Status Quo No More: How the New Administration Can Prevent and Resolve Conflict

Centering peacebuilding and conflict prevention in U.S. foreign policy and assistance is not just the right thing for the incoming Trump Administration to do—it is the smart, strategically sound, and cost-effective thing to do. Every dollar invested in conflict prevention saves $16 that would otherwise be spent on expensive humanitarian or security responses. Peacebuilding’s inherent multisectoral, coordinated, and crosscutting approach results in more informed, evidence-based, and fit-for-purpose interventions that address the underlying drivers of violent conflict, violence, and insecurity. The previous Trump Administration made important strides by signing into law the Global Fragility Act (GFA) in 2019, along with other key laws that elevate conflict prevention and peacebuilding in U.S. foreign policy and assistance. By picking back up this mantle, the incoming Trump Administration has an opportunity to reduce and prevent violent conflict, violence, and fragility, stabilize rampant insecurity, and build sustainable peace at a time of record-breaking global conflict. However, to do so, the Trump Administration must ensure robust implementation of their laws and strategies, which requires changing the way the U.S. does business and prioritizing conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Such an approach can help the U.S. outmaneuver its geopolitical competitors, save American taxpayer money, and build a cadre of long-term allies and partners to advance U.S. interests and security globally.

Policy Action, Policy and AdvocacyGuest UserDecember 10, 2024Policy Brief, AfP, 2023

2024 PPWG Assessment of USG Atrocity Prevention Efforts

The Prevention and Protection Working Group (PPWG) at the Alliance for Peacebuilding convened extensive consultations to compose the following assessment of and recommendations for the report to Congress of the U.S. Government’s (USG) atrocity anticipation, prevention, and response activities in 2023-2024, as required by Section 5 of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (EWGAPA). This assessment also addresses the implementation of the 2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities (SAPRA) and the use of the 2021 Atrocity Risk Assessment Framework (ARAF). The purpose of this assessment is to assist the USG in strengthening its reporting and improving the efficacy of anticipating, preventing, and responding to atrocities by identifying and analyzing trends, gaps, and opportunities to enhance measurement and demonstrate impact.

Policy and Advocacy, Policy ActionAfP AdminOctober 15, 2024Afghanistan, AfP, Policy Brief

Marking 3 Years of Taliban Oppression: Statement from the U.S. Policy Advocates for Afghan Women and Girls

Three years have passed since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Since then, the situation for the people of Afghanistan has grown increasingly grave. The Taliban regime has created humanitarian, political, social, and economic disasters. These have directly affected the day-to-day lives of Afghans and caused mass displacement. Women and girls are particularly and disproportionately impacted. The Taliban has dispossessed them of their human rights. Afghanistan is indeed the most serious and severe women’s rights catastrophe in the world. Yet, the international community’s response has been tepid at best and conciliatory at worst. The international community must do more to stand with Afghan women as they struggle to restore their human rights. The U.S. in particular needs to demonstrate solidarity with the Afghan people who are suffering under the Taliban regime and continue to call out the systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Policy and Advocacy, Press ReleaseRachel LevineAugust 19, 2024Policy Brief, AfP, Afghanistan

AfP's Call to Action: Israel-Palestine

The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), a nonpartisan global peacebuilding network of 220+ organizational members operating in 181 countries working to end violent conflict and build sustainable peace, stands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza by all parties to the conflict, the release of all hostages, urgent humanitarian access to deliver much-needed assistance, adherence to international humanitarian law, and the end of increasing settler violence in the West Bank. We also call for preventing and reducing the threat of rising antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States and globally, as well as nonviolent negotiation and protection of civic spaces in response to campus protests. Most importantly, AfP calls for the status quo no more—we must all demand that all parties to the conflict and the international community work toward an inclusive political solution that allows all people in the region to live in dignity and safety.

The publications and tools compiled below are critical resources that can help the public, the peacebuilding community, the private sector, policymakers, universities, and beyond address the conflict and reduce and prevent increasing violence globally. If you have an item to include, please contact Nick Zuroski.

Policy and Advocacy, Policy ActionNick ZuroskiJuly 3, 2024AfP, Policy Brief

Our Clarifying Moment: A Global Call to Action

The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), the leading nonpartisan global peacebuilding network of 200+ members operating in 181 countries working to end violent conflict and build sustainable peace, urges the international community to seize this clarifying moment surrounding the conflict in Ukraine to reimagine our approach to ending violent conflict and building peace in Ukraine and around the world.

The resounding condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine provides a momentous opportunity for global unity and once again demonstrates the need for a fundamental change to foreign policy—one that pivots toward conflict prevention and peacebuilding in international development assistance, security, and diplomacy. Donors, governments, civil society, and individuals are vital to this global movement and all citizens and sectors can be advocates for a more peaceful world. With a unified voice, we must call for de-escalation, an immediate cessation of hostilities, continued, inclusive diplomacy, unimpeded humanitarian and peacebuilding assistance, and, most importantly, support for and protection of the Ukrainian people.

Policy and Advocacy, Policy ActionNick ZuroskiFebruary 29, 2024AfP, Policy Brief

Guide to Communicating the Importance of Peacebuilding: What it is and Why it Matters

This guide, using the examples of the GFA and WPS Act, outlines strategic, evidence-based narrative and framing approaches for U.S. policy and lawmakers to reframe their advocacy and communication. By applying these reframing narratives, advocacy within the government and the public will be more successful at effectively making the case for what peacebuilding is and why it must be centered, integrated, and robustly resourced in strategies, policies, and laws.

Policy and Advocacy, Policy ActionGuest UserDecember 8, 2023AfP, Policy Brief

Reforming U.S. Foreign Policy Decision-Making in the Global Fragility Act Priority Contexts and Beyond

While Congress and key agencies are devoting considerable attention to foreign assistance reforms and there have been some reforms to foreign policy decision-making, successful implementation of the GFA also requires a more concerted effort at reforming the foreign policy decision-making process.

Policy and Advocacy, Policy ActionGuest UserNovember 30, 2023AfP, Policy Brief

Designing AI for Conflict Prevention & Peacebuilding

AI technology can vastly increase humanity’s capacity to make discoveries through machine learning and coherently summarize numerous text documents. However, AI can also easily generate mis and disinformation at a massive scale and, as a worst-case scenario, support deadly automated weaponry beyond human control. The peacebuilding field needs to raise awareness and educate how AI technology can positively and negatively impact global peace and security, and governments and multilateral organizations must urgently adopt robust AI standards and norms that prevent and reduce violent conflict, violence, and fragility and build sustainable peace. Additionally, peacebuilders should work with the technology sector to develop AI-powered tools that “translate” divisive rhetoric into peaceful language and thus promote social cohesion and peacebuilding.

Policy Action, Policy and AdvocacyGuest UserOctober 24, 2023Policy Brief, AfP, 2023