japanese

State of Peace
Measuring peace, increasing happiness

Junior writers ask questions to a child in Iceland through a video link. (Photo by Miyu Sakata, 13)

It's possible to measure the state of peace in a country and assign a value to this state. This is known as the "Global Peace Index" (GPI). If adults recognize that their country is less peaceful than others, they might make efforts to improve the situation.

At the same time, how do youth of the same age in other nations feel about the state of peace in their own countries? We interviewed children in three countries through e-mail and a video link.

The highest-ranking country on the Global Peace Index is Iceland, but even there, children are feeling some anxiety due to social unrest caused by the economic crisis. Bhutan, which maintains the national aim of increasing the happiness of its people, has refugee concerns.

We asked what things were essential to a nation's state of peace. And through these interviews, we found that many children are doing what they can, too, not simply leaving everything in the hands of adults.


World's only peace index based on 24 indicators

The Global Peace Index is published each year by an Australian think tank, the Institute for Economics and Peace. We e-mailed with Steve Killelea, 59, who conceived the idea of the GPI.

The GPI is a calculation based on 24 indicators, including a nation's number of conflicts and soldiers, the number of violent crimes, and the level of respect for human rights. These indicators were selected by a panel of researchers in Europe, Australia, the United States, and other countries, with peace defined as "the absence of violence." The data is obtained from the United Nations and peace-related institutes. The GPI is the only index in the world that ranks nations based on "peace."

In 2007, the year the GPI was first announced, an index of 121 countries was estimated. In 2008, calculations were made to create an index of 140 countries and regions. In that index, Iceland is ranked first, Japan is fifth, and the United States is 97th. Iraq was ranked the lowest.

Mr. Killelea believes that the GPI can encourage countries to become more peaceful and help maintain peace in the world. The challenge they face in creating an index that includes all nations of the world is overcoming the difficulties involved in obtaining data from some countries and regions. (Masahiro Mikoshi, 16)


<1st place>
Iceland: Raising donations to assist other countries
Left = Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland
Right = Children in Iceland practicing karate, a Japanese martial art.
Click to watch our interview through the video link.

Iceland is ranked first in the world in the Global Peace Index. We interviewed a student there, Nikulás Barkarson, 11, through a video link. Nikulás is in the 6th grade at Vesturbæjarskóli in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland.

Iceland has no standing army and isn't involved in any conflicts. He said the children feel little danger in their daily lives and aren't significantly troubled by such problems as bullying at school and crime against children. They can go freely and safely to the city center by themselves.

However, since last fall, the citizens of Reykjavík have staged protests against the government, claiming that measures to address the economic crisis have not been effective. In the largest protests, as many as 3,000 people took part. Nikulás feels that the country isn't at peace when he sees the people and police clash, resulting in injuries.

He says that children can appeal for the importance of peace and ask the government to provide support for peace activities. In addition, he suggests that children can help countries that aren't at peace by raising funds for them.

Nikulás made the following five points in regard to the key elements needed for peace: 1) Nations and their people should be open to compromise, 2) Diplomatic relations and international exchange should be established with other countries, including trade, 3) Trust is maintained between nations and their people, 4) The citizens of a nation are happy, and 5) The nation possesses a limited number of arms.

We agree with his opinions, as we also think that the capacity to smile happily is important to peace. We hadn't thought about trying to move adults to meet these conditions for peace, though, so we were very impressed with Nikulás's ideas. (Minako Iwata, 15, and Miyu Sakata, 13)


Iceland: An island nation located in the north Atlantic Ocean, in westernmost Europe, about 103,000 square kilometers in size. The population is about 310,000 and the official language is Icelandic.


<26th place>
Bhutan: Become adults who can stand up for peace
Left = A street in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan
Right = Children at Jigme Losel Primary School

We interviewed two girls in Bhutan, whose national goal is increasing the Gross National Happiness (GNH). Lilly Yangchen and Yeshi Syeldrol, both 11 and students at Jigme Losel Primary School in Thimphu, told us their opinion of the level of peace in Bhutan.

They said that the level of peace in the country is high because the nation isn't engaged in war, there's ample food, and few poor people.

At the same time, they noted that some areas aren't at peace. In the south, protests against the national policy of cultural integration by Nepalese residents have forced them to flee the country and become refugees.

Lilly and Yeshi also feel some anxiety when they read in the newspaper about an increase in children being raped or children abusing drugs.

In their opinion, the important factors for peace are such things as: 1) Don't commit crime, 2) Don't wage war, 3) Don't use drugs, 4) Live in friendship, without envy, and 5) Don't be mean. They added, "If we do our best to become adults who can stand up against bad things in the world, the number of countries at peace will increase."

We think it's wonderful they hold the belief that their daily actions can help promote peace. If children throughout the world felt this way, perhaps peace on our planet could be realized. (Moeko Takaki, 14)


Bhutan: A kingdom located on the southeast side of the Himalayas. Approximately 46,000 square kilometers in size, it has a population of about 660,000 people. The official language is Dzongkha.

Gross National Happiness GNH was advocated by Bhutan's former king as a measurement of happiness, not material standards. The pillars of GNH are: 1) promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development, 2) preservation and promotion of cultural values, 3) conservation of the natural environment and sustainable use, and 4) establishment of good governance.



<34th place>
Costa Rica: Unite people for social welfare and education
Left = A scene in Alajuela, Costa Rica
Right = Sara's classroom at her school

What about children in Costa Rica, the country whose constitution prohibits the formation of a military force? We contacted Sara Nunez, 14, of Alajuela, Costa Rica, by e-mail.

Costa Rica is blessed with rich natural resources, including water. After a civil war in 1948, the nation abolished its military force and no longer wages war. Sara wrote, however, that "Costa Rica may look like a country at peace, but the absence of war doesn't necessarily mean everything is peaceful."

She explained that serious crimes, such as robbery, are frequently committed. In the capital, just wearing jewelry can invite robbery. She added that there is discrimination against the people of Nicaragua, too, a neighboring country.

She suggests the United States, which is fighting a war in Iraq, isn't at peace, either.

In regard to important elements for peace, Sara mentioned: 1) Bring people together to create policies for social welfare and education, 2) Hold talks and discussions, 3) Imagine new ideas to resolve problems, 4) Have positive views, and 5) Keep an open mind and respect others' views.

She also feels it's important for children to have the determination to create a better future in order to increase the number of peaceful countries in the world. I was inspired by her words and I agree that the world's children, if we think seriously about our future and sustain our efforts, without giving up, we can help make our countries more peaceful. (Rika Shirakawa, 12)


Costa Rica: Located in Central America, the country is about 51,000 square kilometers in size and has about 4.5 million people. The capital is San José and the official language is Spanish.

The Constitution of Costa Rica Article 12 of Costa Rica's constitution was established in 1949 and states: "The Army as a permanent institution is abolished." However, it still permits the formation of forces for national defense. In 2003, a citizen claimed that the Costa Rican government's support for the U.S. in the Iraq War was a violation of the constitution and the Supreme Court upheld his claim the following year.



<5th place>
Japan: Respect others' opinions

Six junior writers discussed whether or not Japan is at peace. Four thought so, while the other two didn't.

The reasons given for feeling Japan is at peace include the country's relative safety, the fact that the nation isn't at war, there's an ample amount of food, and children here have the opportunity to attend school.

However, for many people in the world, their lives are threatened by hunger. Because Japan is free of this and other problems of survival, we are able to exchange our views about peace and become involved in peace activities. This very fact is proof of a country at peace, as one member pointed out.

On the other hand, crimes occur almost daily and there are children who commit suicide because they are bullied. These things create the feeling that Japan is not a peaceful place. If people are killed in a casual way, it leaves the impression that human life is treated carelessly.

In our opinion, the five necessary elements to create peace are: 1) Our lives are not under threat from war or other dangers, 2) We have secure shelter and food, 3) People respect each others' ideas and work in cooperation, 4) The gap between rich and poor is small, and 5) The environment is not polluted. (Kotaro Tsuchida, 16)




Our own suggestions

From the opinions of the children we contacted, as well as our own ideas, we have come up with some indicators to measure the state of peace. We also offer a few suggestions on how we might improve this state of peace.

Indicators

(1) Necessities for life: Not engaged in war or conflict, having secure shelter, sufficient food, and clean water.

(2) Security: Bullying is controlled, crime is low, danger isn't felt in daily life.

(3) Education: A high rate of school attendance, good-quality education is provided, students learn about war and peace.

(4) Human relations: Smiling and laughing is a part of each day, strong ties among family members and people in the community.

(5) Other factors: Few weapons are possessed, personal opinions can be expressed freely.


Actions

Create opportunities to share our opinions with adults

We think it's hard to reach a state of peace unless adults themselves try to change. We want to raise objections to the reasons wars are started and convey directly to adults our hopes for the actions they will take for peace. To create this opportunity, perhaps a meeting of children and adults, with the same numbers of each, could be organized.

Communicate with children in the world

Speaking and playing with children from other countries helps us understand their feelings. If they were suffering, we would be moved to help them. And when we grow up, we could avoid conflicts with them. Adults might be influenced by these ties between children and this could gradually lead to better relations between countries.

Through the interview we conducted via a video link, we discovered how easy it is to exchange views with children overseas. Though it may be difficult to meet in person, we can communicate through letters and the internet.

Make peace cards

In order to improve the state of peace, maybe we could create small cards with some rules that children should observe. For example, children in the world make a list of rules, such as "Don't hurt others" and "Take part in peace activities." If the children of every country could carry this card to keep the same ideas in mind, it would help us create a more peaceful world. (Minako Iwata, 15)