Events At Usip

On Thursday, July 26, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined the U.S. Institute of Peace to give remarks on U.S. policy options in Iraq in the post-ISIS era. She discussed the protection of religious minority groups and offered her perspective on Iranian influence in the country and region. Senator Ernst is the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate, having retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard. She serves as the Chairwoman of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. Speakers: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) U.S. Senator from Iowa Nancy Lindborg, moderator President, U.S. Institute of Peace

South Sudan’s civil war is one of the most brutal and destructive conflicts of the 21st century. Could the war have been prevented? Could some of the atrocities and misery caused by the war have been avoided?  On July 19 the U.S. Institute of Peace and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide hosted a discussion on what lessons should be learned from U.S. policy toward South Sudan in the years leading up to and during the civil war. Speakers: Ambassador Donald Booth Former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Kate Almquist Knopf Director, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University Joshua Meservey Senior Policy Analyst, Africa and the Middle East, The Heritage Foundation Jon Temin Visiting Fellow, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide and Africa Director, Freedom House Mike Yaffe, welcoming remarks Vice President, Middle East and Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace Aly Verjee, m

With over 44 percent of new voters between the ages of 18 and 35, Pakistan’s youth will play an important role in the upcoming elections and influence the future of the country’s democracy. To harness the power of Pakistan’s youth, a recent UNDP Human Development Report argues for a national focus on youth empowerment through education, employment, and meaningful engagement. According to the report, youth will prove to be a dividend or a serious challenge to the country, depending on how Pakistan invests in their development. To positively impact that policy, youth must be empowered and engaged. Speakers: Sahar Khan Visiting Research Fellow, CATO Institute Dr. Adil Najam Dean, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University Pir Zubair Shah Freelance Journalist Jumaina Siddiqui, Moderator Senior Program Officer, Asia Center, U.S. Institute of Peace

Illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking has destabilized local communities and devastated elephant, rhino, and endangered species populations across Africa. High demand for wildlife products in Asia has driven this surge in poaching and trafficking, threatening the future of these species. Illegal trade in protected wildlife is worth an estimated $7 to $10 billion.  This figure places wildlife trafficking among the most lucrative criminal activities worldwide, rivaling the illegal trade in drugs and arms in size and scope. The United States, with support from Congress, has been at the forefront of this push, through legislation like the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act of 2004 and the END Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will discuss key successes, challenges, and next steps for U.S. policymakers. Speakers: Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) U.S. Representative from C

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) recently returned from a five-country visit to Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assess the region’s humanitarian crises while seeking to better understand their root causes. He held over 35 meetings with civil society, refugees living in camps, aid workers, government officials, and U.N. peacekeepers. During his visit, it became clear to Senator Merkley that U.S. diplomatic leadership, development aid, and humanitarian response are critical to addressing the root causes of conflict, climate change and corruption. Speakers: Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) U.S. Senator from Oregon Nancy Lindborg, Moderator President, U.S. Institute of Peace

At a time when violent international conflict and the threat of extremism loom large, four high school teachers in Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Florida have spent the last year taking part in a U.S. Institute of Peace program to help their students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to work toward a more peaceful world. Three of USIP’s 2017 Peace Teachers will share how they advanced their students’ understanding of conflict and the possibilities of peace in ways that aligned with their existing curriculum. Their stories will reveal how students from very different communities across the U.S. make sense of the world and what they were inspired to do over the past year as part of this USIP program. Participants: Nancy Lindborg, Welcoming Remarks President, U.S. Institute of Peace Megan Chabalowski, Introductions Program Officer, Public Education, U.S. Institute of Peace Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, Moderator American novelist, short story writer and journalist, and Member, International A

From Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s influence in the Iraqi elections to the involvement of religious actors in South Sudan’s peace process, the role of religion in conflict zones continues to dominate headlines. Please join field researchers and U.S. Institute of Peace experts on June 26, as they present an approach for mapping the role of religious actors and institutions to better understand their legitimacy and influence in contributing to peace and conflict, exploring findings from three recent mappings from Libya, South Sudan, and Iraq based on work from the field. Speakers: Col. Paul Hughes, welcoming remarks Acting Vice President, Center for Applied Conflict Transformation, U.S. Institute of Peace Rev. Susan Hayward, introductory remarks Senior Advisor, Religion & Inclusive Societies, U.S. Institute of Peace Rosarie Tucci, moderator Director, Inclusive Societies, U.S. Institute of Peace Palwasha Kakar Senior Program Officer, Libya Project Coordinator, U.S. Institute of Peace Monica Pio South

The U.S. Institute of Peace is proud to host Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip, accompanied by several of his cabinet ministers, for a discussion focused on his country’s foreign policy, regional role, reform achievements, political situation, and efforts to combat Russian influence. It is a critical period for Eastern Europe and a key time for Moldova in light of November's parliamentary elections that will determine the further direction of the country.

For over a decade, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has campaigned to subvert the liberal world order and undermine global norms by invading neighbors and interfering in democratic processes at home and abroad. Without strong leadership from an allied West to push back on Russian ambitions, the postwar order established by the United States and its allies is in jeopardy, and progress made over the last 70 years is at risk of being reversed. The United States must continue to lead on global issues, support democracy, uphold the rule of law, and push back on the disruptive ambitions of revisionist states like Russia. Speakers: Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) 19th Congressional District of Florida, U.S. House of Representatives Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) 9th Congressional District of Massachusetts, U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Lindborg, moderator President, U.S. Institute of Peace

This event features discussion about the practical steps for the search for peace in Afghanistan. This effort has moved to center stage in recent months following President Ashraf Ghani’s late February peace offer to the Taliban, a series of major international conferences that consolidated support for a peace deal, and a wave of pro-peace demonstrations across Afghanistan. Crucial questions nonetheless remain: What it will take to get the Taliban to join peace talks in earnest? What will a prospective peace agreement look like? How does the peace process affect the Afghan and international military campaign? Panel 1: Top-Down Peace: Negotiations, the Taliban, and the Shape of a Deal Steve Brooking, Director of Peace and Reconciliation, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Laurel Miller, Former State Department Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Barnett Rubin, Senior Fellow and Associate Director of the Center for International Cooperation, New York University Rah

The U.S.-Sudan relationship is at an historic juncture, with the prospect of a broader normalization of relations with the United States coinciding with economic and political turbulence in Sudan. Amid the goals of the U.S. engagement process, the demands of Sudanese citizens for a peaceful, better governed country remain unfulfilled. Join USIP to explore the findings of “Sudan after Sanctions: Sudanese Views of Relations with the United States,” authored by USIP’s Aly Verjee, examining the perceptions and hopes of Sudanese citizens for future relations between Sudan and the United States.

Questions about the promises and dangers of technology have recently dominated headlines—but less often covered are the stories of practitioners and start-ups leveraging their know-how to build peace. On May 31, the Justice Sector Training, Research and Coordination Program and the U.S. Institute of Peace will host a symposium to tackle the difficult questions of how technology can be used to strengthen rule of law, security, community engagement, and relationships between states and the people they serve in developing and conflict-affected areas.   Session Two: Innovations in Engagement: From Mobile Apps to Social Media Rohini Srihari, Moderator Chief Data Scientist, PeaceTech Lab Jeffrey Aresty President, InternetBar.org Karen Naimer Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights Antoine Heuty Founder and CEO, Ulula LLC Zaid Zaid Public Policy, Strategic Response, Facebook, Inc.     Session Three: Innovations in E-Governance: From Case Management to Consens

Questions about the promises and dangers of technology have recently dominated headlines—but less often covered are the stories of practitioners and start-ups leveraging their know-how to build peace. On May 31, the Justice Sector Training, Research and Coordination Program and the U.S. Institute of Peace will host a symposium to tackle the difficult questions of how technology can be used to strengthen rule of law, security, community engagement, and relationships between states and the people they serve in developing and conflict-affected areas. Session One: Innovations in Law Enforcement: Digital Investigative Analysis & Forensic Science: Advances and Setbacks Lindsay Freeman, Moderator Human Rights Center Research Fellow, School of Law, University of California, Berkeley Mark D. Mogle Deputy Assistant Director for Forensics, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, U.S. Department of Justice Mark Grantz Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U

Violent extremism has become one of the major challenges to stability in fragile states, characterized by weak, non-inclusive institutions, and lack of economic opportunity. Youth are often perceived as particularly vulnerable to recruitment into extremist groups. The U.S. Institute of Peace has funded several impact evaluations of peacebuilding interventions over the last few years, including two rigorous evaluations of Mercy Corps’ youth programming in Afghanistan and Somalia aimed at reducing support for armed opposition groups.  This discussion will tackle the potential for implementing these programs at scale and its potential effect on broader conflict dynamics in places like Afghanistan and Somalia. Speakers: Joseph Hewitt, moderator Vice President of Policy, Learning, and Strategy, USIP Scott Worden Director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs, USIP Aubrey Cox Program Officer, Youth, USIP Abdullahi Boru Halakhe Senior Officer Policy and Advocacy-Africa, International Rescue Committee Beza

Power-sharing arrangements are often applied as a means to address conflict between two parties. But practitioners and policymakers alike agree that the foundation for such arrangements requires considerable strategy and planning, including articulating clear objectives and expectations. Under what conditions do power-sharing arrangements work? What are the key ingredients to help unity governments succeed? Do power-sharing arrangements build political trust by delivering to citizens? Speakers: Jeff Helsing Associate Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace Rosarie Tucci Director, Inclusive Societies, U.S. Institute of Peace Susan Stigant Director, Africa Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace Caroline Hartzell Professor, Political Science Department, Gettysburg College Matthew Hoddie Associate Professor, Towson University Clark Letterman Survey Research Specialist, Research Triangle Institute International

This year marks the centennial of Georgia’s independence and the establishment of the First Republic in 1918 and the 10th year since the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. Please join the U.S. Institute of Peace, Embassy of Georgia and the Heritage Foundation in welcoming The Honorable Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, for the Second Annual U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Conference. Renowned experts will explore the current state of regional affairs, focusing on the geopolitical interests of the United States and Georgia.   Panelists: H.E. Dimitry Kumsishvili First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Mr. Brock Bierman Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia, USAID Ambassador Elisabeth Millard Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Mr. Christian Danielsson Director General for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission Mr. Jonathan Katz, Moderator Senior Fell

This year marks the centennial of Georgia’s independence and the establishment of the First Republic in 1918 and the 10th year since the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. Please join the U.S. Institute of Peace, Embassy of Georgia and the Heritage Foundation in welcoming The Honorable Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, for the Second Annual U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Conference. Renowned experts will explore the current state of regional affairs, focusing on the geopolitical interests of the United States and Georgia. Keynote Address: The Honorable Giorgi Kvirikashvili Prime Minister of Georgia Panelists: H.E. Mikheil Janelidze Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ms. Fiona Hill Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC) Mr. James Carafano Vice President of Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and the E. W. Richardson Fellow, Th

Nandan Nilekani is the co-founder of Infosys and former chairman of Aadhaar, India’s massive biometric identification system. Join the U.S. Institute of Peace, PeaceTech Lab and emerge85 for a discussion with Nilekani on India’s emerging data economy, which seeks to restore individuals’ control over their personal data while fueling public and private sector innovation. Exploring this new paradigm is important not just for India. Data is a key focus of international development and governance efforts. Organizations and governments worldwide are harnessing data to improve delivery of goods and services, increase communication, and bolster accountability, but there are challenges. Speakers: Nandan Nilekani, Featured Speaker Co-Founder, Infosys Sheldon Himelfarb, Moderator Founder & CEO, PeaceTech Lab

The United States is engaged in high-stakes negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear program as the White House prepares for the summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. But nuclear capabilities and missiles are not the only items on the negotiating table. An eventual settlement could include some difficult concessions and require significant oversight and legislative action on the part of Congress. Both Members of Congress and military veterans, Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Representative Steve Russell (R-OK), will examine the importance of this ongoing diplomatic effort, possible outcomes of negotiations, and the role they hope Congress plays in the coming months at USIP’s third Bipartisan Congressional Dialogue on May 22. Speakers:  Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) 5th Congressional District of Oklahoma, U.S. House of Representatives Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) 33rd Congressional District of California, U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Lindborg, moderator President, U.S. I

Iraqis just went to the polls to elect a new national parliament. In a surprise turn, a coalition led by controversial cleric Moqtada al-Sadr—a staunch opponent of U.S. influcence in Iraq won the most seats. Listen in as Joshua Johnson, Host of NPR's 1A, leads a panel discussion on Iraq's new leaders and the many challenges they face. Speakers: Joshua Johnson, Moderator Host, NPR's 1A Sarhang Hamasaeed Director, Middle East Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace Denise Natali Director, Center for Strategic Research, National Defense University Kenneth Pollack Resident Scholar, U.S.-Middle East Security and Foreign Policies, American Enterprise Institute