Events at USIP

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Despite pledges of moderation and reform from some Taliban factions, over the last year they have reinstated many of the harshest policies from their 1990s emirate, pushing women out of public life and brooking no dissent. For many Afghans — especially women, girls and ethnic and religious minorities — the threat of...

Dubbed the “shadow pandemic” by the United Nations, gender-based violence rose dramatically during the COVID-19 crisis — particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. On Aug. 4, USIP hosted the first event in our new series, YouthTalks. Organized by the USIP Youth Advisory Council, YouthTalks facilitates conversations between youth peacebuilders from conflict affected regions on key issu...

Religious restrictions and hostilities around the world have risen steadily over the past few decades, reaching an all-time high in 2018 — a trend that has only worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Aug. 2, USIP and the University of Nottingham’s School of Politics and International Relations discussed a new report,  Global Trends and Challenges to Protecting and Promoting Freedom of Religion or...

On July 28, USIP, the  Atlantic Council , the  Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security , the  Sisterhood is Global Institute  and the  U.S Department of State  joined to launch the U.S.-Afghan Consultative Mechanism. Participants Antony J. Blinken ,  keynote remarks U.S. Secretary of State Rina Amiri ,  moderator U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Lise Grande ,...

Award-winning photojournalists Bill Gentile and Robert Nickelsberg began their careers reporting on the Cold War struggles that embroiled Central America in the 1980’s and 1990’s — a time when long-standing economic disparities and deep political divides erupted into irregular warfare throughout the region. On July 27, USIP hosted Gentile, Nickelsberg and José Luis Sanz for a reflection on the leg...

With the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and an economy on the verge of collapse, Sri Lanka faces perhaps its worst crisis since independence in 1948. On July 25, USIP hosted a discussion on what’s next for Sri Lanka — from reforming the constitution to lessen the power of the presidency to finalizing a deal with the International Monetary Fund and Sri Lanka’s creditors to secure relie...

USIP and the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs hosted a conversation that attempted to pierce the veil of secrecy around recent events in Central Asia. A panel of scholars discussed how they view recent protests and tried to understand more broadly why governments in the region are suddenly struggling to keep things under control. For more information about this event, please visit:  https://...

USIP, the Simon Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. State Department hosted a discussion of the newly released U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities — as well as a look at the work the Atrocity Prevention Task Force has done over the past year as documented through its 2022 report to Congress as part of the Elie W...

On July 19, USIP held a conversation on the importance of documentation in the pursuit of accountability for crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war — as well as lessons for current international accountability efforts for atrocities in other conflict-affected countries, such as Ukraine, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Speakers Valerie Hopkins Foreign Correspondent, The New York Times...

On July 15, USIP hosted Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), vice ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation, for a discussion on the bipartisan congressional response to the Chinese government’s human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic m...

Colombia’s Truth Commission was established by the 2016 FARC peace accord to address the country’s ongoing six-decade old conflict that has affected more than 9 million registered victims. The Commission released its final report on June 28. On July 15, USIP, the Washington Office on Latin America, the Colombia Human Rights Committee, the Latin America Working Group, Humanity United and the Kroc I...

On July 13, USIP held a discussion on the approaches to reconciliation and justice in Rwanda that followed the 1994 genocide, including the Gacaca Courts and community-based and women-led initiatives. Speakers Dr. Phil Clark Professor of International Politics SOAS University of London Mr. Mike Jobbins Vice President, Global Affairs & Partnerships Search for Common Ground Dr. Alice Urusaro Kar...

In a new  USIP book , Ambassador Frederic Hof tells the story of a secret U.S. effort to broker peace between Israel and Syria between 2009-2011. Just as that effort seemed to be making important progress, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime began to violently suppress Syrian protesters, scuttling the chance for peace. Hof discusses what the foundation of Israel-Syria peace would have looked...

On July 12, USIP and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy hosted a discussion reflecting on Ambassador Frederic Hof’s experience trying to broker Syrian-Israeli peace and what it can tell us about the possibilities and limitations of American conflict mediation. Speakers Lise Grande ,  welcoming remarks President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace  Ambassador Barbara K. Bodin...

Though the rule of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (1975-1979) was short-lived, the atrocities committed by the regime are among the most egregious in human history. On July 6, USIP held a conversation with journalist and author Elizabeth Becker, atrocity investigator and educator Ly Sok-Kheang and former advisor to the Extraordinary Chambers Courts of Cambodia Susana SáCouto to reflect on role of doc...

Russia’s war in Ukraine has deepened a global food crisis that has left hundreds of millions facing acute hunger. Beyond the humanitarian challenges this crisis presents, it could stoke violence and conflict in fragile regions. U.N. World Food Program Chief Economist Arif Husain discusses the state of global hunger, why it’s vital that we rethink our response to conflict and what can be done in th...

With the potential for a global food crisis to greatly accelerate and exacerbate conflict dynamics in fragile states, the international community must adopt a conflict lens to prevent a humanitarian disaster of even greater proportions from unfolding. On June 30, USIP hosted a conversation with leading experts on how the international community can work together to help prevent or mitigate the pos...

On June 28, USIP and the Ukrainian Embassy held a discussion of ongoing legal efforts to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver justice for the Ukrainian people. This event marked the celebration of Ukrainian Constitution Day, which commemorates the signing of the country’s constitution in 1996. Speakers Ambassador Oksana Markarova ,  opening remarks   Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiar...

On June 27, USIP hosted a discussion with leading Afghan women experts and activists about their journey from Afghanistan to the United States, the conditions currently facing Afghan women, and what the United States and international community can do to support a more inclusive and sustainable peace in Afghanistan. Speakers Palwasha Hassan Senior Fellow, Institute for Women, Peace and Security, G...

On June 23, USIP hosted a Twitter Space discussion on the ongoing impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on Ukrainians, the growing ramifications for the international system and what the international community can do to end such wars of aggression — not just in Ukraine, but worldwide. Speakers Ambassador William Taylor Vice President, Russia and Europe Center, U.S. Institute of Peace @WilliamBTa...

Sudan’s 2019 revolution was a remarkable example of nonviolent action at work. Activists were organized and disciplined despite challenging circumstances, resulting in President Omar al-Bashir’s resignation. However, Sudan’s democratic transition has faltered in the years since Bashir’s downfall and is now threatened by the Sudanese military’s counterrevolutionary coup last fall. On June 23, USIP...

On June 16, USIP hosted a discussion on whether Lebanon’s 2022 elections can initiate a drive for reforms aimed at Lebanon’s entrenched and corrupt political system — or if the still-fragile country might fall deeper into crisis and political gridlock. Speakers Paul Salem President, Middle East Institute David Schenker Taube Senior Fellow; Director, Program on Arab Politics, The Washington Institu...

A  recent U.S. Institute of Peace report  found that Muslim civil society organizations (MSCOs) are highly diverse in terms of activities and structures, often politically moderate and supportive of democracy, and open to working with global development actors. On June 15, USIP, George Washington University's Central Asia Program and the American University of Central Asia's Social Innovations Lab...

The war in Ukraine, the socioeconomic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impacts of climate change all threaten Africa's development progress, including the 2030 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union's Agenda 2063. On June 14, USIP hosted a conversation with U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Ahunna Eziakonwa on these issues. Speakers Joseph Sany ,  welcoming remarks  Vice...

The use of sexual violence by the Russian military as a strategy and weapon of war and terror is a devastating consequence of Russia's aggression. On June 6, USIP held a conversation with U.N. Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten following her recent visit to Ukraine. During the visit, SRSG Patten signed a  Framework of Cooperation  b...