2017积极和平报告（英文版）_106页_4mb

2017 Positive Peace Report Summary

Core Content

The 2017 Positive Peace Report presents a transformative framework for understanding and achieving sustainable peace, emphasizing the role of systems thinking in addressing global challenges. It defines Positive Peace as the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies, and highlights its significance in fostering economic growth, social resilience, and environmental sustainability. Positive Peace is not merely the absence of violence but a holistic concept that includes elements like trust, inclusiveness, and effective governance.

Main Points

1. Positive Peace is Transformational

• Positive Peace is a cross-cutting factor that influences multiple aspects of societal development.
• It creates an optimal environment for human potential to flourish, enabling businesses, entrepreneurs, and governments to function more effectively.
• It is linked to better resilience, economic outcomes, and environmental performance.

2. Systems Thinking and Positive Peace

• Systems thinking is essential for understanding the complex interdependencies within societies.
• It contrasts with linear causality, which can lead to unintended consequences due to the lack of understanding of systemic feedback loops.
• Positive Peace, when viewed through a systems lens, allows for more nuanced and effective policy interventions.

3. Key Characteristics of Positive Peace

• Systemic and complex: Progress is non-linear and requires understanding through systems thinking.
• Virtuous or vicious: Positive Peace can lead to virtuous cycles of peace, while its absence can lead to violent cycles.
• Preventative: Strengthening Positive Peace pillars can prevent violence and conflict.
• Underpins resilience and nonviolence: It builds the capacity for societies to adapt and recover from shocks.
• Informal and formal: It includes both formal institutions and informal societal attitudes.
• Supports development goals: It provides the foundation for achieving broader development objectives.

Key Findings

Global Trends

• Positive Peace improved by 1.86% globally over the past decade, but plateaued since 2013 due to declines in several key areas.
• The three regions with the largest improvements were Russia and Eurasia (4.7%), Asia-Pacific (3.3%), and South Asia (3.2%).
• MENA (Middle East and North Africa) significantly lagged behind, with large deteriorations in Acceptance of the Rights of Others, Low Levels of Corruption, and Free Flow of Information.

Country-Level Insights

• Five largest improvements in Positive Peace were recorded in Côte d'Ivoire, Georgia, Rwanda, Kyrgyz Republic, and Saudi Arabia.
• Five largest deteriorations were in Central African Republic, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, and Syria.
• Countries with lower Positive Peace are more prone to internal shocks and natural disaster-related deaths.

Economic Impact

• The economic cost of violence in 2016 was 12.6% of global GDP or approximately $14 trillion, underscoring the economic value of Positive Peace.

Pillars of Positive Peace

The Positive Peace Index (PPI) measures eight key domains, each with three indicators, to assess the level of Positive Peace in a country. These Pillars are:

1. Well-Functioning Government
2. Sound Business Environment
3. Equitable Distribution of Resources
4. Acceptance of the Rights of Others
5. Good Relations with Neighbours
6. Free Flow of Information
7. High Levels of Human Capital
8. Low Levels of Corruption

These Pillars are statistically linked to the Global Peace Index (GPI), which measures Negative Peace (absence of violence).

Policy Implications

• Positive Peace is a key enabler of resilience and stability.
• Systemic change is necessary for improving Positive Peace, and IEP recommends two approaches:
  • Focusing on the weakest Pillar to catalyze change.
  • Stimulating the entire system through comprehensive interventions.
• The report highlights the importance of National Intent, a macro-level characteristic that influences peace transitions and international alliances.
• IEP has conducted workshops in countries like Libya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Mexico to build Positive Peace.

Recommendations

• The report recommends systemic, data-driven interventions that consider the interdependencies between the Pillars of Positive Peace.
• It emphasizes the need to monitor and evaluate progress using the PPI.
• Free Flow of Information and Low Levels of Corruption are underrepresented in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), despite their importance to peace and development.

Conclusion

Positive Peace is a holistic, empirically derived framework that offers a new way to understand and manage societal development. It is critical for global cooperation, resilience, and sustainable progress. By focusing on the systemic nature of peace and using the PPI as a tool, societies can better navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century and move towards more peaceful, inclusive, and stable futures.