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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.
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In his new documentary, “Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS,” filmmaker Nick Quested traces the geopolitical decisions that unwittingly contributed to the Syrian conflict and the rise of the so-called Islamic State.
Most mariners don’t deliberately freeze their vessels into Arctic sea ice. But that’s what researchers aboard the Lance did, in order to better study climate change’s impact on the region.
As Australia’s offshore detention center on Manus nears closure, 22-year-old Imran Mohammad describes his four years there, where he learned English and fell in love with writing, while confronting a future without his first love – his childhood sweetheart in Myanmar.
Geoff Gilbert Professor of Law, School of Law and Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex
Anna Magdalena Rüsch Associate Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Officer, UNHCR
In today’s conflicts, safe zones cannot realistically provide the security guaranteed to civilians under international law and should not be proposed as a substitute for asylum in another country, according to the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.
Neil Hauer Senior Intelligence Analyst, SecDev Group in Ottawa
Neil Hauer, senior intelligence analyst at the SecDev Group, examines Russia’s primary option to secure the “de-escalation zones” and ensure compliance with the cease-fire: the Chechen units of the Kremlin’s military police.
Geoff Gilbert Professor of Law, School of Law and Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex
Anna Magdalena Rüsch Associate Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Officer, UNHCR
In today’s conflicts, safe zones cannot realistically provide the security guaranteed to civilians under international law and should not be proposed as a substitute for asylum in another country, according to the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.
As the U.S. resumes its debate over whether to drill for oil at the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd on Alaska’s north coast, photographer Peter Mather shares some shots and personal experiences with the herd and the Gwich’in, whose culture is tied to it.
In Jordan and Lebanon, hundreds of migrant domestic workers are being held in detention. Lawyers and activists say that many of these women wind up in prison after they try to leave abusive employers, who can easily retaliate by falsely accusing them of committing crimes.
The complex health needs of the world’s growing displaced population pose major challenges for refugee communities, aid workers and international and national health systems. We look at some of the leading thinkers on refugee health for our “Experts to Watch” series.
As U.S. and Iran escalate their battle against ISIS in eastern Syria and western Iraq, no one is thinking about the fate of local communities after the militant group’s potential military defeat, writes journalist Lorenzo Trombetta.
An international study finds that protecting huge swathes of the ocean offers the best chance to save coral reefs, marine life and coastal areas vital to human health from the impacts of global warming.
In Jordan and Lebanon, hundreds of migrant domestic workers are being held in detention. Lawyers and activists say that many of these women wind up in prison after they try to leave abusive employers, who can easily retaliate by falsely accusing them of committing crimes.
The move to arm the Kurds is a sign that the U.S. is beginning to deal with the complications of its anti-ISIS policy in Syria, writes Chatham House fellow Haid Haid. However, some Syrian analysts think it’s too little too late.
In northern Norway, wolverines largely subsist off the region’s semi-domesticated reindeer herds. That has prompted the government to institute annual culls – but such elusive beasts are proving difficult to hunt, and a backlash from environmentalists is growing, too.
Americans are concerned about their infrastructure, including water, but recent public opinion research has revealed specific concerns and exposed which issues resonate most.
Generations of women across Laos have taught their daughters how to weave and create handicrafts, mostly for their own use. Now, they are becoming master artisans and entrepreneurs, making an income from centuries-old traditions.
It’s not wise for the U.S. to cede global leadership on curbing carbon emissions while Alaska witnesses the impacts of dramatic warming, says Mike Sfraga of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Polar Initiative and the University of the Arctic’s Institute for Arctic Policy.
William L. Rukeyser Former Reporter, Worked for Environmental Nonprofits
A water pipeline plan dismissed years ago may not be an attractive option to save the beleaguered Salton Sea, but it may be the best way to buy the region more time.
As part of our series of interviews with private sector leaders engaging in work with refugees, we spoke to Joe Ruiz from UPS about the global distribution company’s efforts to help relief workers make aid deliveries more efficient.
The arrival of Chinese workers at a factory in Maniitsoq goes to show how balancing wage work with subsistence practices is a challenge across the Arctic, writes Mia Bennett at Cryopolitics.
Zainab Abdo was once held at gunpoint on her way to take her school exams in Aleppo. Now resettled in the U.S., she is among nearly 100,000 university-qualified Syrians worldwide who have been stopped from attaining higher education.
Zainab Abdo was once held at gunpoint on her way to take her school exams in Aleppo. Now resettled in the U.S., she is among nearly 100,000 university-qualified Syrians worldwide who have been stopped from attaining higher education.
With the ocean in crisis, national leaders, scientists, policymakers and activists are gathering in New York to hash out strategies to protect a crucial ecosystem.
Recent advances suggest Iran-backed Iraqi militias could join pro-government forces in Syria battling ISIS. While both sides may want this to happen, there is still much ground to be covered before cross-border coordination would be feasible.
Three years into the war in Ukraine, international attention and aid to displaced people has waned. In an area near the war zone, Natasha Bluth reports on volunteer groups trying to fill gaps in support for one of the world’s largest internally displaced populations.
Behzad Yaghmaian Professor of Political Economy, Ramapo College of New Jersey
As part of the series ‘The Cost of Fair Refugee Policies,’ Behzad Yaghmaian argues that economists’ warnings that migration will undermine European welfare states are based on the same mistaken assumptions common to the anti-immigrant movements roiling the continent.
Seven years of war have transformed Syrian monitoring groups into sophisticated investigation centers. But with few options to hold perpetrators of humanitarian law violations accountable, the number of Syrians supplying evidence of human rights violations is dwindling, along with their hope for justice.
Aron Lund Freelance Journalist and Analyst Specializing in Syria
As the conflict in western Syria has calmed down recently, Syria expert Aron Lund explains in IRIN News the complex battle taking place in the eastern parts of the country.
The project is designed to help secure water for growing Front Range communities near Denver, but environmental groups are concerned that more diversions and climate change impacts will leave too little water in the river.
Christina Psarra Humanitarian Worker from Greece
Coastal nations who rescue refugees at sea must allow them to claim asylum on land. Humanitarian worker Christina Psarra describes how this creates perverse incentives for states to leave people adrift or bounce refugees between different jurisdictions.
Due to congressional budget cuts, the 38-year continuous U.S. Arctic satellite monitoring program is about to end, leaving researchers blind to ongoing Arctic sea ice losses.
Gary Wockner Award-Winning Activist and Writer
River protection advocate Gary Wockner says there is no evidence so far that water markets will be a cure for the West’s ailing rivers, and instead there should be more investment in a “rights of nature” approach.
San Diego County’s water costs may double in the next decade. Part of the problem is that contracts oblige it to buy the most expensive water in the region.
In the Central African Republic, the women of Obo are considering leaving their homes when Ugandan and U.S. troops abandon the hunt for Joseph Kony.
There are over 3 million asylum seekers in Turkey. Amel Ahmed moved to the country to volunteer her legal and Arabic skills to help those whose claims are denied. Here, she explains her day-to-day work – and why it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Adak Island’s population dwindled after a U.S. Navy base shut down in the 1990s. Residents who remain are holding out hope that a new economy can be built on shipping traffic as Arctic ice melts.
Researchers have found that methane gas burbling from undersea ice deposits off Norway actually helps lock up carbon dioxide by feeding plankton that gobble up the greenhouse gas.
Steven Heydemann Janet Wright Ketcham Professor in Middle East Studies, Smith College
As using reconstruction support as leverage would be unrealistic, Western engagement in Syria’s recovery should focus on shielding programs from the regime and working with trusted local actors, argues Professor Steven Heydemann.
The lead author of the new study says a 30 percent decline in mountain snowpack is “very likely” and greater losses are possible. The report points the finger at human-induced changes in the climate.
Gideon Maltz Executive Director, Tent Foundation
Annie Malknecht Philanthropy Manager, Tent Foundation
Despite the tumult of 2016, public support for refugees has not plunged in the past year, say Gideon Maltz and Annie Malknect of the Tent Foundation. Founded by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, the foundation has surveyed attitudes toward refugees in 12 countries.
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