Political Systems and International Relations

Course will enable practitioners and policy makers to develop effective strategies in establishing stable institutions and helping to support a robust civil society in transition environments. Interactive exercises with critical analysis of various case studies will focus on establishing governance and democratic practices in divided societies, and offer a framework that can be applied in unstable, post-conflict environments.
 

Kosovo, which declared its independence a year and a half ago, is now recognized by 62 other U.N. member states and aims eventually to join the European Union.  What progress is it making in this direction?

Ahead of the country's critical 2011 referendum on whether the South should secede from Sudan, USIP is dedicated to help resolve internal conflicts and help ensure the country's future stability and security. In "Notes from Sudan," USIP's Jon Temin writes about his recent tour of the country to get an update on the status of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended decades of civil war in Sudan and learn about preparations for the 2011 referendum and the 2010 national elections. 

Based on a recent USIP report "Hamas: Ideological Rigidity, Political Flexibility" by Paul Scham and Osama abu-Irshaid, this discussion will explore how the international community can detect and take advantage of any willingness by Hamas to compromise, without making ourselves vulnerable to manipulation. How should we interpret this movement, what is the role of Shari'a law in Hama's political behavior and what are the policy implications of the report?

The Office of the US Special Envoy to Sudan will convene a conference involving more than twenty countries and organizations, as well as the two signatories to Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), on June 23rd. The conference will focus on reaffirming international commitments to the CPA and charting the course ahead concerning the international community's support for CPA implementation. Following the conference, on June 24th USIP will host a panel discussion to share outcomes. The panel will feature the US Special Envoy to Sudan, General Scott Gration, and representatives from the NCP and SPLM delegations.

On behalf of Ambassador Richard Solomon, Chair of the Korea Working Group, the U.S. Institute of Peace convenes a USIP-Nixon Center public event on two new USIP Working Papers.

On June 7^th, Lebanon held its long-anticipated parliamentary elections, a critical next step in Lebanon's post-civil war transition. While many observers underscore the potential repercussions of a Hezbollah-dominated March 8^th bloc win, the margin of victory will be slim regardless of which side wins.