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].
As Saudi Arabia’s Syrian opposition talks wrapped up on Thursday, Syria Deeply asked our community of experts – including Hassan Hassan of Chatham House and Ryan Crocker, the former US Ambassador to Syria and Lebanon – how likely it was that the Riyadh group could successfully represent the Syrian opposition in negotiations with the Assad government.
Microplastics found in fabrics and cosmetics accumulate in fish tissue, absorb pollutants and may harm human health. Studies estimate the United States dumps 8 trillion microbeads into its waters every day. The problem is particularly acute in San Francisco Bay, where water flushes out slowly.
Evan Barrett Deputy Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force
Despite the opposition’s relative success in Riyadh in forming a unified front against Assad, it shouldn’t allow its progress to obscure shifting international allegiances inside Syria, particularly as the West actively strengthens partnerships with groups openly hostile to the mainstream opposition.
Based on bloodlines dating back centuries, tribal networks in Syria have long been influential on the ground, but their role in the civil war is often overlooked. Syria Deeply spoke with an expert on the issue to learn more about how tribal dynamics have factored into Syria’s civil war.
Arctic indigenous peoples’ groups are in Paris to attend the climate change summit and to urge negotiators to adopt an agreement that recognizes and protects their rights, as well as their culture and traditions – and to provide funding to support adaptation.
David P. Stone Former Chair, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme
The COP21 climate talks in Paris present an opportunity for Canada to rebuild the strong links it once promoted between science and policy. Justin Trudeau should take advantage of the moment for the sake of the Arctic – and the world – writes David P. Stone.
In a video recently published by The Syria Campaign, a French journalist held prisoner by ISIS for 10 months said that ongoing international efforts to destroy the Islamic State by bombing the militants into oblivion will only work to push more people into the extremist group’s hands.
Bashar al-Assad’s increasing dependence on Iranian military support on the battlefield, according to Iran expert Nader Hashemi, has not only led to a war of influence between Moscow and Tehran in Damascus, but has deepened the growing sectarian divide in Syria and throughout the region.
Laura Strickler Consultant on Arctic Policy, Clean Air Task Force
Passenger and cargo ships traveling in Antarctic waters are prohibited from using, or carrying, heavy fuel oil – but not in the Arctic. This inexpensive fuel emits powerful climate forcers and poses a significant threat to the marine environment, particularly in colder waters, writes Laura Strickler.
Rashid Sumaila Professor and Director, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia
If Arctic states and big fishing nations agreed to permanently close the Arctic high seas to all commercial fishing, it could have a wide range of benefits. Arctic coastal fisheries, indigenous peoples and the ecosystem as a whole might thrive under such an arrangement, writes Rashid Sumaila.
After more than a century of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the Earth is en route to record-high temperatures. But negotiators at this week’s climate talks in Paris will try to put the planet on a different path. Here’s what you need to know about COP21 – and why it matters to the Arctic.
Martin Sommerkorn, who heads up the conservation arm of the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic Program, says that while we may not know exactly how Arctic marine ecosystems will be altered with climate change, building linked networks of Marine Protected Areas can help them adapt to future climate change.
The rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice is creating economic, social and environmental challenges that call for global discussion and new policies. But sound information on the Arctic is scattered and incomplete. It’s time to bring more depth and understanding to these issues.
Sharif Nashashibi Cofounder and Chairman, Arab Media Watch
British lawmakers chose to support ineffective military action in Syria on Wednesday, without tackling the ideology behind ISIS and the legitimate grievances it manipulates for recruitment purposes, writes Sharif Nashashibi. “The logic seems to be: if dropping bombs has not worked, drop more”.
SACRAMENTO BEE: California’s new groundwater legislation is likely to limit water extraction significantly, possibly forcing some areas of farmland in the state out of production; meanwhile, conversion to ‘solar farms’ could be the wave of the future.
Landon Shroder Security Consultant
Instead of setting a precedent, the U.S. is falling prey to a cynical worldview that would see children as an enemy and powerless families as groups of terrorists, argues Landon Shroder.
The international community has given tacit support to the ongoing sectarian split in Syria, argues analyst Lorenzo Trombetta. Moving forward from the September cease-fires established in Fou’a, Kafraya and Zabadani by the U.N., Turkey and Iran, it seems the only path to peace in Syria will involve partition.
Evan Barrett Deputy Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force
For Syrian-Americans, writes Evan Barrett, racism did not begin with the attacks in Paris; nor did a sense of disappointment and betrayal start with the passing last week of a House bill that would effectively halt the resettlement program for Syrian refugees for the time being.
Michael Oshman, founder of the Green Restaurant Association, says simple acts such as serving water only on request can make a big difference during the drought. But as large resource users, restaurants can do a lot more to save water and reduce their environmental footprint in other areas.
Sharif Nashashibi Cofounder and Chairman, Arab Media Watch
Bashar al-Assad can now sit more comfortably as the world focuses on the evils of the self-proclaimed Islamic State while overlooking the fact that Syrian government forces are responsible for the vast majority of death and violence in Syria since the crisis began in 2011, says Sharif Nashashibi.
“Women have the most critical role in rebuilding Syria and raising the next generation of Syrians,” said Raed Fares, a community leader in Idlib whose plethora of projects aim to strengthen Syrian civil society through a combination of awareness, education and inclusivity.
While debate over deploying large numbers of U.S. troops to Syria and Iraq is certain to intensify after the attacks in Paris, the ‘quagmires’ of Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to deter a large-scale U.S.-led ground war against Islamic State militants on Obama’s watch.
Nabeel Khoury
Syria can be whole again, argues Nabeel Khoury. It is in the interest of the international community to see the country whole and – although we are now late in the game – that community is obligated to make sure violence in Syria ends sooner rather than later.
Christiana Z. Peppard Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theology, Science and Ethics, Fordham University
In his recent encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis declares that “fresh water is an issue of primary importance” and makes it clear that equal access to clean water should be considered its own kind of “right to life” — for both people and wildlife.
Saleem al-Omar Freelance Journalist
The lack of international support for any major armed coalition in western Syria has cleared the way for the Army of Conquest – an alliance of mainly Islamist and jihadist groups – to become the most powerful force in Syria in the future, argues Saleem al-Omar.
The ongoing drought in California means less habitat, fewer ducks and reduced hunting opportunities as a result. This could create a vicious cycle that continues to have an impact on habitat for years to come. Water Deeply discussed it with Mark Hennelly of the California Waterfowl Association.
While both Syrian and Russian state media may have us believe their recent push to recapture government territory lost to rebels over the past year is succeeding, analyst Aymenn al-Tamimi says the situation on the ground in Syria might not be as promising as Assad and his backers hoped.
The drought has left California landscapes so dry that initial heavy rains could smother fish habitats under mudslides and trash, potentially harming spawning habitats for decades. Biologists hope for a gentle start to winter so the land can absorb water slowly before any torrential rains arrive.
Nouriddin Abdo
Be it from the Assad government, ISIS or other groups set on maintaining absolute authority within their respective areas of influence in Syria, civil society and pro-democracy groups are under constant attack across the war-torn country.
Syria Deeply reached out to some of our foremost experts on Syria and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East to get their take on the U.S. decision to send a group of special forces troops into the war-torn country. Is it too little too late? Should we be worried about mission creep?
FRESNO BEE: Westlands Water District has been told to get rid of a camp that has mushroomed on its land. Officials say a “direct correlation” is likely between drought and the explosion in size of the camp, which is composed mostly of homeless farmworkers who struggle to find work in drought times.
President Barack Obama authorizes the first sustained deployment of U.S. Special Forces in Syria to help out “local ground forces” in their fight against the Islamic State. The announcement came as key backers of Syria’s rival sides met in Vienna to find a political solution to the conflict.
Amid a renewed diplomatic push in Vienna that includes the United States, Iran, and European and Middle East powers, deep divisions remain over Syrian President Assad’s future.
Frederic C. Hof Director, Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
As Iranian authorities consider whether to meet with other world powers in Vienna this week, writes Frederic C. Hof of the Rafik Hariri Center, Tehran needs to determine whether it still believes Assad’s political survival rests on the mass killing of civilians.
Often saddled with frequent staff turnover and deeply ingrained kitchen practices, restaurants and bars have a lot more to think about than plumbing.
Despite the influence of the El Niño weather phenomenon, California can expect below-normal rainfall over the next two weeks.
You don’t have to keep your car dirty just because there’s a drought on. It’s possible to keep a clean car without using any water at all.
Syria Deeply speaks with Dr. Anna Neistat on her undercover human rights work in Syria over the past four years, and her thoughts on the future of the conflict.
Fewer amphibians and large mammals have been hit by cars over the past year, probably because their populations have shrunk due to drought.
The Carnegie Corporation asks leading Russia experts to weigh in on Moscow’s intensifying involvement in Syria and the potential for a collaborative approach alongside the United States.
Have a story idea? Interested in adding your voice to our growing community?
Learn more