Revisiting positive peace using systems tools

Abstract

This paper looks at peace with an integrated perspective. As a state, peace cannot be measured directly and requires the use of proxies and indicators. This paper revisits the positive peace index (PPI) introduced by the Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP) through the lens of systems thinking and modeling. Three sets of systems tools (cross-impact analysis, network analysis, and system dynamics) are proposed to explicitly account for the different levels of influence and dependence among the eight domains used to determine the PPI at the country level. Although more comprehensive than the original IEP formulation, the integrated approach proposed herein requires decisionmakers to be systems thinkers and able to conduct a detailed analysis of how the eight domains influence (impact) or depend on (sensitive to) each other. The proposed approach allows decisionmakers to capture the multidimensional and cross-disciplinary nature of positive peace better. This paper also shows that the three components of peace (positive, negative, and cultural) initially proposed by Johan Galtung can be represented using three-dimensional geometric features.