Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of Peacebuilding Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on September 1, 2018, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on global peace and security. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors and contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].
More than 200 prominent scientists have signed a letter to Congress opposing legislation that would weaken the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the U.S. fisheries law that sets catch limits based on scientific evidence.
The remote town of Nipton in the Mojave Desert has been bought by the United States’ largest publicly traded marijuana company, which will rely entirely on groundwater to develop a new cannabis-themed resort.
Sarmad, a founding member of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, initially sought safety from the Assad regime in Raqqa. Ultimately, he ended up risking his life to expose atrocities carried out by the so-called Islamic State in their de facto capital.
After 16 years of drought along the Colorado River, water quantities and prices fluctuate wildly. Now cities that depend on the river are desperate for some water regularity.
Aaron Y. Zelin Richard Borow Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
ISIS has not released any propaganda pictures or videos demonstrating its ability to govern in nearly a month, which might suggest the group is retreating from its territorial aspirations. However, Aaron Y. Zelin, fellow of the Washington Institute, argues otherwise.
With millions in state funding, a new startup incubator has begun luring water innovators to Las Vegas. The goal is to create a destination for water entrepreneurs akin to the culture of Silicon Valley.
Many populations of endangered sea turtles are recovering, but some continue to drop. Sea turtle biologist Margaret Lamont talks about why differences in biology and ecology hinder some turtles from bouncing back and why the animals are so difficult to study.
After U.S.-backed SDF forces announced the end of the battle against ISIS in Raqqa on Tuesday, the Atlantic Council’s experts weigh in on how this will impact ISIS and the remaining challenges.
The Ojai Valley in Ventura County relies solely on local water sources, but in light of a continued dry spell and concerns over future supplies, it’s looking at several options to diversify.
As Syrian and Jordanian officials ponder reopening the Nassib border crossing, Syria Deeply talks with Sam Heller of the Century Foundation about the sticking points and possible negotiations.
In trying to untangle a herring crash from the aftermath of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, scientists in Prince William Sound are revealing just how resilient – and unpredictable – marine ecosystems can be.
Through his holistic approach to treating women who have been subject to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege not only heals their wounds, but also helps survivors find the strength they need to fight for justice.
Campaigner Leyla Hussein spoke with News Deeply about her work to end FGM in the U.K., her concerns for the U.S., and how working with families can change the root cause of oppression against girls.
Suzanna Nelson-Pollard
People displaced by criminal violence are often invisible in statistics and lack protection. Now Central Americans have signed up to a U.N. effort to reform refugee response, there’s an opportunity to do better, writes Suzanna Nelson-Pollard.
As momentum builds for an international treaty to protect high seas biodiversity, national leaders and business executives at the fourth Our Ocean conference vowed to take action to fight climate change, plastic pollution and other threats to marine ecosystems.
Nadim Houry Director of Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program, Human Rights Watch
The U.S.-led coalition must provide both symbolic acknowledgment of civilians killed by their airstrikes in Syria and material assistance to the victims’ surviving loved ones, according to Nadim Houry, the director of Human Rights Watch’s program on terrorism and counterterrorism.
Michael Dempsey National Intelligence Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Washington is paying little attention to the global refugee crisis, but ignores this critical trend at its own peril, says the former acting director of national intelligence Michael Dempsey, arguing that addressing forced displacement helps the U.S. stay safe.
Lucy Hovil Senior Researcher, International Refugee Rights Initiative
Somalis in exile are often tainted by association with al-Shabaab – the very group from which they fled. Lucy Hovil of the International Refugee Rights Initiative explains research into securitized responses to refugees and the impact on Somalis in Kenya, Uganda and the U.S.
Jessica Meeuwig Marine Scientist
More than 1,200 scientists from 45 countries have signed a petition calling on the Australian government to reverse a proposal to allow commercial fishing in marine protected areas, calling the action scientifically flawed.
As Pakistan, Iran and Europe continue to send Afghans back to Afghanistan despite intensifying conflict in several provinces, Refugees Deeply talked to experts in Kabul about what returning refugees face amid soaring displacement inside the country.
After months of defeats, Syria’s opposition is trying to unite under the umbrella of a national army to fight pro-government forces. But internal divisions, the geographic distribution of rebel groups and involvement of foreign powers undermine its chance of success.
As the deadline passes for ‘Dreamers’ to renew the DACA permits protecting them from deportation, students at a Chicago medical school with the largest number of DACA recipients are pushing for immigration reform as they strive to continue their medical careers.
A new agreement signed between the U.S. and Mexico continues an important collaboration in managing the Colorado River, but also gives new hope for reviving stretches of the river that have run dry.
David O’Neill and Karyn Stockdale of the National Audubon Society talk about a recent report that highlights the threats to two major habitats used by migrating birds in the West: saline lakes and riparian habitat along the Colorado River.
August 14 began calmly for Riccardo Gatti. On the first morning of a new search and rescue mission in the central Mediterranean, the former yachtsman turned activist walked the grayed wooden deck of the Golfo Azzurro, a trawler that has been stripped of its bulky fishing equipment to make space for life jackets and water bottles
Syria Deeply’s expert community weighs in on a possible rapprochement between Amman and Damascus and the drive in some quarters for improved relations between the two states.
Rothna Begum Women’s rights researcher for the Middle East and North Africa region at Human Rights Watch
Saudi Arabia has lifted its ban on women driving, after 17 years of protest from committed women’s rights activists. Now the government must make sure they have exactly the same driving rights as men, says Rothna Begum of Human Rights Watch.
Small island states face increasing threats from climate change – from rising sea levels to the loss of coral reefs. University of Hawaii law professor Maxine Burkett discusses legal strategies that could help them secure compensation for those impacts.
Lebanon wants to evict 12,000 refugees who live near an air base where foreign military assistance is delivered. The evictions, which began in spring and recently resumed after a short respite, have left refugees more vulnerable amid rising demands they return to Syria.
As anchovy populations crash in the ocean, the surviving forage fish move close to shore, attracting record numbers of whales and other marine life to an all-they-can-eat banquet. But scientists say the bounty is not sustainable.
Long-term displacement has become a feature of life in Afghanistan. Refugees Deeply’s senior editor Preethi Nallu profiles people in a displacement camp on the outskirts of Kabul, some of whom were born in mud settlements only ever meant to be temporary shelters.
A sprawl of mobile home parks house 10,000 people in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, but their drinking water is chronically contaminated. Now some solutions are in sight.
Syria Deeply examines the pitched battle for Deir Ezzor, including advances by both the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Assad government against the so-called Islamic State in the oil-rich province.
Marine biologists David Shiffman and Robert Hueter argue that pending legislation in Congress to prohibit all trade of shark fins could actually lead to more deaths of the imperiled marine predator.
Matteo Fumagalli Senior lecturer in international relations at the University of St Andrews
After years of discrimination and conflicts, the current Rohingya crisis is the worst ever seen. The University of St. Andrews’ Matteo Fumagalli explains how geopolitics aligned to give Myanmar generals an opportunity for a brutal offensive with few consequences.
A year after the New York declaration, Refugees Deeply asked a delegation of refugees what impact it has had so far and where it has fallen short.
In Lebanon, women outnumber men in many parts of the tech scene, succeeding and leading in an industry that’s dominated by men around the world, and challenging their country’s ingrained gender inequality.
Researcher Rebecca Selden talks about her new study, which looks at the impact of climate change on predator-prey relationships and how the migration of a keystone species can roil local economies.
Steven Moore Vice Chair, State Water Resources Control Board
Water boards have improved their use of modern data management to change public habits on critical water issues and are hoping to do more in the future, writes Steven Moore, vice chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.
As more than 1 million Afghans return from Pakistan, alongside others coming back from Iran and Europe, Refugees Deeply’s senior editor Preethi Nallu tells the stories of families arriving in a country still embroiled in conflict.
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