Program Related Publication Feeds

Governance and Militancy in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

jdunton — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The traditional weaknesses in service delivery within Pakistan’s provincial and district governments have arisen from the complex interplay of several factors. Resource mobilization for essential services has always been a challenge for provincial governments, which typically have been dependent on federal handouts.

Governance and Militancy in Pakistan's Khyber Agency

jdunton — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In mid-October 2011, thousands of families were fleeing Khyber, one of the seven tribal agencies in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), to refugee camps or relatives living outside of FATA. Their flight was in response to the announcement by the Pakistani military that it was undertaking a fresh round of operations against militant groups operating in the area.

Governance and Militancy in Pakistan’s Chitral District

jdunton — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Chitral, the northernmost district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, lies at the extreme northwest of Pakistan. It shares a border with Afghanistan’s Badakhshan, Nuristan, and Kunar Provinces to the north and west, with Gilgit-Baltistan region to the east, and with the Kohistan, Swat, and Dir Districts to the south.

The Dominican Response to the Haiti Earthquake

jdunton — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In the immediate aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Dominican Republic launched a massive cross-border emergency assistance mission, providing critical medical assistance, logistics support, and humanitarian aid.

Partnership for Recovery and a Stronger Future

jdunton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

When a magnitude 9.0 earthquake shook the earth beneath the Western Pacific on March 11, 2011, it unleashed a massive nine-meter tsunami toward the coast of the Tohoku region of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

Governance and Militancy in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

jdunton — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In 2009, the Swat Valley became a focal point of Pakistan’s war against militancy and terrorism. The government signed a peace agreement effectively ceding control of the district to the local Taliban faction, allowing it to enforce its interpretation of Islamic law.

The 2010 Flooding Disaster in Pakistan

jdunton — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The catastrophic flooding in Pakistan in 2010 laid bare the multiplicity of fault lines that beleaguer the country as perhaps no other single event in its history.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Art of the Possible

jdunton — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On June 14, 2011, more than 200 policymakers and experts participated in an invitation-only, full-day working meeting at CSIS to discuss a constructive, realistic way forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The main topics were Afghan governance, the Afghan security sector, and Pakistani cooperation.

USAID/OTI’s Initial Governance Response Program in Colombia

sherry — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A team from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) evaluated the programs and activities that USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) undertook in Colombia from 2007 to 2011.

Governance and Militancy in Afghanistan and Pakistan

ian — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The CSIS Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation (C3), formerly the PCR Project, has studied the link between the rise of nonstate armed groups (or militants, for the sake of simplicity) and the quality of local governance in Afghanistan and Pakistan: whether a link exists and, if so, what the United States can do about it, if anything.

Global Forecast 2011

jdunton — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

What Libya Tells Us about the Future of Multilateralism?

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The UN-mandated, NATO-led military action in Libya highlights a number of fundamental characteristics of multilateral politics. Libya reminds us of the continued relevance of and need for multilateral institutions to help states do together what they cannot or will not do alone.

Bin Laden Is Dead: Is It Time to Leave Afghanistan?

sherry — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Minutes after word leaked to the media that President Obama would soon be announcing Osama bin Laden’s death, the comment boards were already filling with cheers of “mission accomplished”—triumphantly by some (“we got him!”), sarcastically by others (Obama’s announcement came eight years to the day after President Bush’s “Mission Accomplishe

Seizing the Multilateral Moment in Libya

sherry — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Libya presenting the world with a multilateral moment and how the UN Security Council had taken a positive step in meeting that moment by adopting resolution 1970. At that point, calls for military action against the regime of Muammar el-Qaddafi were only beginning and had gathered little support.

Measuring Perceptions about the Pashtun People

jdunton — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Afghanistan and Pakistan are sites of intense conflict—and intense international interest.

The March 11 Earthquake: Where Things Stand

ian — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Where do things stand in Japan?

The 11 March Earthquake: Japan to the Test

ian — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan this morning underline the fact that no amount of preparedness and mitigation can avert all of the damage and loss of life of large-scale natural disasters.

Libya as a Multilateral Moment

mentman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The extraordinary violence carried out by Muammar el-Qaddafi’s regime in Libya has captured the world’s attention and created a multilateral moment. Despite shocking acts, such as the aerial bombardment of civilians, it has been clear that for the time being, no individual government would or could take responsibility to resolve the situation.

Statebuilding in Situations of Conflict and Fragility

farhatahir — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The “fragile states” paradigm is at an important stage in its development. Western policy makers during the 1990s came to recognize that fragmented countries with fragile governance institutions lay at the core of much of the world’s instability.

Emerging Powers, Emerging Donors

jdunton — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

With China, Brazil, and Russia now among the top 10 economies in the world and the continued second-tier growth of still other nations, most notably India, Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, and South Africa, the term “emerging powers” is on the lips of policymakers everywhere.

Afghan Peace Talks as an Opportunity for Governance Reform

sherry — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For the past four years, reports of talks between representatives of various Afghan insurgent factions and various Afghan government officials have been whispered among experts and insiders, but the volume of such reports has grown rapidly in the media over the past year.

Missing an Opportunity for Building Governance in Post-flood Pakistan

sherry — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Given that the Pakistani government’s handling of the Kashmir earthquake was somewhat of a highpoint in the context of a rather dismal national governance record, there was initial hope, however cautious, that the disaster recovery process in Pakistan might broaden opportunities for building democracy in this chronically unsteady nation.

QDDR and the Future of Diplomacy

mentman — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

For most of the past decade, it has become standard fare to preface big strategy documents with references to “sweeping changes” in the international environment, “new actors” on the world stage, “interdependence” in economic relations, the “complexity” of today’s emergencies, and “emerging threats” from “fragile states

What Indonesia Can Teach Sudan

ian — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Not long before the UN-run popular consultation in East Timor in 1999, an Indonesian general told me that if the East Timorese voted for independence, Indonesia would surely break apart. He cited the centrifugal forces at work that would pull the diverse country to pieces. In effect, East Timor’s departure would set the dominos in motion.

Reflections on the G-20 Summit

ian — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Reflecting on the G-20 summit in Seoul, it is clear that too many instant assessments focused on the predicted growing irrelevance of the G-20 due to the lack of agreement on President Obama’s proposal on global trade rebalancing.

Security Council Reform and the G-20

ian — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

President Obama’s pledge of support for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for India could easily be seen as an empty gesture. Clearly, he wanted to show that he considered India to be a “21st century center of influence” and strengthen Indo-U.S. ties, but making the pledge a reality will be exceedingly difficult.

The UN Millennium Development Goals Summit: 10-Year Anniversary

ian — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What are the Millennium Development Goals?

Afghanistan's National Consultative Peace Jirga

sherry — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

On June 2, Afghan president Hamid Karzai will convene a three-day national jirga—a traditional Pashtun mechanism for resolving disputes, familiar to ethnic groups across Afghanistan—to discuss prospects for negotiations and reconciliation with the Taliban.

Capacity for Change

jdunton — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. government is in the midst of a serious review of how to engage more effectively with developing countries. A significant part of this reflection entails debates about how best to reform foreign aid, and there is a stunningly broad consensus that improvement is needed across the board. New legislation has recently been introduced in the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Peacefare

jdunton — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

"The past few years have seen a number of reforms and initiatives within the U.S. government that address the growing challenges of building peace. Dane Smith’s book provides the first comprehensive survey of the range of U.S. agencies involved in peace building. At the same time, he addresses the fundamental concern over the increased power of the military—at the expense of civilian agencies—in stabilization and reconstruction operations. Important decisions are now being made on the future direction of U.S. foreign policy. A central task in arriving at these decisions will be determination of the proper role of both civilian and defense agencies in peace building.”

The London Conference and the Road ahead in Afghanistan

sherry — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: What is the London Conference?

Homebound Security

jdunton — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The establishment of security and the rule of law are indispensable for effective post-conflict reconstruction. A safe and secure environment provides the space for societies to begin the difficult task of rebuilding their economies and governing institutions.

Engaging Regional Players in Afghanistan

ian — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This report is the result of an experts meeting hosted by the Post-Conflict Reconstruction (PCR) Project on October 15, 2009. The discussion focused on the role of regional players in Afghanistan and Pakistan – primarily China, India, Iran, Russia, and Saudi Arabia – in promoting stability in the region.

Election Season Ends: The Politics and Drama Surrounding Afghanistan's Runoff Poll

sherry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Why did lead contender Abdullah Abdullah quit the runoff?

The Politics of Aid: Controversy Surrounds the Pakistan Aid Bill

pfrank — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The recent controversy created by the passing of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, informally known as Kerry-Lugar, provides a window into the challenges surrounding attempts to forge a new relationship with the people and government of Pakistan. The bill, which triples U.S.

The Afghan Elections

pfrank — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: How will the elections impact Afghanistan?

Equipping USAID for Success

jfleischner — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

PCR's latest special report casts a critical eye on USAID's role in the development process in Afghanistan. Frumin notes that many problems are caused by contradictions between USAID's mandate and its grant-making abilities. The report contains an analysis of overall development funding from the U.S. Government, and its distribution across agencies.

The Trilateral Summit

Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Today, Afghan president Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, arrive in Washington, D.C., for a two-day summit with U.S. president Barack Obama that focuses on the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

An Expanded Mandate for Peace Building

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This first of two related reports examines the evolution of peace building in the U.S. State Department. It begins with a sketch of the role of diplomacy in peace building. It reviews the leadership role of the secretary of state. It proceeds to an examination of multi-bureau involvement in the reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Foreign Assistance for Peace

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This second of two related reports looks at the peace-building function at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Taliban Expansion in Pakistan

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: How did the Buner District fall?

Civil-Military Relations, Fostering Development, and Expanding Civilian Capacity

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This is a critical moment for the United States’ approach to global engagement. Concerns have been rising over an apparent imbalance in American statecraft, principally resulting from too heavy a reliance on the military. As such, the Obama administration is launching related policy reviews.

Afghanistan and Pakistan at the NATO Summit

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What steps has the Obama administration taken in advance of the April 3–4 NATO summit?

Pakistan's Unrest

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is driving the latest unrest in Pakistan?

Afghanistan and Pakistan on the Brink

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Dramatic changes are needed in order to succeed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Almost daily, the people of the region experience deteriorating security and a worsening economic situation. At the same time, Afghans and Pakistanis will both be making tough political choices in the coming months, and the United States and major allies are in the midst of multiple policy reviews.

Getting it Right in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

America may not be losing the war in Afghanistan, but it is also not winning. Neither is the U.S. approach in neighboring Pakistan making friends or preventing new recruits from crossing the border to kill U.S. and other NATO troops.

Confronting Two Key Challenges in Afghanistan

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Karin von Hippel just returned from a week-long, NATO-sponsored tour of Afghanistan with a small group of researchers from Europe and North America. The group visited Kabul, two provinces in the North (Mazar-e Sharif in Balkh and Kunduz), and two in the South (Kandahar and Uruzgan).

Measuring Progress in International State Building and Reconstruction

pfrank — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Defining success has proven to be one of the toughest jobs in post conflict situations.

A New Course for Pakistan

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

During a two week research trip to Pakistan in mid-April 2008, the PCR team interviewed more than 200 Pakistanis and several dozen expatriates in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Attock, Quetta and Karachi. The team met with the newly elected leadership, former generals, journalists, economists, nationalist leaders, trade unionists, diplomats, university professors, bloggers, ulem

Overcoming Extremism Conference Report

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The increased targeting of civilians by terrorist groups is of critical concern, particularly as these groups utilize the latest technologies and tools for carrying out violent attacks. The international community needs new methods to disrupt these attacks and protect civilians in more comprehensive ways, including better partnerships with local actors.