Stabilization, Transition, & Peacebuilding

DTI’s current programming includes capacity building and support for various peace processes in the Middle East. We provide direct technical support and subject matter expertise, as well as foster negotiations and collaborations in coordination with governmental, quasi-governmental, and multilateral authorities.

With the support of the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO), DTI is currently spearheading research to gain a better understanding of local dynamics and how to measure perceptions of local control in contested spaces. DTI is conducting a full literature review of potential indicators to produce a final report/ methodology/ product used to ascertain ‘red lines’ for international aid groups and donor countries, as well as development implementers to scope activities.

DTI’s Rule of Law initiatives engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders and sectors in civil society and justice arenas.  Our capacity building work includes design and implementation of programs working top-down with judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and lawyers. DTI’s work with civil society aims to empower local organizations though collaboratively structured partnerships in several key thematic areas, such as gender violence, counter-terrorism, wildlife crime, and human trafficking. In addition to its direct partner engagement, DTI leverages its several cost-share resources to conduct assessments, analyses, indices, and research aimed at developing innovative interventions that will inform and advance the rule of law.

The Iraq Leadership Fellows Program contributes to the positive transformation of Iraqi politics and governance by equipping young activists and future political leaders with the skills needed to lead positive change. The ILF further seeks to diminish ethno-sectarian divisions in Iraq by creating a space for future Iraqi leaders to develop relationships and friendships with peers from different backgrounds based on respect and mutual understanding.

DTI supports students’ experiential opportunities to travel abroad and learn about conflict from the perspective of those who have experienced it. These unique programs are individually designed by the Pearson Institute, using personal networks, to allow students to engage with the local community, political leaders, academics, NGOs, and many more with whom they would not otherwise be able to interact with on their own.

DTI is building the capacity of the Korbel school to recruit top academics and produce high quality research on primary drivers of conflict and violence in the Middle East and Central/South America.  We are the primary supporter of both the Center for Middle East Studies (CMES) and the Latin America Center (LAC).

The first of its type housed at a military academy and targeting junior officers, the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations, funded by DTI, embeds civil-military and interagency cooperation into traditional military education. Cross-disciplinary programming that emphasizes the collaboration between the military and other areas of the government, NGOs and civilian populations is a key component of the Center’s instructional philosophy.

PRMV is an anti-retribution program in Iraq. This project focuses on providing interventions to reduce retributive attacks in Iraqi neighborhoods that were recently liberated from ISIS, specifically in Anbar, Diyala, and Ninewa. For the next two years, DTI will work with media firms to utilize the arts in conjunction with social and news media, prioritizing women and youth with broad social media networks, to create a multiplier effect and catalyze grassroots advocacy on key themes surrounding retribution.