Peace is good for business & business is good for peace

kristyGlobal Citizen, Beyond GDP

Structures of Peace

We are thrilled to release Structures of Peace, a research report produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace identifying key economic, political and cultural determinants that foster peaceful societies. Through an empirical and statistical analysis of the Global Peace Index, the report details eight key factors that were found to be associated with peaceful environments. Findings of the study show that peace can be seen as proxy for creating the optimal environment for human potential to flourish.

Download the Structures of Peace report here

Peace is good for business & business is good for peace

The Ten Most Peaceful Countries Don’t Include the US (Forbes 10.10.2011)

We are delighted to see that peace is starting to be perceived as economically beneficial to business. World leading economic magazine Forbes is calling American businesses to action in an article that details the economic benefits of peace.

As the greatest beneficiary of peaceful internal and external trade relations, business should be the leading supporter of nonviolent dispute resolution.

Read the full article by Forbes Magazine

Congratulations to the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners

All of us here at the Institute for Economics and Peace extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman; recognised for their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace building work.”

These peace laureates signify the role local peace building plays in resolving conflict and offering positive leadership for a brighter future. The decision to award three women highlights the importance of empowering women in the developing world and the role women play in achieving democracy and lasting peace.

See the profiles of the 2011 Nobel Prize Winners

Secretary General of Amnesty International on social media and human rights

Secretary General of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, gave an inspiring talk at a luncheon hosted by the Institute for Economics and Peace on the role social media plays in human development and peace building.

In an address focusing on the revolutionary use of social media by protestors in the Arab Spring, Mr Shetty remarked ‘for the first time in human history you can create international solidarity’.

While Mr Shetty was adamant to note there was no causal relationship between social media and the toppling of regimes in the region, he did recognise the powerful role it played in giving a human face to political oppression and engaging the international community in the civil rights movement.