Monday, June 6, 2011

Peace Alliance says US comes in at 82nd on Peace Index... what a surprise!

2011 Global Peace Index Ranks U.S. # 82
Plus, Monthly Conf. Call Tuesday, June 7th,
featuring Peace Trailblazer, Avon Mattison

Monthly Conference Call
Tuesday, June 7th

Special Guest Speaker:
Avon Mattison

Avon is Founder of Pathways To Peace (PTP), an international peacebuilding, educational and consulting organization. PTP has Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is an official Peace Messenger of the United Nations (UN).

REGISTER FOR CALL NOW

If you are not able to register for the call (highly recommended), you can use the following number and code: (916) 469-4750 code: 449214

9:00 eastern,
6:00 pacific

Read more about Avon and the call below.

The 2011 edition of the Global Peace Index, compiled by the Institute of Economics and Peace, has just been released. The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an annual study ranking 153 nations based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators measuring the absence or presence of violence in society. Indicators ranged from a nation's level of military expenditure to its respect for human rights.

The overall status of the study indicates that the world is less peaceful this year than previous years. Expansion of international conflicts, political instability, increase in prison populations, greater potential for terrorist acts, lower respect for human rights, and economic decline are crucial contributing factors.

As Martin Luther King famously said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere", and while injustice on the other side of the world may seem distant and irrelevant to those far from it, the truth is that as the world becomes less peaceful, it affects everyone.

Economically, the cost of violence and oppression is a bit more tangible. The GPI estimates that $12.62 trillion (US Dollars) is spent on industries that generate and contain violence. This is money that can potentially be channeled into education, health-care, or a wide variety of peaceful programs, but instead is used to promote violence and injustice.

ECONOMIC IMPACT – 25% REDUCTION IN VIOLENCE WOULD DELIVER $2 TRILLION
This amount would pay for the 2% of global GDP per annum investment estimated by the Stern Review to avoid the worst effects of climate change, cover the cost of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, eliminate the public debt of Greece, Portugal and Ireland. This is imporant information to be aware of as we advocate for peacebuilding infrastructure and prevention and intervention strategies.

So what structures contribute to sustainable peace? The GPI indicates that societies with less discrimination, more informed citizens, high levels of trust, and support for gender equality tend to be more at peace. The GPI states: "Societies underpinned by the presence of strong social institutions as measured by these factors are considered socially sustainable societies... [and] are also more resilient and better able to withstand eternal and internal political, economic, and environmental shocks."

You can read the rankings here. Download the full report here.

In a nutshell the results show that the world has become slightly less peaceful in the past year:

Iceland is the ranked as the country most at peace replacing New Zealand. Interestingly enough, Small, stable and democratic countries are consistently ranked highest; 14 of the top 20 countries are western or central European nations.
Libya (143) saw the most significant drop – falling 83 places; Bahrain (123) dropped by 47 places – the second largest margin; while Egypt (73) dropped 25 places, and Madagascar (105) dropped 26
Mongolia (57) has risen 36 places making it by far the most improved country.
Despite the decade long War on Terror, the likelihood of terrorist attacks has increased in the past year in 29 countries
Levels of military expenditure as a % of GDP are down and relations between neighbouring states have improved
40% of the world's least peaceful countries, including Sudan (151) and Somalia (153) at the bottom, are in Sub-Saharan Africa
Iraq is no longer at the bottom, for the first time in five years; as the war-torn Somali dropped one place to replace it.


Monthly Peace Alliance Conference Call
Tuesday, June 7th

A reminder that our free monthly activist conference call is Tuesday night, June 7th. All are invited and welcome to join our national conversation on possibilities for peace.

This month, our special guest speaker will be Avon Mattison. We will also be discussing upcoming campaign activities.

Avon Mattison is a Peacebuilding and Inter-Organisational Consultant, Advisor and Mentor with over three decades’ experience. She works with innovative leaders, groups and organisations on the “frontline” building Cultures of Peace inter-generationally and inter-culturally for the children of this and future generations.

She is Founder of Pathways To Peace (PTP), an international peacebuilding, educational and consulting organisation. PTP has Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is an official Peace Messenger of the United Nations (UN). PTP is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, non-partisan organisation.

Through Pathways To Peace, she created the CULTURE OF PEACE INITIATIVE, (formerly “WE THE PEOPLES” INITIATIVE) in 1983 with the approval of former UN Assistant Secretary-General Robert Muller. This local/global Peacebuilding initiative unites the strengths of over 3000 international organisations and focuses co-operative activities annually on the UN International Day of Peace. Through Pathways To Peace, Avon inaugurated an ongoing Rights of the Child Caucus within the UN system during the first preparatory conference for the World Summit on Social Development. Avon coordinates PACEM – Pathways Consulting, Educating and Mentoring.

Call starts at 9:00 est, 6:00 pst pm. It will last for one hour.

We are looking forward to engaging with you all. All are welcome to join us, even if you have never been involved before.

REGISTER FOR CALL NOW

This link will provide you with a dial-in number and passcode. If you registered for the last call, you can also use the same number and pin as before.

If you are not able to register for the call (highly recommended), you can use the following number and code: (916) 469-4750 code: 449214

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