Carter Center Conflict Resolution Program - In The News

June 23, 2022
Carter Center Director Stacia George: 'Winning Without Weapons: The Tools We Have Address Conflict and Terrorism'
Published by Maine Public Radio
Stacia George, director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program, spoke at the Mid Coast Forum on Foreign Relations in Rockland, Maine on May 9, 2022. On this Speaking in Maine, she discusses the the different ways we can address conflict and terrorism.

June 25, 2021
It’s Time for a Reality Check in Mali
Op-ed by Bisa Williams and John J. Goodman in Al Jazeera.
As the United Nations Security Council prepares to vote later this month on whether to extend the UN peacekeeping mission there, it is time for a reality check about the effectiveness of current international support for the country’s peace process.

Jan. 20, 2021
The United States Needs a New Syria Policy
الولايات المتحدة بحاجة إلى سياسة جديدة بشأن سوريا
Op-ed by Jeffrey Feltman and Hrair Balian in Responsible Statecraft.
President-elect Joe Biden will inherit a 10-year-old crisis in Syria that continues to pose acute strategic and humanitarian challenges. The new administration has an opportunity to re-evaluate U.S. policy on Syria, prioritizing diplomacy to advance our interests.

Dec. 17, 2020
America's Peaceful Election Is Worth Celebrating
Published by CNN.
We are used to election season being a campaign period, a day of voting, a fairly immediate concession and a subsequent inauguration — with the majority of citizens having little awareness of the rest of the process.

Oct. 28, 2020
Global Conflict Experts See Signs Of Potential Violence Around U.S. Election
Interview with Hrair Balian, published by All Things Considered.
For years, American human rights groups have monitored elections abroad, mostly in fledgling democracies or places where sectarian violence could erupt. Now, for the first time, some groups are focusing on the U.S. election. As NPR's Joel Rose reports, they're seeing warning signs of potential conflict or even violence ahead.

Aug. 27, 2020
Mali’s Coup Could Destabilize the Sahel
Written by Bisa Williams and John Goodman, published by Foreign Affairs.
Weeks of antigovernment protests in Mali came to a head on August 18, when a group of mutinous military officers arrested the country’s president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and forced him to resign on national television.

May 20, 2020
Hrair Balian: U.S. Sanctions Make It Harder to Fight COVID-19
Op-ed by Hrair Balian, published by Responsible Statecraft.
As the United States works to contain the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic, resorting to extraordinary measures to limit health and economic damage to its own population, it should also suspend economic sanctions that are making it harder for some countries to fight COVID-19 and keep their citizens safe.

Jan. 25, 2020
Nightline Africa
Published by VOA News.
Interview with Bisa Williams about The Carter Center's latest report on the implementation of the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, emanating from the Algiers process. Williams, former U.S. ambassador to Niger, leads the Center's observation effort. Interview starts at 26:07.

Jan. 23, 2020
Conflict Resolution Relies Increasingly on Diplomatic Back Channels
Published by The Economist.
Talks between the Colombian government and the farc rebels were stuck. The two sides could not agree on how to bring those responsible for crimes during the country’s 52-year civil war to account. But with the help of Inter Mediate, a British charity, a way forward was found, involving the appointment of three independent lawyers on each side. In 2015 a pioneering transitional-justice deal was reached.

Sept. 24, 2019
Jimmy Carter: President Trump, Act Now to Give Democracy a Chance in Sudan
Op-ed by Jimmy Carter, published by CNN.
The Sudanese people's overthrow of their former government opened new opportunities in the country for democracy, peace and economic development. Today, Sudan's transition is at a fragile moment. To succeed, it needs urgent international support.

June 16, 2019
Watch: John Goodman on the Implementation of the 2015 Peace Agreement in Mali
Published by Al Jazeera.
The Carter Center's John Goodman reflects on violence and instability in Mali and how the people there have seen few, if any, dividends from the peace agreement signed four years ago. The Center is serving as the Independent Observer of the 2015 Peace Agreement, reporting on the progress of the implementation of agreement.

Feb. 22, 2019
Jimmy Carter: Option of Two-state Solution Is Fading, With 'Dire Consequences' for Israel
Published by the Associated Press.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is warning that the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "is being overtaken by a one-state reality which will have dire consequences for Israel in the long-term." Carter concluded that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state "is in Israel's best interest."

Aug. 24, 2018
In Syria, an Ugly Peace Is Better Than More War
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The New York Times.
At their summit in Helsinki, Finland, in July, President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia reportedly agreed to end the Syrian war and to move Iranian forces away from the Syria-Israel border. President Trump has also indicated that he is willing to accept President Bashar al-Assad’s remaining in office and is prepared to withdraw American forces from Syria. This is a start. But more is needed to end the violence in Syria.

Oct. 4, 2017
Jimmy Carter: What I’ve Learned from North Korea’s Leaders
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The Washington Post.
As the world knows, we face the strong possibility of another Korean war, with potentially devastating consequences to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, our outlying territories in the Pacific and perhaps the mainland of the United States. This is the most serious existing threat to world peace, and it is imperative that Pyongyang and Washington find some way to ease the escalating tension and reach a lasting, peaceful agreement.

March 14, 2017
Using Social Media, Carter Center Maps Syria Conflict
Published by VOA.
As the director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program, Lebanese-born Hrair Balian had a problem at the onset of the war in Syria in 2011. "There really was a shortage of reliable information of developments on the ground," he told VOA in an interview at the Atlanta headquarters of the Carter Center. "All we were seeing was propaganda."

March 3, 2017
Where Beijing, Washington, and African Governments Can Work Together
John Goodman, with Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Princeton N. Lyman, and Jianhua Zhong, op-ed, published by Foreign Affairs.
The first month of Donald Trump’s presidency has raised the specter of heightened competition between China and the United States. Despite the inevitable competition between the two countries, Beijing and Washington can still cooperate on issues where they share interests. In Africa, it should be clear to both sides that their shared priorities dwarf their differences—and that these priorities are also held by many on the continent.

Nov. 28, 2016
Jimmy Carter: America Must Recognize Palestine
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The New York Times.
We do not yet know the policy of the next administration toward Israel and Palestine, but we do know the policy of this administration. It has been President Obama’s aim to support a negotiated end to the conflict based on two states, living side by side in peace.

Sept. 20, 2016
Jimmy Carter: A First Step for Syria? Stop the Killing
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The New York Times.
The announcement this month of a new cease-fire agreement in Syria is good news. But a lack of trust among the Syrian belligerents and their foreign supporters means this agreement, like the one that came before it, is vulnerable to collapse.

July 28, 2016
Interview: Tripartite Africa-China
Published by Xinhua.
The tripartite talks bringing together Africa, China and the U.S., which in 2014 were only meant to discuss peace issues, will this year focus on maritime security and the blue economy.

June 21, 2016
Protests and State Violence: A Talk with Jimmy Carter
Published by Al Jazeera.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is calling on governments to rethink how they solve some of the biggest problems of today, urging them to look for nonviolent solutions. The topic was a major theme at the Carter Center’s annual Human Rights Defenders Forum.

March 10, 2016
Carter Center Launches Near Real-time Conflict Map of Syria
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
At times, it’s hard to keep up with the changing dynamics and players of the conflict in Syria. Tracking the front lines in the fighting may become easier. The Carter Center has launched a new web-based tool that shows in near real time which groups control what areas of Syria. The tool relies heavily on social media.

March 9, 2016
Palantir Turns Its Software Toward Syria
Published by Fortune Magazine.
On June 10, 2011, a grainy, homemade video appeared on YouTube. With the Syrian flag draped across the wall behind him, Lt. Col. Hussein Harmoush held his identification card up to the camera, then announced in Arabic that he was splitting from the Syrian army and joining the opposition forces.

Sept. 30, 2015
Who Has Gained Ground in Syria Since Russia Began Its Airstrikes
Published by The New York Times.
After Russia began a bombing campaign in Syria in September, The New York Times used information from the Carter Center's Syria Mapping Project to help determine which forces Russia was targeting, and more generally, what groups control which areas of Syria, and how frontlines have changed over the course of the conflict.

Oct. 23, 2015
Jimmy Carter: A Five-Nation Plan to End the Syrian Crisis
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The New York Times.
I HAVE known Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, since he was a college student in London, and have spent many hours negotiating with him since he has been in office. This has often been at the request of the United States government during those many times when our ambassadors have been withdrawn from Damascus because of diplomatic disputes.

March 27, 2015
Rebuild Gaza, and Avert the Next War
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The Washington Post.
Nearly seven months after the end of the latest war in Gaza, none of the underlying causes of the conflict have been addressed. In the meantime, the people of Gaza are experiencing unprecedented levels of deprivation, and the prospect for renewed armed conflict is very real.

March 14, 2015
Syria's Civil War Sees No End in Sight
Hrair Balian op-ed, published by Al Jazeera America.
As the fourth anniversary of the conflict in Syria approaches, there appears no end in sight. Horrendous violations of international law continue unabated. Syrians have allowed themselves to be used as proxies by self-interested foreign countries. The war has taken sectarian and criminal dimensions, drowning the reform agenda that spurred the popular anti-government protests in 2011.

Feb. 19, 2015
Support the Peacemakers Too
Published by The Huffington Post.
President Obama has asked the Congress to pass an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to counter the threat from the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The threat posed by this group is obvious and force will be necessary to halt and reverse their territorial gains. 

Dec. 26, 2014
Cuba, North Korea, and Getting Sanctions Right
Jimmy Carter op-ed, published by The Washington Post.
As we contemplate how to strike back at North Korea because it is believed to be behind the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment's computer network, the foremost proposal is tightening sanctions. In my visits to targeted countries, I have seen how this strategy can be cruel to innocent people who know nothing about international disputes and are already suffering under dictatorial leaders.

Aug. 30, 2014
Jimmy Carter: No Peace Without Justice for Palestinians
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
As advertised, former President Jimmy Carter on Saturday addressed the Islamic Society of North America, the largest Muslim organization in this part of the world.

July 22, 2014
Carter: Immediate Ceasefire Needed in Gaza Strip
Published by the Associated Press.
Former President Jimmy Carter says all combat operations must stop, and Israeli troops should withdraw from the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued Tuesday through the Carter Center in Atlanta, the former president also said that both sides in the conflict must distinguish between combatants and noncombatants.

May 12, 2014
United Palestinian Government May Provide New Opportunities for Peace
Published by The Washington Post.
Although intensive Middle East peace efforts by Secretary of State John F. Kerry have not produced an agreement, they have clarified the issues and still can produce significant dividends. His team of negotiators now is much more familiar with the complex disputes and obstacles to be overcome, as are the Israelis and Palestinians who have participated in the discussions.

April 29, 2014
President Carter Happy for Palestinian Reconciliation, Ready to Monitor Elections
Published by Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding.
Palestinian premier Ismail Haniya on Monday evening discussed with former US president Jimmy Carter over the phone the recent Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fat'h factions.

April 22, 2014
Sudan: Parliament Ready for Direct Talks with U.S. Congress, Says Speaker
Published by the Sudan Tribune.
The speaker of the Sudanese parliament, Al-Fatih Izz Al-din, has expressed readiness of the National Assembly to engage in direct talks with the United States Congress in order to normalise relations and lift the US sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.

April 15, 2014
How Researchers Use Social Media To Map The Conflict In Syria
Published by Forbes.
Not long ago, for techPresident, I wrote an article on "Using Data and Statistics to Bring Down Dictators." While researching for the article, I got in touch with Jay Aronson, the founder of Carnegie Mellon's Center for Human Rights Science. He pointed me to the work of another scholar, called Cristopher McNaboe, who was doing a great work in Atlanta, mapping the Syria crisis for the Carter Center. I had no room left to include another interview in the piece, but I made a quick note to myself to follow the trail as soon as possible.

April 3, 2014
Video: Jimmy Carter on Mid-East Peace, Ukraine and Women's Rights
Published by BBC.
Former US President Jimmy Carter told the BBC that the five presidents who served after him could have done more to make progress toward Middle East peace.

Feb. 26, 2014
Carter Center to Shut Down Office in Khartoum
Published by the Sudan Tribune.
The Carter Center has decided to close its office in Khartoum which carried out activities under the name "The Democratic Program" by the end of March, the government disclosed on Wednesday.

Jan. 16, 2014
Video: Jimmy Carter: Iran Sanctions 'Devastating Blow' If Passed Before Peace Agreement
Published by The Huffington Post.
Former President Jimmy Carter warned it could be a "devastating blow" if Congress imposes new sanctions before the peace agreement with Iran "is consummated."

Dec. 13, 2013
Pro-Regime Militias May Outlast Assad, Threaten Future State: Report
Published by The Daily Star (Lebanon).
The strength and reach of pro-government paramilitary groups in Syria is growing and could threaten any future state, according to a report released this week by a U.S. conflict resolution advocacy group.

Dec. 12, 2012
Video: Sudan-South Sudan Border Tensions
Published by CNN.
Tensions are rising between Sudan and South Sudan. What's being done to solve the differences between the two sides?

June 1, 2012
The Wisdom of Reforming Terrorist Designations
Published by Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel.
In 2008 - 18 years after New York City threw him a ticker tape parade for helping to end apartheid - it took an act of Congress to ensure that Nelson Mandela did not need a special waiver to enter the United States, finally removing his terrorist designation. In November 2011, Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyah was removed from the "Individuals and Entities Designated by the State Department Under E.O. 13224" terrorist list. He had been dead for three and a half years.

April 23, 2012
Developments in the Middle East and North Africa
Published by Global Atlanta.
In view of the pace of change in political events taking place in the Middle East and North Africa, it's not surprising that the context of an interview completed on April 6 should already be slightly outdated.

June 30, 2011
Privatising Peace
Published June 30, 2011, by The Economist.
A SMART golf course hotel in southern Norway is not where you would expect to bump in to a couple of Afghan Taliban. But at the Oslo Forum Network of Mediators no one batted an eyelid. For once, an earnest discussion on "Talking to the Taliban"-scheduled on June 23rd, the day after Barack Obama announced he would be pulling 33,000 troops out of Afghanistan by next year-actually meant talking to real-life Taliban.

June 2, 2010
Tit for Tat
Published June 2, 2010, by Slate.com.
Amnesty International, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the European Union are calling for an investigation into Israel's attack on the Mavi Marmara. At issue is whether Israeli actions, which resulted in nine civilian deaths, violated the "basic principle" of proportionality, as German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm put it. Finland's prime minister Vanhanen Hanen, for his part, noted that Israel uses disproportionate force all too often. The word "proportionality" gets thrown around a lot when Israel's in the news. What does it really mean?

June 1, 2010
Carter Center Condemns Attack on Aid Ship Bound for Gaza
Published June 1, 2010, on CNN.com.
The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to advance human rights and alleviate suffering, condemned Israel's attack on a ship carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza as "unprovoked and illegal."

Feb. 20, 2010
Redefining Support of Terrorism
Published Feb. 20, 2010, by the L.A. Times.
When most Americans hear that it's illegal to supply "material support" to foreign terrorist groups, they probably assume that the prohibition involves financial or technical support -- sending money to pay for hijackers' air fares or providing wiring for a bomb (or advice about how to use it).

Oct. 6, 2009
Talk to Hamas Now or Fight New Radicals Indefinitely
Nathan Stock op-ed published Oct. 6, 2009, by the Christian Science Monitor.
History is repeating itself in the Palestinian territories. Washington refuses to engage a right-wing Palestinian group – and so spawns organizations that are even more extreme.

May 21, 2009
After Wars, Mass Rapes Persist
Nicholas D. Kristof op-ed published May 21, 2009, by the New York Times.
Traditionally, an international issue was "serious" only if it was arcane and, preferably, incomprehensible. To be respected in foreign policy, it helped to smoke a pipe, spout theories about ballistic missiles, and frequently employ the word "hegemony."

Jan. 8, 2009
An Unnecessary War
Jimmy Carter op-ed published Jan. 8, 2009, by the Washington Post.
I know from personal involvement that the devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel could easily have been avoided.