May 2013 | News Feature by USIP Staff
May 6, 2013

As the government of Colombia and the FARC guerrilla group prepared to initiate their eighth round of peace talks in Havana, a National Congress for Peace convened last week in Bogota. The Congress brought together 20,000 civil society leaders from all of Colombia’s regions to strategize about how Colombia’s social and popular movements might support peace in Colombia.

An Interview with USIP's Virginia Bouvier

USIP’s Virginia “Ginny” Bouvier discusses the connection between land, conflict and peace in Colombia.

Since the passage of Colombia’s 2011 Law for Victims and Land Restitution, April 9th is mandated as National Victims’ Day in Colombia. What are you hearing from Colombia?

Summary

•In November 2011, following nearly a year of mass protests and violent clashes, a political compromise between the two main political parties forced the resignation of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and instituted a two-year political transition process.

•Since that time, much of the focus has been on the national reform processes, in particular on a National Dialogue, that were mandated by the agreement that removed President Saleh.

Erica Gaston, program officer in USIP's Rule of Law Center, discusses prospects and challenges for Yemen's National Dialogue, and highlights the Institute's past work in civil society.

What is the National Dialogue?

by Colonel Paul Hughes

Once the decision was made to remove Saddam Hussein from power through the use of military force, Congress began considering how the reestablishment of peace would occur. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) was directed by Congress in 2004 to establish itself in Iraq for the purpose of building the peace.

In 2011 and 2012, USIP held a Priority Grant Competition entitled “Communication for Peacebuilding” to support research and practitioner projects on the ways that communication flows and communication technologies can contribute to the prevention and resolution of conflict. Internews, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening independent media worldwide, received funding in 2011 for a grant project in the Central African Republic and also agreed to serve as the lead ‘learning organization’ for the group of three 2011 grantees.

USIP’s Jacqueline Wilson discusses the recent Kenyan elections and how the country can continue to mend rifts from the 2007 violence.

What do you make of the election results?

February 2013 | News Feature by Viola Gienger February 21, 2013