News

A group of more than 100 former American ambassadors sent a letter to President Obama supporting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran. The signers of the letter include diplomats who were appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents. The Iran Project, which organized the letter, was cofounded by the United Nations Association of the United States of America and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 2002.

The Iran Project has released a statement on the April 2nd announcement detailing the framework agreement reached by Iran and the United States along with five other world powers to limit Iran's nuclear program. The statement applauds the achievement reached after 18 months of complex negotiations, while recognizing there is still more work to be done.

Thomas Friedman highlights RBF grantee, EcoPeace Middle East, as a model of "healthy interdependency," which he argues is the only way to enduring peace and security in the region. EcoPeace Middle East is led by Gidon Bromberg, an Israeli environmental lawyer, Nader al-Khateeb, a Palestinian water expert, and Munqeth Mehyar, a Jordanian architect.

In working with countries in the Middle East to combat terrorist threats, the United States must not take sides in the Shi'a and Sunni conflict, The Iran Project recommends in a report published on September 17, 2014. The report, Iran and Its Neighbors: Regional Implications for U.S. Policy of a Nuclear Agreement, also examines how Iran's relations with other countries in the region might shift after a comprehensive nuclear agreement is reached.

Julia Bacha, creative director of Just Vision, a Rockefeller Brothers Fund grantee, has been recognized as a 2014 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. In total, 214 people under the age of 40 were chosen for the class of 2014 from 66 countries worldwide. The inductees demonstrate extraordinary global leadership and an unwavering commitment to social change rooted in ethics and values.

In a New York Times op-ed column, Roger Cohen argues that an agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear program is still possible, despite not reaching a deal in Geneva over the weekend. Cohen quotes Stephen Heintz, stating that although Iran's nuclear knowledge cannot be destroyed, the international community should recognize its capability and "put it in a box where it is verifiable, contained, and controlled."

Rina Castelnuovo's powerful photo essay in The New York Times on July 14, 2013, featured Palestinians and Israelis brought together by grief, after having lost loved ones killed in the region's conflict. The families were convened by Rockefeller Brothers Fund grantee the Parents Circle Families Forum.

Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, and former Deputy National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the United Nations Nancy Soderberg, have published an op-ed on CNN's website encouraging Secretary of State John Kerry to sign an order to change a 2010 Supreme Court decision that has hindered peacebuilders from doing their jobs.

The Institute for Integrated Transitions has released an analysis of international expert assistance offered in Tunisia after the January 2011 revolution. The report focuses on the country's reforms in its media, security sector, and judiciary, as well as youth employment; results have been mixed more than two years after the uprising.

Sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran have fallen short of expectations and the unintended consequences may pose risks, according to The Iran Project's latest report, released on Wednesday. The report, backed by former senior U.S. officials and outside experts, recommends that Washington rebalance its dual-track policy by strengthening its diplomatic efforts.