Issue

Conflict and Peace Building

Nearly 30 years after the Rwandan genocide, thousands of maimed amputees remind us of the war that took 500,000 lives in 100 days. War leaves marks that cannot be erased—not only in Rwanda, but on every continent.

Reporting from Conflict and Peacebuilding examines the roots of conflict, whether it be religious hatred, sectarian rivalry, a security vacuum, the struggle for natural resources, or the desperation that results from poverty.

Pulitzer Center journalists also cover war’s aftermath: the transitional governments that result in chaos, diplomacy that goes awry, peace talks that never end, and the people who suffer the consequences, young and old. We see the children who go hungry, lose their homes, leave school, become combatants, or join the jihad.

Often the end to conflict leaves turmoil in its wake while the road to peace seems circuitous: In South Sudan, rebel-commanders-turned politicians plunge the country into civil war. In the U.S., troops return home from one war only to be re-deployed to another. But everywhere, in every conflict, there are also voices crying out for peace, determined to heal the divide.

 

Conflict and Peace Building

The Factories in the Camps

Observers have long warned of rising forced labor in Xinjiang. Satellite images show factories built just steps away from cell blocks.

U.S. Troop and Weapon Withdrawal From Afghanistan

An increasing amount of information about the U.S. troop and weapon withdrawal from Afghanistan is being classified. With little clarity on exact numbers, asking questions is more important than ever.

Nuevo Laredo's Disappeared

In 2018, dozens of people vanished in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, including a U.S. citizen. The government blamed cartels. But in fact it was Mexico's marines, an elite force with close ties to the U.S.

Armenia and Azerbaijan at War

Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war, and the consequences—humanitarian above all, but also political and international—are going to be profound.

Exploring Other Countries

In this lesson, students use the Pulitzer Center website to research a specific country before giving an oral presentation.