Peace of Mind

NZ has been named the world’s second most peaceful country in the inaugural Global Peace Index, a study commissioned by Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea and sponsored by peace advocates such as the Dalai Lama. Norway topped the index and Western Europe was judged the most peaceful region overall. The US rated 93 on the list, well below China, France, Australia and the UK. The worst-ranked countries are Iraq, Sudan and Israel. Carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Global Peace Index is the first systematic study of peacefulness to measure indicators of both internal and external harmony. Its findings show that small, affluent countries with well-educated and governed citizens – which get on with their neighbours – have the best chance of living in peace.