Events At Usip

Congress charged the U.S. Institute of Peace, an independent, bipartisan leader in reducing and preventing conflict, with convening The Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States. The Task Force has developed a proposal for a new cost-effective, evidence-based, and coordinated preventive approach. Modest U.S. investments—if they are strategic, coordinated, well-timed, and sustained—can empower communities over time to better resist extremism on their own and motivate international donors to support this cause.   Panelists: Chris Milligan Counselor, The U.S. Agency for International Development Denise Natali Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State Lieutenant General Michael Nagata Director for Strategic Operational Planning, National Counterterrorism Center Alina Romanowski Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, moderator Senior Fellow for The Future of Diplomacy Project, Harvard U

Congress charged the U.S. Institute of Peace, an independent, bipartisan leader in reducing and preventing conflict, with convening The Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States. The Task Force has developed a proposal for a new cost-effective, evidence-based, and coordinated preventive approach. Modest U.S. investments—if they are strategic, coordinated, well-timed, and sustained—can empower communities over time to better resist extremism on their own and motivate international donors to support this cause. Panelists: Secretary Madeleine Albright Chair, Albright Stonebridge Group Stephen J. Hadley Chair of the Board of Directors, U.S. Institute of Peace Governor Tom Kean Co-Chair, Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States Nancy Lindborg President, U.S. Institute of Peace Michael Singh Lane-Swig Senior Fellow and Managing Director, The Washington Institute David Ignatius, moderator Columnist and Author, The Washington Post

Long before the 2015 adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, young people were working to prevent violence, transform conflict and build peace in their communities. UNSCR 2250 sought to be a turning point, and its resulting progress study, “The Missing Peace: Independent Progress Study on Youth and Peace and Security,” updates this outdated narrative and demonstrates young people’s positive role in sustaining peace. On Thursday, April 11, USIP and the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security held an interactive, intergenerational conversation with the study’s lead author, Graeme Simpson, as well as youth and peacebuilding experts and young peacebuilders from around the world.  Speakers: Nancy Lindborg, Welcoming Remarks President, U.S. Institute of Peace Aubrey Cox Program Officer, Youth, U.S. Institute of Peace Giannina Raffo Youth Peace Leader, Venezuela Graeme Simpson Lead Author of the Progress Study and Director, Interpeace USA Noella R

The Central African Republic (CAR) has recently taken a significant step toward peace after years of violence and instability. In February, negotiations convened under the auspices of the African Union led to a peace agreement between the CAR government and leaders of armed groups. Now President Faustin-Archange Touadéra must lead the implementation of the agreement to resolve the many complex issues that have driven violence in the country. On April 9, President Touadéra visited the U.S. Institute of Peace to discuss his priorities and vision for building peace in CAR.

As Iraq’s new parliament and government come to power, fresh leadership presents Iraq with the opportunity to overcome these obstacles and make progress by developing its economy, increasing security, and strengthening governance and social services. On March 29, we spoke with Iraq’s new speaker of the Council of Representatives, Mohammed al-Halbousi, about the newly formed parliament’s priorities, the ongoing battle against violent extremism, and his vision for peace and stability. Speakers: Nancy Lindborg President, U.S. Institute of Peace His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Al-Halbousi Speaker, Council of Representatives, Republic of Iraq

The governments of the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace, hosted an event examining the transformation from enemies to partners by the two countries since the end of the war in 1975. Remarks for Luncheon Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Luncheon Conversation Honorable Chuck Hagel Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Nancy Lindborg, moderator President, U.S. Institute of Peace

The governments of the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace, hosted an event examining the transformation from enemies to partners by the two countries since the end of the war in 1975. Remarks The Honorable John Sullivan Deputy Secretary of State Panel - The Road Ahead: Building an Enduring Partnership Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh Deputy Defense Minister; Permanent Member of Standing Committee 701 W. Patrick Murphy Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau East Asia and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Tim Rieser Foreign Policy Aide, Senator Patrick Leahy Elizabeth Becker Former New York Times correspondent and author of “When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution” Ambassador William Taylor (Ret.), moderator Executive Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace

The governments of the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace, hosted an event examining the transformation from enemies to partners by the two countries since the end of the war in 1975. Remarks Honorable Bonnie Glick Deputy Administrator, USAID   Panel - Healing from the Destruction of War Minh Huu Doan Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Vietnam Thao Griffiths Policy Advisor, Chairman of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Former Country Director Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation Christopher Abrams Director, Environment and Social Development Office, USAID/Vietnam Colonel Than Thanh Cong Director, Office 701 Jerry Guilbert Chief of Programs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, U.S. Department of State Charles R. Bailey, moderator Co-author, “From Enemies to Partners: Vietnam, the U.S. and Agent Orange” Former Director of Agent Orange programs at Ford Foundation & Aspen Institute  

The governments of the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace, hosted an event examining the transformation from enemies to partners by the two countries since the end of the war in 1975.    Agenda: Welcome Remarks: Honorable Nancy Lindborg President, U.S. Institute of Peace   Remarks on Behalf of the Government of Vietnam: Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh Deputy Defense Minister; Permanent Member of Standing Committee 701   Remarks by Senior U.S. Department of Defense Official: Dr. Joseph H. Felter Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia   Remarks: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) U.S. Senator, Vermont   Panel: Foundations of US-Vietnamese Post-War Partnership: Kelly McKeague Director, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Nguyen Huu Luong MIA Agency Director, Ministry of Defense Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh Former Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Robert Destatte Vietnam Analyst

To celebrate National Women’s History Month, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the 2020 One Woman, One Vote Festival hosted an intergenerational discussion among women nonviolent activists. Speakers: Scovia Arinaitwe Team Leader, Rhizing Women Uganda Mariam Jalabi Founding Member, Syrian Nonviolence Movement Isabella Picón Founding Member, LaboCiudadano - Venezuela Judy Richardson Producer of “Eyes on the Prize” Marie Berry, moderator University of Denver Kathleen Kuehnast, moderator Director, Gender Policy and Strategy, U.S. Institute of Peace Maria Stephan, moderator Director, Nonviolent Action, U.S. Institute of Peace

In the five years since its invasion and attempted annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, Russia has continued violating the norms and standards of the international order in Ukraine’s Donbas and the Sea of Azov. On March 19, 2019, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Ukrainian Embassy and the Atlantic Council hosted a discussion on the illegal Russian occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea. A distinguished set of panelists went beyond the current nonrecognition policies and delved into scenarios that could create the conditions necessary to reunify the Crimean Peninsula, deter further Russian aggression and move past the dangers of the status quo. Speakers: Ambassador Bill Taylor, opening remarks Executive Vice President, USIP Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Ambassador Valeriy Chaly, opening remarks Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Heather Conley Senior Vice President, Center for Strategic and International Studies Akhtem Chiygoz Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Emine Dzhaparova F

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman recently visited Pakistan to finalize agreements on new projects in the energy sector and other areas, which solidified a $20 billion Saudi investment in Pakistan’s economy to match the scale of China, Islamabad’s principal ally. Pakistani military cooperation with Saudi Arabia has also remained strong, with the former Pakistani chief of army staff Raheel Sharif now heading a Saudi-sponsored military coalition. The deepening relationship between Pakistan and the Gulf states comes at a period of high tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose border with Pakistan has also been the site of periodic clashes and whose past efforts to launch a gas pipeline project linking the two countries remains stalled. Speakers: Ankit Panda Senior Editor, The Diplomat Karen Young Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute Alex Vatanka Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute Ambassador Richard Olson, moderator Former United States Ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirate

Recent decades have seen huge gains in progress on empowering women and girls but we are still far from achieving gender equality. And nowhere is this more true than in fragile and conflict affected states, where often it is the women and girls who face the greatest challenges. To celebrate International Women’s Day, USIP was pleased to host U.K. Secretary of State for International Development and Minister for Women and Equalities, the Right Honorable Penny Mordaunt, to discuss gender equality and women’s rights. Speakers: Right Honorable Penny Mordaunt U.K. Secretary of State for International Development and Minister for Women and Equalities The Honorable Nancy Lindborg President, U.S. Institute of Peace

At a time of global peril, the Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in Washington, New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the U.S. Institute of Peace convened a lively panel discussion on how to mobilize behind a roadmap that will put peace at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. Speakers: Laura E. Bailey Global Lead, Stability Peace and Security, SURR Global Practice, World Bank Group Ambassador Sarah Mendelson Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy, and Head of Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in Washington Daniel Nagin The Teresa and H. John Heinz III University Professor of Public Policy and Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy Maria Stephan Director of the Program on Nonviolent Action, U.S. Institute of Peace David Steven Senior Fellow and Associate Director, New York University’s Center on International Cooperation Nancy Lindb

Over the past several months, the United States and Pakistan have increased their diplomatic engagement in order to advance prospects for Afghan peace and reconciliation.  Recently arrived Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, discussed Pakistan’s policy responses to recent developments and his priorities for the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.  Speakers:  Dr. Asad Majeed Khan Ambassador to the U.S., Pakistan Moeed Yusuf, moderator Associate Vice President, Asia Center, U.S. Institute of Peace

The WJP Rule of Law Index® 2019 is the latest report in an annual series measuring the rule of law based on the experiences and perceptions of the general public and in-country experts worldwide. USIP in conjuction with the World Justice Project discussed key findings from the WJP Rule of Law Index 2019 and how the rule of law matters for the future of fair and functioning societies worldwide.    Speakers Bill Taylor, welcoming remarks Executive Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace William Hubbard, welcoming remarks Board Chair, World Justice Project  Elizabeth Andersen Executive Director, World Justice Project Dr. Alejandro Ponce Chief Research Officer, World Justice Project Maria Stephan Director Nonviolent Action, U.S. Institute of Peace Hoyt Yee Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace Philippe Leroux-Martin, moderator  Director Governance Justice and Security, U.S. Institute of Peace

The U.S. has redoubled its efforts to facilitate a peace process that will end the conflict in Afghanistan, protect U.S. national security interests, and strengthen Afghanistan’s sovereignty. USIP was pleased to host Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for his first public event since becoming the special representative.  Speakers: Nancy Lindborg President, U.S Institute of Peace Zalmay Khalilzad Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, U.S Department of State Stephen J. Hadley Chair, Board of Directors, U.S Institute of Peace

Since taking office in August 2018, Colombia’s government has sought to devise new strategies to advance peace and security in a country long plagued by armed conflict and organized criminal violence. Political consensus around peace, however, has remained elusive.  The United States Institute of Peace, the Inter-American Dialogue, and the Woodrow Wilson Center on Tuesday, December 11th hosted a conversation with three prominent members of the Colombian Senate’s Peace Commission. Speakers: Roy Barreras Senator, Partido de la Unidad Nacional Michael Camilleri Director, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, The Inter-American Dialogue Iván Cepeda Senator, Polo Democrático Alternativo Paloma Valencia Senator, Centro Democrático Steve Hege, moderator Senior Expert on Colombia, U.S. Institute of Peace

The world’s most violent conflicts are being fought within its most youthful populations. In the five countries that suffered nearly 80 percent of recent deaths from violent extremism, half of all people were younger than 22. The youth in these countries are also some of their communities’ most effective peacebuilders and best hopes for breaking cycles of violence. On December 12, USIP streamed a forum with thought leader and youth leader participants from USIP’s Youth Leaders’ Exchange with His Holiness the Dalai Lama discussing what it takes to build inner resilience and how to apply it to peacebuliding. Speakers: Wadi Ben-Hirki Founder, Wadi Ben-Hriki Foundation (Nigeria) Jimmie Briggs Executive Director, Leave Out Violence-U.S., (U.S.) Meron Kocho Member of Council, MESPO-Iraq (Iraq) Maya Soetoro-Ng Advisor, Obama Foundation (U.S.) Gregg Zoroya Editorial Writer, USA Today (U.S)

Trends in global terrorism change every year. From fragile states to urban megacities, data shows how many societies are impacted by violence. But, how does this data help prevent and counter violent extremism?  The findings of the sixth annual edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) provide data on the evolving trends of global terrorism that are useful for policy, programming and research.