Yemen

Picturing Soft Power: Visual Arts in Peacebuilding

Thu, 07/16/2015 - 15:00
Thu, 07/16/2015 - 17:00

Arts and culture can become powerful media for bolstering peacebuilding efforts and steering individuals towards nonviolent expression. USIP hosted on July 16, 2015 a special photography display and panel discussion spotlighting the faces and stories of peacebuilders around the world. The event was part of a series in 2014 and 2015 marking the Institute’s 30th Anniversary.

Experts: 

Like many forms of art, photography provides an important means of capturing and sharing the stories of peacebuilders who are striving to end violent conflict in various settings.

Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, a distinguished professor at Georgetown University who specializes in cultural diplomacy, especially in relations with the Muslim world, moderated a discussion with peacebuilders and photographers Leon Shahabian, Manue León and Colette Rausch. They discussed the role of the individual in building peace, and the value of visuals in sharing those stories.

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Personal Stories from the Frontlines of War and Peace

Tue, 04/28/2015 - 14:00
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 15:30

From Iraq to Burma, from Peru to Yemen, from Nicaragua to Nepal, the personal stories of widows, children, workers, and soldiers often are lost in the cacophony of war.  The U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a discussion and launch of "Speaking Their Peace: Personal Stories from the Frontlines of War and Peace," a book that tells the extraordinary stories of "ordinary" people from eleven conflict zones. This event included a moderated discussion with the book's author, Colette Rausch, and two members of the team that captured these memorable interviews, followed by a reception and book-signing session.

With a foreword by the Dalai Lama, the book collects interviews with 80 ordinary citizens – a taxi driver, a nun, a machinery worker, a mother -- from conflict zones all over the world. Their accounts illuminate the intensely personal experience of war, the uncertain transition to peace, and the aspirations that survive despite it all.

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Comparative National Dialogue Approaches

Wed, 11/06/2013 - 09:30
Wed, 11/06/2013 - 11:00
Subtitle: 
Transition Processes in Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen

As Yemen concludes its National Dialogue Conference, many question whether thus far inclusive and peaceful negotiations can act as a model for other transitioning countries. Tunisia also recently designed a national dialogue process to work through a political stalemate and re-start its post-Arab Spring transition process. Libya is also trying to work through its challenges through a holistic, national transition process.

While there are positive lessons learned from both countries’ experiences, there also have been pitfalls. The Yemeni and Tunisian experiences suggest that the timing of national dialogue processes vis-à-vis other political events and their relationship with other issues involved in political transition (such as institutional reform) are critical to ensuring the national dialogue can meet its stated goals.

Speakers included:

  • William Taylor, Opening Remarks
    Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Dr. Aref Ali Nayed, Panelist
    Chairman, Libya Institute for Advanced Studies
  • Radwan Masmoudi, Panelist
    President, Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy 
  • Daniel Brumberg, Discussant
    Senior Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Erica Gaston, Discussant
    Senior Program Officer, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Manal Omar, Moderator
    Associate Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, U.S Institute of Peace
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The Arab Woman: Enhancing Leadership & Resilience

Mon, 12/05/2016 - 10:00
Mon, 12/05/2016 - 15:30
Subtitle: 
A Discussion Hosted by the League of Arab States and the U.S. Institute of Peace

The League of Arab States adopted a regional action plan on women, peace and security in partnership with U.N. Women in October 2015, highlighting the need to empower Arab female leaders to strengthen institutions and help communities address conflict peacefully. On December 5, to mark the Fifth Annual Arab-American Day, the League of Arab States and the U.S. Institute of Peace will host a discussion with Arab women leaders, academics and policymakers,  including the newly-elected Minnesota House Representative and Somali American, Ilhan Omar, on how education and economic opportunities can engage women and men in supporting women’s voices, equality and success.

Social and economic empowerment of women has been shown to strengthen stability and resilience. From the national level to the grassroots, Arab women continue to face and overcome challenges to lead their countries and communities, while empowering one another. 

Full Agenda with Biographies

Session 1: Empowering Women and Building Resilience

Nancy Lindborg,
President, U.S. Institute of Peace

Ambassador Inas Mekkawy, Introductory Remarks
Head of Women, Family and Childhood Development, League of Arab States

Randa Fahmy, Moderator
Founder, Fahmy Hudome International

Manal Omar, Panelist
Associate Vice President, Center for Middle East and Africa, U.S. Institute of Peace

Hibaaq Osman, Panelist
Founder & CEO, El Karama

Donald Steinberg, Panelist
CEO, World Learning

Luncheon and Keynote Address

Representative Ilhan Omar, Keynote Speaker
Minnesota House Representative for District 60B

Dr. Linda Bishai, Moderator
Director of North Africa Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace

Session 2: The Up-and-Coming Arab Woman

Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, Moderator
Senior Gender Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace

Marwa Alkhairo, Panelist
Manager of Partnership Development, International Youth Foundation

Hajar Sharief, Panelist
Co-Founder, Libya Ma'an Nabneeha

Sali Osman, Panelist
Cybersecurity Risk Advisory, Ernest and Young
"One to Watch" Award from Executive Women's Forum

Closing Remarks

Dr. Sahar Mohamed Khamis
Professor of Middle East Media and Communications, University of Maryland

Amy Schedlbauer
Director of the Office of Regional Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State

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Prisons in Yemen (Arabic)

يتناول هذا التقرير نظام السجون في اليمن من منظور النظم العامة ذات الصلة. وحظيت الدراسة، التي تُعد جزءًا من مشروع الممتد على مدار ثلاث سنوات (PISU) معهد السلام الأمريكي بشأن سيادة القانون خلال الفترة الانتقالية لمرحلة ما بعد الربيع العربي في اليمن، بدعم من مكتب شؤون المخدرات وإنفاذ القوانين الدولية التابع لوزارة الخارجية الأمريكية. وبموجب تصريح من وزارة الداخلية ومصلحة السجون اليمنية، قام فريق البحث - المكون من المؤلفتين فيونا مانغان وإيريكا غاستون التابعتين لمعهد السلام الأمريكي، وأيمن الإرياني وطه ياسين التابعين للمركز اليمني لقياس الرأي العام، والاستشارية لميس الحميدي -بزيارة سبعة وثلاثين مقر احتجاز في ست محافظات لتقييم الأداء التنظيمي والبنية التحتية ووضع السجناء والأمن.

English version available.

Fiona Mangan with Erica Gaston

ملخص

منذ أزمة 1102 التي نجمت عن ثورات الربيع العربي، يمر اليمن بمرحلة تحول سياسي بالغ الأهمية. وتتمثل الأهداف الرئيسية لهذا التحول السياسي في تحسين المؤسسات الحكومية وتعزيز سيادة القانون. ويجب أن يكون إصلاح نظام السجون في صلب أي استراتيجية تهدف إلى تطوير مؤسسات سيادة القانون.

Sat, 07/23/2016 - 09:53
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Dialogue Leaders Push Past Traumas of War, Determined to Grasp for Peace, Part 3

(cont’d from Part 1 and Part 2)
At the center of some of the world’s most violent conflict zones, a cadre of civic leaders and scholars are defying cynicism and fatalism to achieve what few believe possible: facilitating sustainable negotiated agreements that forestall cycles of violence, allow people who’ve fled violence in their communities to return home, and establish new terms for peaceful cooperation.

Viola Gienger

Tue, 04/05/2016 - 09:49
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In MENA Region’s Turmoil, USIP Dialogues Confront Tensions, Part 1

In the midst of Tunisia’s fragile transition, angry standoffs emerge frequently, echoes of the tensions that triggered the Arab Spring five years ago. As the informal economy mushrooms, for example, the police—reared under authoritarian rule—regularly crack down on street vendors selling everything from clothes to food to appliances. One such incident flared in 2014, and the risk of violence was palpable. It was just the kind of scenario that called for the skills of someone like Tarek Lamouchi.

Viola Gienger

Tue, 03/15/2016 - 13:48
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National Dialogues: A Tool for Conflict Transformation?

National dialogue is an increasingly popular tool for conflict resolution and political transformation. It can broaden debate regarding a country’s trajectory beyond the usual elite decision makers; however, it can also be misused and manipulated by leaders to consolidate their power. This brief includes principles to strengthen national dialogue processes and considerations for international actors seeking to support these processes.

Summary

  • National dialogues are becoming an increasingly popular tool for conflict resolution and political transformation. In the past several years, national dialogues have been proposed or carried out in a diverse group of countries and circumstances.
Susan Stigant and Elizabeth Murray
Fri, 10/23/2015 - 14:49
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Halting Yemen’s War: U.S. Must Lead, Nobel Peace Laureate Says

Tawakkol Karman, the Yemeni human rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, called on the United States to assume a bigger role in trying to revive a political process that might end the war now tearing her country apart. She urged the U.S. government to lead in pressing for a cease-fire and the transformation of Yemen’s militias into political parties.

Fred Strasser

Speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Karman said the United States should sponsor a renewal of Yemen’s national dialogue—a process that included all of the country’s political forces and that came close to producing a constitution and elections at the end of 2013 under an interim government. “What we want from the U.S. is a bigger role in every respect,” Karman said.

Mon, 09/14/2015 - 15:10
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Tawakkol Karman: A Nobel Peace Prize Winner Reflects on Yemen Today

Tue, 09/08/2015 - 11:00
Tue, 09/08/2015 - 12:00

As Yemen’s multi-sided conflict grabs headlines with its devastating human toll, local activists continue to press for peace and democracy. Tawakkol Karman, a winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize who is known as “The Mother of the Revolution” in Yemen for her impact as a journalist and women’s rights advocate, offered insights, reflections, and hope from her on-the-ground experience. 

Read the event coverage, Halting Yemen’s War: U.S. Must Lead, Nobel Peace Laureate Says.

Karman, who has been at the forefront of the human rights struggle in Yemen for more than a decade, began organizing protests for democratic reforms in the country in 2007. These demonstrations grew in 2011 as pro-democracy movements known as the Arab Spring spread to many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Karman is the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and only the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.  At the time the prize was awarded, she was also the youngest recipient. 

Experts: 
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Articles & Analysis

In the midst of Tunisia’s fragile transition, angry standoffs emerge frequently, echoes of the tensions that triggered the Arab Spring five years ago. As the informal economy mushrooms, for...

By:
Viola Gienger

Tawakkol Karman, the Yemeni human rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, called on the United States to assume a bigger role in trying to revive a political process that might end...

By:
Fred Strasser

Videos & Webcasts

The League of Arab States adopted a regional action plan on women, peace and security in partnership with U.N. Women in October 2015, highlighting the need to empower Arab female leaders to...

As Yemen’s multi-sided conflict grabs headlines with its devastating human toll, local activists continue to press for peace and democracy. Tawakkol Karman, a winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize...

Arts and culture can become powerful media for bolstering peacebuilding efforts and steering individuals towards nonviolent expression. USIP hosted on July 16, 2015 a special photography display...

Learn More

Publications

يتناول هذا التقرير نظام السجون في اليمن من منظور النظم العامة ذات الصلة. وحظيت الدراسة، التي تُعد جزءًا من مشروع الممتد على مدار ثلاث سنوات (PISU) معهد السلام الأمريكي بشأن سيادة القانون خلال الفترة...
National dialogue is an increasingly popular tool for conflict resolution and political transformation. It can broaden debate regarding a country’s trajectory beyond the usual elite decision makers;...