Challenges Facing Humanity & The Role Of Peace

At the beginning of the 21st century, humanity faces global challenges unparalleled in its history. These challenges include climate change, loss of biodiversity, lack of fresh water and overpopulation.

The consequences of any one of these challenges could be devastating for all nations and all of humanity. These challenges have now been well-researched and are supported by thousands of scientists. The final chapter of the report highlights some the extensive research which has been done on the subject.

History records that many great empires were built through war. These successful nations were the strongest competitors. Some might see this as the competition of great nations and would point to historical evidence that great nations and empires have been built on conquest. The world could be viewed through a Darwinian lens where the fittest survive.

But at the beginning of the 21st century will humanity's combative nature impinge on our ability to survive? Over the last 50 years two key elements have changed, which has created a need to rethink our role in the world:

• As the issues of climate change, degradation of the soils of the planet, shrinking fish stocks, full use of the available fresh water and overpopulation loom, the world has become interdependent in ways unimaginable only decades ago. Additionally, any conflict over these ever-decreasing natural resources will only deplete the resources further.
• The advances in the development and deployment of small arms, rockets and improvised bombs have made it increasingly difficult to win wars without the popular support of a large majority of the inhabitants in the conflict area.

These challenges need new ways of thinking and the solutions that will arise will need to be inclusive, equitable and acceptable to most nations in the world and their inhabitants. These challenges are unlikely to be solved through coercion and aggression.


Although many people would feel that the prospects are bleak, the reality is that wars and internal conflicts have fallen substantially in the last 25 years.

The first Human Security Report found that the number of armed conflicts has declined since the early 1990's by 40%, additionally genocides and political killings also declined from 1988 to 2001 by 80% and international crises fell by more than 70% between 1981 and 2001.

Since 2001 some of the gains have been lost, but these figures do give hope that humanity can work towards solving its conflicts without resorting to violence. Work needs to be done to reverse the slippage of the last couple of years and to improve on the gains of the late 20th century.

A report recently released by a panel of senior retired army generals heightened the need to improve peace measures because of the potential new areas of conflict related to climate change over the next couple of decades.

'Global climate change presents a serious national security threat which could impact Americans at home, impact United States military operations and heighten global tensions, according to a new study released by a blue-ribbon panel of retired admirals and generals from all branches of the armed services'. - National Security and the Threat of Climate Change Report.

The number of conflicts currently running is still substantial and the number of people affected directly or indirectly from war is very high.

'Although wars and war-deaths are down, there are some 60 armed conflicts raging around the globe. There are still gross abuses of human rights, wide spread war crimes, and ever deadlier acts of terrorism.' - Human Security Report, University of British Columbia

In 2005 the World Refugee Survey stated:

More than 21 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been forced from their homes by persecution, war or disaster, but have not left their own countries. The highest numbers were in Sudan (7 million) Colombia (nearly 3 million) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (more than 2 million)

If we cannot solve these major challenges facing humanity, it will not only be the nations directly affected that will suffer. Nations unaffected directly by wars or major environmental disasters will also suffer significant economic loss. The nations of the world are more dependent on the health of each other, economically, financially and ecologically, than at any stage in history. For example, if growth in India or China's economy were to substantially slow as a result of ecological breakdown, the effects on the EU and US economies could be highly significant. Similarly, what would be the effect on India or China's internal cohesion from major economic failures in the EU or the US?

Force is often seen as the most effective way of influencing behaviour. However, human behaviour is also significantly influenced through positive incentives. A more peaceful world, with greater global cooperation would also facilitate growth in the world economies.

As nations became more peaceful, important economic relationships such as trade and investment could be expanded, but to achieve these ends new global economic models need to be developed that are not nationally based and account appropriately for environmental assets. New international treaties and organisations need to be formed to organise and regulate international relationships on the basis of peace and sustainability. Further chapters in this paper pull together some of the leading thinking on what could constitute the basis of a future global economic model. However, much research, analysis and debate is needed.

Environmental considerations have also become highly important in most societies. One of the interesting relations that have emerged from the Global Peace Index is the relationship between the top 10 nations in the Global Peace Index and their environmental performance ranking. Their environmental performance far exceeded similar nations even with higher per capita incomes. - Appendix A Table 1

Business is what underpins the relationships between most nations and provides the platform for personal security and lifemeaning for most people on the planet. It seems intuitively obvious that business thrives in peace, yet understanding the interrelationships between business and peace and how peace is an enabler of wealth is not well understood. An analysis of the most peaceful nations shows a strong correlation between per capita income and peace.

By implementing global strategies that increase the peacefulness of nations the global business environments will become more robust, multi-national organisation will expand as their markets expand and the interlocking investment and trade will help to underpin future peace. Through the correct pricing of sustainability, business and individuals have incentives that will naturally lead individuals and organisations to a peaceful and sustainable future.