According to the Global Peace Index, the "Land of Buddha" is less peaceful than “Christian” Europe
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) indicates that Nepal ranks 62nd out of 162 countries based on 22 factors like the level of violent crime, involvement in conflicts and the degree of militarisation.
Once again, the most peaceful country in the world is Iceland, and six out of the top ten are European.
For Nepali cultural expert KC Surendra, "Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha and Buddha is associated with peace, but today we see that the countries associated with Jesus Christ are more peaceful.”
“Perhaps, this is a sign that Christianity is going toward peace and harmony on Earth,” he added. “Pope Francis’ prayers and concerns for humanity’s peace have contributed to progress in many European countries."
"One cannot make a country peaceful just by saying that is the Buddha’s birthplace. We must work in solidarity,” he explained.
The IEP study shows that, although this is the most peaceful century in history, the rate of global peace has fallen considerably in the past seven years.
Since 2008, 111 countries have seen their levels of peace deteriorate, whilst only 51 have improved.
The country that has fared worse was Libya, which has "sunk into a low-level civil war between Islamist and nationalist groups," the report said.
Ukraine, which is not included in Europe but is in the Eurasia region, suffered the second biggest deterioration in its rating over the past year as pro-Russian separatists clashed with government forces.
"Europe maintained its position as the most peaceful region in the world, supported by a lack of domestic and external conflicts," the report said.
War-ravaged Syria remained at the bottom of the rankings with Iraq second to last place.
The United States is in the bottom half of the index, scoring badly in terms of militarisation, homicides and fear of violence. However, its ranking improved somewhat from a year earlier, rising from 101st place to 94th.
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29/01/2016 20:31
