Measuring Peace and Prosperity

Yesterday, May 20, was a landmark day. Vision of Humanity released the second annual Global Peace Index, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and other top-flight partners. This year 140 countries were ranked, ranging from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, and Japan at the top to Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, and Iraq at the bottom. The US is # 97.

And why should you care? Because the 24 factors that determine the rankings measure positive peace—things like economic effectiveness, access to health care and education, the trust people have in their neighbors, and gender equality—as well as the absence of war, and the ratings demonstrate the clear connection between peace and prosperity. If you’re tired of hearing that people who work for peace are dreamers, here’s evidence that we are indeed the real realists.

If economics don’t move you, how about the arts? May 10 was Pangea Day, when large crowds enjoyed 24 moving films from around the world at seven locations and in seven languages. There’s still a lot to see and hear on the P-Day website. The event was planned as a way to heal cultural and political divisions through our universal love of a good story.

Healing divides seems more important than ever this week, when the scope and scale of disasters has international relief agencies worried about donor compassion fatigue as well as about the survivors. We don’t need a report or a documentary to tell us that women bear the biggest burdens and take the lead in meeting everyday challenges, whether they stem from natural disasters, human violence, or the growing global shortage of food. Yet in some regions, like parts of India where female fetuses are frequently aborted, that problem-solving potential is routinely lost.

It’s tempting to conclude that with needs and injustices so great, my bit can’t possibly make a difference. Tempting until we remember the last time a small kindness from a stranger or a friend gave us the strength to keep going. Then we know that even in the vast ocean of human suffering, no drop of kindness is ever wasted. So we keep reaching out to connect.

Our thanks to all of you who reach out to post feedback and answer our questions. Two weeks ago, two readers agreed that if they had to sacrifice one of their faculties, they would give up speech. Do you agree? Disagree? Please let us know.

Khartoum Journal

Commentary by Molly Mayfield Barbee

This weekend, my husband and I hunkered down and waited for the violent conflict on the other side of the river that runs by our home to cease. We huddled together with our laptops in front of the television, radios and mobile phones nearby, culling stories, theories, and any bits and pieces we could find, trying to put together some semblance [a picture] of what was happening.

By now most of you have read or heard about the attack on Sudan’s capital by one Darfur rebel movement and their violent standoff with the national military. Depending on the source, the incident this past Saturday and Sunday has been reported as “a suicide mission,” “a foiled coup,” and “a practice attack,” preparing for what could become a drawn-out “war of attrition” with government troops.

As we shared our research, our conversations turned to nature, society, and peace. With our neighbors, we watched in unbelief as shots of dead and wounded rebel fighters were shown again and again on the state television network. We wondered what the rebels must have been thinking to leave their land, homes, and families to attack the much larger and better armed defense force in the fortified home territory of the capital city. What gets a person to the point that they are willing to take such a risk?

It also made us wonder, “How did people get this way? Is it a part of being human to fight violently? Are other species like this too? (For a brief diversion into the dynamics of animal survival tactics I highly recommend this video). There are signs that point to an answer—world news headlines bring us similar disturbing stories every day. But there are just as many reasons to believe that peace is possible. Every time we reach out across divides and concern ourselves with the well-being of others we are proof that violence isn’t the only way out of conflict.

All these reflections on the eve of Mother’s Day—a coincidence that brought me back to more stories about Sudan this week. We have heard about the risks mothers in Darfur have to take every day so that their families can eat. We’re becoming aware of the extreme disparities connected to ethnicity and class in this country. The world’s highest maternal mortality rate is in southern Sudan. For those lucky enough to raise healthy families, and those who want to pursue careers outside of the home, challenges multiply. It is expected in Sudanese culture that women marry and bear children as soon as possible. Therefore in spite of the increasing societal acceptance of women in the workforce and improving female literacy and education rates, careers often have to wait.

In the year that I have lived in Khartoum, I have met incredibly strong women—many of whom are working to make conditions here better for mothers, daughters, and all people. The leader of one such organization, Zenab for Women in Development , was profiled recently in the news. She exemplifies the tireless dedication of so many in this region.

The horrors in my neighborhood this week bring up the great questions of our time. What are we going to do now, today, to help make things right? We can start by getting real: examine the fears and biases that color our perceptions, respect the unique experiences and perspectives of others, reach out to them to learn about the realities of their situations, and take actions together—creating a cascade of positive change.