AfP Calls on the U.S. to Robustly Support Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Programs and Not Shut Down the U.S. Institute of Peace
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2025
CONTACT
Nick Zuroski | nick@allianceforpeacebuilding.org
Washington, DC, USA — Last week, the U.S. Government began shutting down the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). A close partner of the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), USIP is an independent, nonpartisan institution charged with increasing U.S. capacity to prevent, mitigate, and resolve international conflict without violence. Over the last two months, the U.S. Government has carried out sweeping cancellations of U.S. foreign assistance grants and contracts, including 90% from USAID and 60% from the U.S. Department of State, many of which are vital conflict prevention and peacebuilding programs implemented by civil society, universities, and the private sector. AfP, a network of 225+ peacebuilding organizations, is deeply concerned about these actions by the Trump Administration, which are threatening the ability of peacebuilding organizations like USIP and AfP’s members to prevent, reduce, and resolve violent conflict at a time when their work is more urgent than ever due to record-breaking violent global conflict and violence.
While reforming U.S. foreign assistance is welcome, as called for in the bipartisan Global Fragility Act supported by AfP, the termination of programs and organizations that support strategic and impactful approaches to peace and security makes America less safe, strong, and prosperous. At his confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Rubio stated, “Preventing crises is a lot cheaper and a lot better than dealing with crises after the fact.” AfP agrees with Secretary Rubio. Peacebuilding initiatives are cost-effective, prevent the outbreak or recurrence of conflict, negate the need for expensive humanitarian and securitized interventions, and promote U.S. national security interests. In 2023, violence cost the global economy $19.1 trillion, approximately 13.5 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). Yet, every dollar invested in conflict prevention saves between $26 and $103 that would otherwise be spent on expensive humanitarian or security responses.
At his inaugural address in January, President Trump stated, “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end and, perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into. My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.” If the Trump Administration is serious about tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time—increasing violent conflict and violence—then it should not terminate programs and close organizations like USIP. Instead, the U.S. Government must robustly invest in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. Over the last 40 years, USIP’s work has been vital to helping U.S. policy and lawmakers center conflict prevention in U.S. foreign policy and assistance. Through innovative research, programs, and convenings, USIP has helped develop a better understanding of best practices to prevent and reduce violent conflict in conflict-affected states—all in the national and financial interests of the U.S.
AfP calls on the Trump Administration to urgently reopen USIP at full capacity, allowing its experts to fulfill its congressional mandate and ensure critical knowledge and expertise is not lost. The Trump Administration must also develop a robust global conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategy so the U.S. government, civil society society, and the entire peacebuilding community can work together to tackle and prevent alarming levels of global violent conflict, ultimately making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), named the “number one influencer and change agent” among peacebuilding institutions worldwide, is an award-winning nonprofit and nonpartisan network of 225+ organizations working in 181 countries to prevent and reduce violent conflict and build sustainable peace. AfP cultivates a network to strengthen and advance the peacebuilding field, enabling peacebuilding organizations to achieve greater impact—tackling issues too large for any one organization to address alone.