Namibia’s peaceful nature pays off

NAMIBIA is a safe haven for both its citizens and investors, a new international survey has shown, ranking the country as the third most peaceful place in Africa.
The 2012 Global Peace Index (GPI), released by the Institute for Economics and Peace recently, also placed Namibia as the 48th most peaceful country out of 158 worldwide.

Namibia has gradually been climbing on the GPI over the past three years. Its overall score improved from 1,86 in 2010 to 1,85 in 2011 to 1,80 this year.The most peaceful country in the world in 2012 is Iceland with a score of 1,11. At 3,39, Somalia is the least peaceful.The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) said besides the physical, emotional, and societal benefits peace offer, it also holds the key to economic well-being.’If the world was completely peaceful in 2011, the additional economic impact would have been an estimated US$9 trillion (equal to the size of the German and Japanese economies combined),’ the IEP report said.The institute uses 23 separate indicators to gauge a country’s peacefulness. These include political instability, the violent crime level and the size of the defence budget.For the first time since the GPI’s launch in 2007, Sub-Saharan Africa wasn’t named as the least peaceful region in the world. ‘Although this is primarily due to the deterioration of peacefulness in the Middle East and North Africa, there are a number of areas where Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming more peaceful,’ the IECP said.Thirteen countries in the region have upped their peacefulness scores since 2009, most notably Chad, Zimbabwe, Mauritania and South Africa.The top three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, while the bottom three are Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe.Included in the GPI there is also a Positive Peace Index (PPI). According to the IEP, positive peace explains the appropriate attitudes, institutions, and structures which when strengthened, lead to a nation’s capacity to harmoniously and non-violently resolve conflict. Indicators used to measure a country’s positive peace ranking include how well a government is functioning, the soundness of the business environment, corruption levels, good relationships with neighbours and the free flow of information.Namibia’s PPI score for 2012 is 2,78, ranking it 53rd in the world.The IEP said the world has become ‘slightly more peaceful’ in the past year, reversing a two-year trend.’While a total elimination of violence may not be possible, an achievable 25 per cent reduction in violence could reap a peace dividend of at least US$2,25 trillion,’ the institute said.’This amount would easily cover the European Financial Stability Facility’s US$1 trillion allocation to deal with the European sovereign debt crisis while also covering the yearly cost of achieving the Millennium Development Goals,’ the IEP said.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.