A Comparison of Building Negative and Positive Peace

Definitions

Negative Peace

‘The absence of [direct] violence, absence of war’ Galtung (1964)

Positive Peace

‘A social condition in which exploitation is minimized or eliminated and in which there is neither overt violence nor the more subtle phenomenon of underlying structural violence’ Barash and Webel (2009)

Introduction

Global Peace Index

(GPI)

Measure of negative peace

Positive Peace Index

(PPI)

Measure of positive peace

Question - Can negative peace exist without positive peace and vice versa?

Internal Conflicts

Past:

- Communist Insurgency, 1948 - 1960

- Second Malaysian Emergency, 1968 - 1989

- Racial conflict, 1969 (Chinese and Malay)

Currently:

- terrorism threats

Terrorism

Militarisation

- threat: Jemaah Islamiyah (Muslim-Malay promoting

Islam, trained by Taliban)

aim: take over government

- hasn't suffered from serious incidents in years but

vulnerable to terrorist activity

- counter-terrorism programs (actions in accordance with

UN principles, ASEAN and international cooperation,

Internal Security Act etc.)

- Malaysian Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force

- Internal assistance (e.g. terrorism)

- UN peacekeeping missions

- promotes neutrality and non-interference

- military budget expected to almost double from 2008 ($4.4 bn.) to 2015 (Malaysia Business Forecast Report)

Malaysia

External Conflicts

Past:

- Konfrontasi conflict with Indonesia, 1963 - 1966

(territorial war)

Summary

Since 1950's:

- Thailand border conflict (religious

separatist movement)

---> ASEAN membership

- Malaysia does well in fostering negative

peace in forms of 'absence of war'

[successful application of Just War, negotiation, international treaties, domestic laws, UN peacekeeping]

- BUT #20 GPI justified due to other

criminal activity

http://www.visionofhumanity.org

GPI

Rank Country

1 Iceland

20 Malaysia

158 Somalia

...

References

GPI and PPI

Institute for Economics and Peace (2012) Global Peace Index: Institute for Economics and Peace, pp. 1-130. Available at: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content

Definitions

Barash, D.P and Webel, C.P (2009) ‘Peace and Conflict Studies’. 2nd edn. London: SAGE Publications, INC.

Ramsbotham, O. Miall, H. and Woodhouse, T. (2011) ‘Contemporary Conflict Resolution’. 3rd edn. Cambridge: Polity.

Malaysia

Funston, J. (2010) ‘Malaysia and Thailand’s Southern Conflict: Reconciling Security and Ethnicity’, Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International & Strategic Affairs, 32(2) pp. 234-257.

Business Monitor International Ltd (2011) ‘Malaysia Business Forecast Report’ 3, pp. 35-43, NEXIS [Online]. Available at: http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.leedsmet.ac.uk/ (Accessed 1 November 2012)

http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/md-counter_terrorism (No date) (Accessed: 31 October 2012)

Teo, A. (2012) New Mandela. Available at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandal/ (Accessed: 1 November 2012)

Gaultung, J. (1969) 'Violence, Peace and Peace Research' Journal of Peace Research, 6(3), pp.167-191.

Sweden

Fladmoe, A. (2012) ‘Mass political polarization and attitudes towards education as part of the Welfare State in Norway, Sweden and Finland’ Journal of European Social Policy, 22(1), pp.45-62, SAGEPREMIER2008. [Online] Available at http://esp.sagepub.com (Accessed: 27 October 2012)

Backman, O and Bergmark, A. (2011) ‘Escaping Welfare? Social assistance dynamics in Sweden’ Journal of European Social Policy, 21(5), pp.486-500, SAGEPREMIER2008. [Online] Available at http://esp.sagepub.com (Accessed: 27 October 2012)

U.S Department of State (2012) Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Available at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2880.htm (Accessed: 1 November 2012)

Facts and figures

http://www.worldbank.org/

Pictures

http://www.sgo.fi/Events/NordAuropt/

http://www.sweden.se

http://www.nordplusonline.org

http://www.flags.net/SWDN.htm

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content

http://www.bikyamasr.com/74961/malaysia-chinese-leader-urges-fly-national-flag-to-show-patriotism

A comparison of building ‘Negative’/’Positive’ Peace

Laura Isabella Brunke - Student I.D: 33347801

Alastair Railton - Student I.D: 33311779

Lars Richter - Student I.D: 33336549

Justine Marie Severs - Student I.D: 33342343

Acceptance of Rights

- 'the promotion and respect of human rights is a priority for Sweden'

(Universal Rights Index Report, 2010)

- To uphold human rights Sweden has used several action plans

- From these plans came many policies with the intentions to uphold:

• freedom of press
• freedom of religion
• freedom of expression

- It also included the countering of discrimination, violence against

women and the non-acceptance of torture

Education

Equitable Distribution of Resources

- 2007- 6.6% of GDP spent on education

- 2010 - 7.3% of GDP spent on education

(World Bank)

- Guarantees a place for all young children ages 1-6 in a public day

care facility

- From ages 7-16 children participate in compulsory education

- 90% attend upper secondary school

- Education is free except higher education

(U.S Department of State, 2012)

‘Sweden enjoys one of the highest standard of living in the world’ (U.S Department of State, 2012)

- Role model for how to organise an effective welfare state

- Goal = preventing the formation of an underclass

- 2007- 27.3% of GDP spent on public social expenditure

(OECD, 2011)

- Average of OECD countries = 19% of GDP

- High social spending countries have lower income inequality

Sweden

http://www.flags.net/SWDN.htm

Well-functioning Government

Relations with Neighbours

- Full democracy is the dominant concept within Swedish politics

(including high level of transparency, e.g. Freedom of Press Act)

- World Governance Indicator (WGI) showed Sweden has high levels

of Government effectiveness (98% in 2011) e.g. level of corruption

control 99% in 2011

- Sweden's strong political structure is a key foundation to

achieving positive peace

- Nordic Council of Ministers

- Council of the Baltic Sea

- Sweden is a member of the European

Union

- No tensions with neighboring

countries

http://www.sweden.se

http://www.nordplusonline.org

http://www.sgo.fi/Events/NordAuropt/

PPI

Rank Country

1 Sweden

20 Spain

108 Zimbabwe

...

Conclusion

Can negative peace exist without positive peace and vice versa?