Peace Research

Although much worthwhile research has been done into peace, the subject is relatively under studied compared to other disciplines. Although there are many areas that would prove to be fertile ground for research, we have limited this section to some examples pertinent to this paper.

The Global Peace Index is a study of national peacefulness. Using a revised model, regional peace can be measured within nations by city, county or state.

The exercise of understanding and studying the peacefulness of regions within nations is not within the parameters of this study. By studying some of the larger nations regional peacefulness or selected nations with highly varying levels of peacefulness a better picture will emerge of national peacefulness.

One of the key benefits that emerges from the Global Peace Index is the concept of measuring peace. It is very difficult to understand what we can't measure. It is also very difficult to understand the effectiveness of our actions without measurements. Additional methods need to be developed to measure peacefulness.

The Global Peace Index suggests that there are some important differences between peaceful societies and others. Peaceful societies are by and large well integrated and coherent societies. What are the dynamics that caused the most peaceful nations to become more peaceful and how can these attributes be better introduced into society.

What are the mechanisms for promoting cultures of peace and confronting cultures of violence more effectively?

Are there ways of communicating that are effective, assertive and confrontational but lessen the likelihood of violence? What are the mechanisms that stimulate higher levels of empathy and awareness between people, groups, organisations and nations?

Successful cases of non-violent political transformation need to receive more recognition in education. More attention needs to be given to the ways in which people movements in Poland, Bolivia, Uruguay, the Philippines, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia have managed to generate very significant political changes through nonviolent, principled politics.

There is a lot of work on the relationship between human rights and conflict. Much more attention needs to be given to the ways in which an expansion of universal human rights principles might generate peace.

There are critical relationships between economic well being and peace, or conversely poverty and violence. While this is a complex relationship, the whole issue of economics, development and peace building is one that needs much closer attention.

Interestingly the most peaceful societies tend to be small in area and relatively small in population. In the top 20 nations in the Global Peace Index, only two nations come from the world's top 20 most populous nations and only one from the top 20 largest nations in size.

Peace can be viewed as a dynamic process rather than as a final, attainable end. If peace is viewed in this way then it needs to be continually created in many small ways otherwise it will die. This is analogous to a living system. A systematic study of societies and the interactions of individuals and groups within these societies may shed light on the micro processes of peace and how these generate peaceful processes at the macro level. If there were methods of measuring micro interactions then inter-personal peace could be placed in a more scientific setting.

Peace is a process that encompasses creative and innovative ways of dealing with differences, grievances, challenges to identity and conflict. How do the individuals and groups within the top 20 nations from the Global Peace Index deal with friction?

We need better understanding of the 'DNA' of peace as an integral part of cooperative human relationships. Studies has been done on violent individuals to trace the genes that have created their behaviour, similarly the emotional relationships of flight or fight are well understood. What are the characteristics of people who are peaceful and successful, what are the biological and emotional dynamics that drive people to seek peace?

The pursuit of peace is a dynamic quest for non-violent problem solving. A critical research task, therefore, is expanding the ladder of tried and tested options for individuals, groups, organisations and nations for dealing with the everyday conflict proactively, creatively and non-violently and without adopting a pacifist position.

One of the challenges confronting peace researchers and peace builders is how to maintain and expand areas of stable peace both within and between communities and nations. Are there certain groups, agencies or types of individuals that can expand the qualities of peace into their surrounding communities? How can they be empowered?