The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an attempt The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an attempt to measure the relative position of nations' to measure the relative position of nations' and regions' peacefulness. It is the product and regions' peacefulness. It is the product of Institute for Economics and Peace and of Institute for Economics and Peace and

developed in consultation with an developed in consultation with an international panel of peace experts from international panel of peace experts from peace institutes and think tanks with data peace institutes and think tanks with data collected and collated by the Economist collected and collated by the Economist

intelligence Unit. The list was launched first intelligence Unit. The list was launched first in May 2007, then continued on May 2008, 2 in May 2007, then continued on May 2008, 2 June 2009, 10 June 2010 and most recently June 2009, 10 June 2010 and most recently on 25 May 2011. It is claimed to be the first on 25 May 2011. It is claimed to be the first

study to rank countries around the world study to rank countries around the world according to their peacefulness. according to their peacefulness.

It ranks 153 countries. The study is the It ranks 153 countries. The study is the brainchild of Australian entrepreneur Steve brainchild of Australian entrepreneur Steve Killelea and is endorsed by individuals such Killelea and is endorsed by individuals such as Kofi Annan , the Dalai Lama , archbishop as Kofi Annan , the Dalai Lama , archbishop

Desmond Tutu, former Finnish President Desmond Tutu, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari , Muhammad Yanks, Martti Ahtisaari , Muhammad Yanks,

economist Jeffrey Sachs, former president of economist Jeffrey Sachs, former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, and former US Ireland Mary Robinson, and former US

president Jimmy Carter. Factors examined president Jimmy Carter. Factors examined by the authors include internal factors such by the authors include internal factors such

as levels of violence and crime within the as levels of violence and crime within the country and factors in a country's external country and factors in a country's external relations such as military expenditure and relations such as military expenditure and

wars.wars.

Global Peace Global Peace It is an ideal of freedom, peace, and

happiness among and within all nations and or people. World peace is an idea of

planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by

virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to refer to a cessation of all hostility among all individuals. For example, World

Peace could be an end to wars or to fighting between brother and brother or sister and

sister.

.

World peace theoriesWorld peace theoriesMany theories as to how world peace could be achieved have been proposed. Several of

these are listed below. World peace is achievable when there is no longer conflict over resources. For example, oil is one such resource and conflict over the supply of oil

is well known. Therefore, developing technology that utilizes reusable fuel

sources may be one way to achieve world peace.

Various political ideologiesVarious political ideologiesWorld peace is sometimes claimed to be the World peace is sometimes claimed to be the

inevitable result of a certain political inevitable result of a certain political ideology. According to former U.S. President ideology. According to former U.S. President George W. Bush: "The march of democracy George W. Bush: "The march of democracy will lead to world peace." Leon Trotsky, a will lead to world peace." Leon Trotsky, a Marxist theorist, assumed that the world Marxist theorist, assumed that the world

revolution would lead to a communist world revolution would lead to a communist world peace.peace.

Democratic peace theoryDemocratic peace theoryProponents of the controversial democratic peace theory Proponents of the controversial democratic peace theory

claim that strong empirical evidence exists that claim that strong empirical evidence exists that democracies never or rarely wage war against each other. democracies never or rarely wage war against each other.

Jack Levy made an oft-quoted assertion that the theory is Jack Levy made an oft-quoted assertion that the theory is "as close as anything we have to an empirical law in "as close as anything we have to an empirical law in

international relations".international relations".An increasing number of nations have become democratic An increasing number of nations have become democratic

since the Industrial Revolution. A world peace may thus since the Industrial Revolution. A world peace may thus become possible if this trend continues and if the become possible if this trend continues and if the

democratic peace democratic peace

Capitalism peace theoryCapitalism peace theoryIn her "capitalism peace theory," Ayn Rand holds that the major wars of history were started by the more controlled economies of the time against the freer ones and that capitalism gave mankind the

longest period of peace in history—a period during which there were no wars, involving the entire civilized world—from the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 to the outbreak of World War I in

1914.It must be remembered that the political systems of

the nineteenth century were not pure capitalism, but mixed economies. The element of capitalism,

however, was dominant; it was as close to a century of capitalism as mankind has come. But the

element of statism kept growing throughout the nineteenth century, and by the time it blasted the

world in 1914, the governments involved were dominated by statist policies.

However, this theory ignores the brutal However, this theory ignores the brutal colonial wars waged by the western nations colonial wars waged by the western nations against countries outside Europe; as well as against countries outside Europe; as well as the German and Italian Wars of Unification, the German and Italian Wars of Unification, the Franco-Prussian war, and other conflicts the Franco-Prussian war, and other conflicts in Europe. It also posits a lack of war as the in Europe. It also posits a lack of war as the barometer for peace, when in reality class barometer for peace, when in reality class

antagonisms were ever present.antagonisms were ever present.One could argue that the argument is based One could argue that the argument is based

on a non-sequitur fallacy since it may not on a non-sequitur fallacy since it may not have been capitalism that was the cause but have been capitalism that was the cause but rather the little state authority, which would rather the little state authority, which would

make it an argument for anarchism in make it an argument for anarchism in general, ranging from anarcho-capitalism to general, ranging from anarcho-capitalism to

anarcho-communism, and not necessarily anarcho-communism, and not necessarily capitalism.capitalism.