Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The fourth event, held in cooperation with the Malcom H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, zooms in peace and security issues, by analyzing the EU’s attitude vis-à-vis some of the most complex conflicts and crises in the Middle East.
Acceptance of political violence has been rising sharply over the past five years. The damage that this violence itself, and the conspiracies driving it, are causing to U.S. democracy are already substantial and are likely to produce significant democratic decline if not arrested soon.
Will the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan spark a new wave of jihadist activity in the Arab world? How has the Taliban evolved in the past two decades? And what form will its relations take with its powerful neighbours, Iran, China and Pakistan?
For too long, the U.S. foreign policy community has approached the challenge of fragile or conflict-affected states as a parallel effort distinct from other aspects of the U.S. foreign policy agenda. It is time to bridge this divide.
A person is more likely to die violently if they live in a middle-income democracy with high levels of inequality and political polarization than if they live in a country at war. But while few people can do much to end war, regular voters can be the greatest force for change in rotten democracies.
Within two years of its formation in 2011, bad blood between South Sudan’s two most powerful leaders had flared into violence. On the six-year anniversary of hostilities breaking out, a revamped peace deal looks like the country’s best chance of restoring order.
Political violence can’t be predicted perfectly, but there’s a clear risk pattern. Violence is more likely where it has happened before, and the United States has the tinder for political violence.
Karen DeYoung will moderate a conversation with Carolyn Forché on her recent memoir and discuss how this history colors the present crisis in Central America.
Preventing targeted violence is not only an end in itself, but it is also part of a larger set of needed interventions to improve U.S. democracy.
Improving security sector governance requires looking beyond short term tactical success and investing in longer term improvements. Such reforms are necessary for fragile states to improve the effectiveness of their security forces and temper extremism.