What is the United States Institute of Peace?

February 26, 2019

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Founded in 1984, the United States Institute of Peace is funded by Congress and governed by a bipartisan Board of Directors. USIP is dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent or halt bloodshed. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully. It provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build peace. The board includes the secretaries of state and defense, the president of the National Defense University, and 12 others appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. USIP’s 300-plus staff members work abroad or at the Institute’s headquarters in Washington, an iconic building that faces the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Why a U.S. Institute of Peace?

How USIP Advances Peace and U.S. National Security

In Iraq, USIP and its partners facilitated local peace agreements at Mahmoudiya (2007), Tikrit (2015) and Hawija (2017) that halted or prevented communal warfare, let displaced families return home, and reduced the need for U.S. or other military intervention. USIP is helping Iraq stabilize localities brutalized by ISIS.
In Afghanistan, USIP supports grassroots movements to oppose corruption, counter extremism, and promote peaceful elections. The Institute is helping Afghan universities develop their first courses in conflict resolution. In Pakistan, USIP supports a program that has de-radicalized Taliban fighters and returned them to peaceful community life.
In Colombia, USIP expanded the role of women and minorities in the negotiations that ended 50 years of civil war in 2016. The Institute trains and supports local organizations to build peaceful solutions for the inevitable conflicts that arise with implementation.
In Nigeria, USIP convenes the country’s influential state governors with eminent civic and religious leaders to develop a pragmatic strategy for reducing the root causes of radicalization and the Boko Haram insurgency.
Across Africa and the Middle East, USIP’s Generation Change program builds the skills of emerging youth leaders working for peace in communities across a dozen countries.
In Washington and abroad, USIP researches policy options for the U.S. government to avert or end violence. Recent research includes the rising role of China and risks from North Korea.