The factors underlying conflict are often structural and outside the control of the average citizen. Many factors lie beneath the surface and interact. What is visible is often just the conflicts. However, it is those who are suffering who have a chance to do something about it.
Continue readingSystemic Issues
EXPLAINER: The funnel concept of reduced available resources
The funnel concept, introduced by Karl-Henrik Robert Founder of the Swedish Natural Step, explains how increasing pressure on resources reduces the options of future generations to maintain a standard of living. Stress like that on populations radically increases conflict and undermines peaceful societies. In the diagram below, the width of the funnel represents the opportunities to continue society’s per capita resource usage. The depth of the funnel represents time. Continue reading
Global Inequality is Killing Us
Globalization has caused inequality. And inequality is one of the causes of conflicts and ill-health, both undermining peace. Yet global inequality is diminishing according to the general narrative. Jason Hickel points out how this is not true and lays out the structural causes of inequality and gives us suggestions to change it.
Environmental Fiscal Reform urgent if we are to build solid platform for peace
The topic of OECD policy discussions since the early 2000s, EFR, Environmental Fiscal Reform – a shift in economic policies to incentivize businesses to stay within ecological boundaries – is even more valid today in 2017.
Recent events point to the urgent need for reform: carbon emissions are on the rise; pollution is the biggest killer, the Paris Agreement is far from within reach and the nitrogen cycle is so badly broken that accumulated nitrates in rock threaten water supplies and aquatic environments. A societal system that exposes its citizens to these threats undermines the security that is a foundation stone of a culture of peace. Continue reading
Ecosystem Restoration for Mitigation of Natural Disasters: New publication
New publication: Ecosystem Restoration for Mitigation of Natural Disasters – Policy Brief
Degraded natural habitats increase the risk for natural disasters
Every year, natural disasters cause loss of lives and significant damage in the Nordic countries. Ecosystems in good condition have the ability to reduce the impacts of natural disasters. However, degradation of natural habitats has in many cases seriously damaged this ability. A recently concluded Nordic project ERMOND—Ecosystem Resilience for Mitigation of Natural Disasters—aimed to facilitate new thinking and new solutions in disaster risk management in the Nordic countries.
Restoring of degraded ecosystems is cheaper and more sustainable than traditional engineered solutions of disaster risk reduction
New Working Paper Provides Road Map for Restoration
Published in February 2017, a new working paper from SOFIA FARUQI AND FLORENCE LANDSBERG at the World Resources Institute gathers knowledge on how land restorers can attract finance for their project.
Restoring land can be a precursor to peace, creating livelihoods and community stability.
Illustration from WPRI’s Working Paper “Attracting Private Investment to Landscape Restoration: A Roadmap”.
The working paper is well-structured and detailed and comes with several illustrative examples of successful approaches.
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- Read more
- Download the paper here
- Meet the WRI at our Invest in Peace conference in July as well as potential investors.
Peace Story: Going local can build a foundation for peace
This video points to the essence of what’s wrong with the global economy and the multiple benefits of localisation. Localisation can ensure more have food on their table a roof over their head and are included in the local economy. Together with a personal understanding of peace this can build the foundation for a world in peace.
Local Futures & Economics of Happiness project works for the wellbeing of people & planet through a systemic shift to economic localization. Read more by following this link or their Peace Bank Entry.
The Economics of Happiness: preparing for a transition
These Videos are from talks given at the “The Economics of Happiness: Creating a More Equitable World” event organised by Initiatives of Change and Local Futures.
The session was based around the ideas of Helena Norberg-Hodge that designing an economy on a human scale can bring wealth, happiness and prosperity in an ecological way. She talked of the steps local, national and international, to getting there. Continue reading
A new narrative for the Economics of Happiness
London 14th September 2016, Initiatives of Change center:
At a recent workshop Helena Norberg-Hodge shared an alternative paradigm she calls the ‘economics of happiness’. Below is a trailer from a film Helena produced on the subject.
What if human well-being didn’t have to be at the expense of the environment? What if we could simultaneously increase genuine prosperity,reduce social inequality, and tackle climate change? With some simple economic shifts, all this becomes possible. That’s because so many of our current crises—financial, social and ecological—are linked to the scale of the economy. Localisation is a solution-multiplier that systemically reduces economic scale, creating benefits that ripple throughout society. In this day-long seminar, her talk highlighted human-scale economies and the steps—at the community, national, and international levels—that can bring us there.
Stephen Hinton provided his perspective from helping local initiatives in Sweden.
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How the system has failed, not us
In this extremely educative video from the BBC, economics professor Steve Keen explains how the system we live under has failed us. If we have have bad debts, they should be forgiven because they come more from the system rather than a lack of prudence on the part of the borrowers.
Steve also explains how rising violence comes from systemic faults that need to be addressed.
Read more on Steve’s website Debunking Economics