Why We Need A Peace World Cup: The 2014 Global Peace Index

Source: Vision of Humanity

Yesterday, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) released the 2014 Global Peace Index (GPI) on its Vision of Humanity website. The goal of this interactive site is to bring peace research to life with interactive maps, reports, and the latest media pertaining to it. As with our earlier posts on the topic of peace, and in particular the release of the 2013 GPI, it is important that we continually share these findings with our learners.

Source: Vision of Humanity

We see the excitement surrounding the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament daily with kids and adults. It is no wonder the current IEP used this public attention to release the latest GPI report with the banner "Peace World Cup."

Peace is not always easy to define, but perhaps simply put, it is the absence of war or conflict. That is at least the most tangible definition for our learners to grasp, but it is much more. If we live in harmony with the world around us, we think of it as “positive peace;” yet countries that achieve a state of peace because they are not involved in conflicts either external or internal can be in a period of “negative peace.” In other words, the level of peacefulness is not necessarily in harmony with the discord felt among citizens.

The map below shows how 162 countries around the world rank according to their peacefulness based on the 2014 GPI. There is also a concise PDF download of the report with colorful visuals, charts, and statistical information. Both of theses resources will be helpful to teachers in designing lessons to use with students.

Source: Vision of Humanity

The video for the Global Peace Index 2014 summarizes the state of peace around the world over the last seven years, and it is well worth the few short minutes to watch and discuss with students. It brings together the research to show how the GPI, the Cost of Violence Containment, and the Pillars of Peace are all connected.




We want our students to be those “pillars of peace” who take a vested interest in attitudes, structures, and institutions that underpin a peaceful world. With over 200 million people living below the poverty line and over 9 trillion dollars a year spent on containing violence, it’s more important than ever to help our young learners see peace as the most fundamental human right of all people.

For other resources, please see:

• Visualizing The Effects Of Peace
• When Worlds Collide For Peace
• 2013 Global Peace Index - Building Pillars Of Peace