27, 2012. Drawn from USIP’s Internal Iran Study Group co-chaired by Daniel Brumberg and Farideh Farhi, these scholars will consider a diverse range of political struggles now unfolding in Iran. Chairing this event will be Haleh Esfandiari, director of Middle East Programs at the Woodrow Wilson Center, who will also be joined by visiting Woodrow Wilson scholar Bernard Hourcade.

Webcast: This event is now full and we are no longer accepting RSVPs. However, you can still participate by watching the live webcast of the event beginning at 9:30am EST on June 27, 2012 at www.usip.org/webcast. If you have already RSVP'd, you may still attend the event.

After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the QDDR as a major step in elevating development alongside diplomacy as a key pillar of American foreign policy, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) welcomed the QDDR as the beginning of a better coordinated and more effective approach to global development.  USIP and Webster University will host a day of discussion about how the QDDR complements NGO efforts in development, humanitarian relief and conflict management as well as the current challenges and opportunities that result from the QDDR.

On May 11, USIP hosted a series of discussions ranging from managing conflict in complex environments to lessons learned from USIP-funded projects. The sessions were part of the 2012 Alliance for Peacebuilding's Annual Conference which focused on new models for peacebuilding that works across disciplines in chaotic, fragile environments.

In May, President Obama defined the Arab Spring as a “historic opportunity” to redefine and strengthen America’s relationships in the Middle East, demonstrating that “America values the dignity of the street vendor . . . more than the raw power of the dictator.” One year after the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, has the promise of the Arab Awakening been realized? Please join former national security adviser Stephen Hadley and former Jordanian foreign minister Marwan Muasher on Wednesday, January 18, as they lead an analysis and discussion of what the Arab Awakening means for 2012.

Since March, Syrians have taken to the streets calling for an end to the regime of Bashar al-Assad and a transition to democracy. However, the Syrian opposition has struggled to establish a unified leadership. The United States Institute of Peace hosted the first public discussion in the U.S. with founding members of the Syrian National Council, including opposition figures who are among the leadership of the SNC Council.