The 20th century saw two global wars, that led to the creation of institutions like the United Nations - for maintenance of international peace and resolving conflicts between nations. At present, humanity is facing unprecedented challenges: climate change, decreasing biodiversity, depletion of the earth’s fresh water and overpopulation. These global challenges need global solutions and unprecedented cooperation spanning national borders. ‘Peace’ is the prerequisite for solving these challenges.
Our notions about the nature of ‘peace’ has evolved significantly over the centuries. Intuitively, ‘peace’ would mean the absence of violence or absence of war. However, a positive conceptualization of ‘peace’ moves beyond conflict and violence. The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) defines ‘Positive Peace’ as the attitudes, institutions and structures that, when strengthened, create and sustain peaceful societies. The focus of positive peace is not on responding to violence or threat of violence; rather, in creating the optimum environment for human potential to flourish: in a personal, societal and economic sense.
Positive peace is predicted on factors or pillars that not only sustain peace but also support an environment where human potential flourishes. Acceptance of the Rights of others is an important predictor of a country’s ability to sustain peace. It measures the level of tolerance and acceptance afforded to individuals and groups in a society. Peaceful countries have formal laws that guarantee basic human rights and freedom, as well as informal social and cultural norms that relate to behaviours of citizens. Greater acceptance of the rights of others is assumed to be associated with a more peaceful and less conflict-prone community. Countries with more Equitable Distribution of Resources are more peaceful.
Another indicator related to peace is Free Flow of Information. It captures how easily citizens can gain access to information, including whether the media is free and independent, as well as the extent to which citizens are informed and engaged in the political process. High levels of human capital in a country is also a vital predictor of peace. It describes a country’s stock of skills, knowledge and behaviours.
A greater level of human capital will tend to increase social cohesion, economic development and peace. Low levels of corruption are associated with increase in peacefulness. In societies with high levels of corruption, resources are inefficiently allocated, often leading to a lack of funding for essential services. Low level of corruption can enhance confidence and trust in institutions. Another crucial factor in providing both individuals and communities with a means to peacefully, equitably and efficiently share a country’s resources is Sound business environment. Peace is found to be strongly associated with economic opportunity. The strength of economic conditions as well as the formal institutions, that support the operation of the private sector, are associated with the most peaceful societies.
Finally, Peace is also associated with a well-functioning government that delivers high-quality public and civil services, engenders trust and participation, demonstrates political stability and upholds the rule of law. The Pillars of Positive Peace are interdependent. They interact systematically to support a society’s attitudes, institutions and structures that reinforce development and peacebuilding.
World Day of Peace (January 1) and International Day of Peace (September 21) are occasions to strengthen the ideals of Peace. Together we can move towards greater levels of Positive Peace; leading to desirable economic and societal outcomes such as greater wellbeing, thriving economies, high levels of resilience and more peaceful societies.