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

Bombs to Coffee

In this coffee shop, former militants learn how to make coffee instead of bombs. They also learn acceptance by serving and interacting with others from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Georgia: Day of Dogs

When families flee conflict, they are forced to choose what to bring and what to leave behind. Tomik the dog refused to stay.

 

Ivory Coast: Elections Turn to War

Instead of a return to peace and prosperity, Ivory Coast’s long-delayed presidential elections marked a return to brutal conflict—and with it, a severe humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan by Donkey

During the year that is supposed to determine Afghanistan’s future, Anna Badkhen gives readers a longer look at a deeply fissured nation that has endured war almost incessantly for millennia.

Sudan In Transition

"Sudan in Transition” brings in-depth coverage of the cultural, political, economic and legal challenges that loom as Sudan lurches towards likely partition.

Yemen: Assessing the Threat

After the attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253 in December, Yemen again became the focus of US and international counterterrorism policy.

This Week: The Rise of the Corporate Army

This week, an investigation into the privatization of government armies in Palestinian territories, a glimpse of life in North Korea, and our video "Facing Risk" highlights the dangers of freelance journalism.