Talk:United States Institute of Peace

Beware of this organization!

While the USIP was originally conceived as a Peace Academy, co-equal with West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy, the proposal was blocked for years by conservatives. Initially, formation of the USIP was opposed by the Reagan Administration as well. But a group of conservative activists with influence with the administration convinced them to support the formation of the Peace Institute as part of an effort to take leadership of the Peace Studies field from "liberals", "pacifists", anti-nuclear activists and anti-interventionists.

Instead, they advocated "Peace Through Strength" and appointed academics and others with a long history of service to the US foreign policy establishment and rightwing think tanks. "Liberal" scholars in the Peace Studies field, dependent upon the Peace Institute for funding of their research projects, largely remained silent about the takeover and started shifting their research proposals towards research of utility to US dominance.

Many activists are aware of the similarly constructed "stealth" organization, the National Endowment for Democracy, which in a true Orwellian fashion, actively undermines authentic democratic movements around the world, in favor of pro-US elite movements that will guarantee "free" markets.The USIP was conceived by the same people during the same period. The Democratic Party and trade union establishments within the US have been co-opted by the NED because the NED gives money to the Democrats through the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and to the AFL-CIO through the American Center for International Labor Solidarity.

Not all USIP researchers are crypto-militarists, but many of them are. Anyone associated with the USIP or receiving funds from them should be viewed with a great deal of suspicion by authentic peace activists. Progressive journalist Sara Diamond wrote an important expose of the USIP in the 80s, that appeared in Z Magazine. To the best of my knowledge, it is not available online. Inforamation critical of the USIP is difficult to come by online. The role of the NED is better documented and a simple Google search will easily bring up well-documented critiques. To start, you can go to: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Labor/SolidarityCtr_AFL_Venez.html []

For more info on the USIP, its history and its connections, go to: http://rightweb.irc-online.org/groupwatch/usip.php []