The Institute for Economics and Peace just released its latest report, Pillars of Peace. It provides a new conceptual framework for understanding and describing the factors that are associated with peaceful societies. The research is based on an analysis of over 4,000 data sets, surveys and indices; it is the first empirical framework that aims to measure positive peace.

The research defines 8 key Pillars that underpin peace:

• a well functioning government,
• a sound business environment,
• an equitable distribution of resources,
• an acceptance of the rights of others,
• good relations with neighbors,
• free flow of information,
• a high level of human capital,
• low levels of corruption.

These pillars are both interdependent and mutually reinforcing, meaning that the relative strength of any one pillar has the potential to either positively or negatively influence peace. The full report is available here:

Measuring positive peace : Peace is not just the absence of violence, it is much more. Peace is best understood through the concepts of “positive peace” and “negative peace”. Negative peace is the absence of violence or the fear of violence; it is the definition of peace that is used in the Global Peace Index (GPI). Positive peace is the attitudes, institutions and structures, that when strengthened, lead to peaceful societies.

The Pillars of Peace has been developed to measure the positive peace factors that create peaceful societies. These same positive peace factors are positively associated with development outcomes, and the flourishing of human potential.

Source: Vision of Humanity