Thread: NZ the most 'peaceful' country on earth

According to the Vision of Humanity, Kiwis’ live in the peace capital of the planet.
Vision of Humanity have released their 2009 Global Peace Index, a shortlist that defines 'peace' using several different metrics and New Zealand came out on top.
Australia came in at 19th place; they are, apparently, markedly less peaceful than Switzerland and marginally more tranquillo than Chile. Australia actually moved up the list ... from number 27 last year. Several war-torn hubs of genocide round out the top 100 with the United States scooting in at number 83. The index bottoms out with Iraq in 143rd (or last) place.
But how does one define 'peace'?
Vision of Humanity suggests that 'peace' comes from an absence of war or conflict, both in neighbouring states and internally. Further, nations that promote peace through dialogue and grassroots diplomatic initiatives get better marks than those that take more insular attitudes. A list of all the definitive criteria is available on the organization’s website, but here's a sample:
· Political instability
· Level of violent crime
· Funding for UN peacekeeping missions
· Aggregate number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people
· Number of conflicts fought from 2002 to 2007
Here's a list of this year's top twenty most peaceful nations:

Here's a map, colour-coded according to each country's ranking. Might be worth taking into account as you plan your future holidays?


Would you agree that it’s best to go blue when you travel overseas? Would you actually feel safer in Libya or Laos than in Los Angeles or Lombok?

I guess you've never been to a pub with a bunch of humourless Maoris then?

Originally Posted by isdatu

According to the Vision of Humanity, Kiwis’ live in the peace capital of the planet.

Possibly because most Kiwis live in Australia.

Look at the results a bit closer and you'll quickly notice that this is another pile of quickly accumulated statistical garbage like the CIA factsbook..

Thailand 118 2.353

oops

^All lies!!! Rank, 118. I demand a recount.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I guess you've never been to a pub with a bunch of humourless Maoris then?

Yes. Wonder if this peace index and subsequent rating includes the underlying Maori resentment, be it real or artificial.

Bhutan....#40

There's a lot more that is curious, I always doublecheck the detailled figures with Switzerland, where I have a rough assessment and then extrapolate it to the rest of the survey.
Just an example:

-Willingness to fight
Qualitative assessment of the willingness of citizens to fight in wars. Ranked 1- 5 (very low to very high) Switzerland 3

Completely ridiculous, I am not aware of any other country that hasn't had a war since 1515 and has for a very long time refused to even join the UN fearing we might have to participate in armed peace keeping missions! The highest percentage of civilian opposition to the Iraq war in Europe (over 80%).
And now compare that to one of the most war-mongering countries in the world:

USA: Willingness to fight 2

I think everyone would find tons of dubious "facts" in his own country, there are quite a few more that can be quantified and dismissed easily.

Originally Posted by the article

'peace' comes from an absence of war or conflict, both in neighbouring states and internally

Well there you have it. Easy when neighbouring states are populated only by penguins and internally only by sheep.

Them Kiwis are a well balanced lot. Chip on both shoulders and more guts than brains. Bit like Jack Russel terriers.

It's not a bad life here , something for everyone really, mountains , beaches, rivers, legal prostitution .

Originally Posted by plorf

Completely ridiculous,

Switzerland probably got a few points knocked off because of the unscrupulous bankers that are complicit in harboring the ill gotten gains of despots and dictators as well as dirty corporate money they knowingly safe keep for the worlds rich scum.

Originally Posted by phunphin

It's not a bad life here , something for everyone really, mountains , beaches, rivers, legal prostitution .

Always came to me as "Progressive Victorian".....

Originally Posted by peterpan

Originally Posted by plorf

Completely ridiculous,

Switzerland probably got a few points knocked off because of the unscrupulous bankers that are complicit in harboring the ill gotten gains of despots and dictators as well as dirty corporate money they knowingly safe keep for the worlds rich scum and then freeze and give back to local governments.

100% correct.
Money has been frozen belonging to former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier - swissinfo
Family of late Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko set to retrieve money frozen in Swiss bank accounts. - swissinfo
Odious Debts - Switzerland has discovered thawing assets is tougher than freezing

Freezing assets here is easy. All it takes is a banker's suspicion of a client's ill-gotten gain and a quick call to the federal money-laundering office, and it's done.

That question comes up frequently in Switzerland. Trying to live down its history as a haven for the secret bank accounts of the world's bad guys, the Swiss have enacted stringent laws against money laundering in recent years. During the past decade, they have frozen more than $1 billion in ill-gotten accounts of potentates and crooks."We hope this gives us the opportunity to clearly show that anyone who is corrupt and puts money in Switzerland is at risk of being frozen," says Nicolas Michel, the foreign ministry's director of international law.

Switzerland is by no means a saint when it comes to banking, but not being an ignorant idiot helps too to understand the real role of Switzerland in the international banking business.

Yea, loverly people those Swiss, acting as Hitlers Laundrymen while denying access across their border to those with a J on their Passports. Still that was a long time ago and I am sure they have developed scruples since then

I hear that every Swiss man sleeps withe a gun under his bed, what are they afraid of now ?

^ Feisty little buggers them Kiwis.

Originally Posted by Panda

Feisty little buggers them Kiwis

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I guess you've never been to a pub with a bunch of humourless Maoris then?

Maori's are generally great, love 'em.
It's the Islanders who are the problem, and particularly Samoans.
Imagine a drunk, thick as a bag of rocks, 200LB guy.
I mean really fucking THICK those people.
Thick and drunk are not good combinations.