Institute For Economics And Peace

THE INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE (IEP) IS AN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE DEDICATED TO BUILDING A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BUSINESS, PEACE AND ECONOMICS, WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF PEACE.

LAST YEAR WAS A STRONG YEAR FOR IEP IN THE US AND ACROSS THE AMERICAS. IT WAS THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF NORMALCY AFTER THE PANDEMIC AND A WELCOME RETURN TO A HIGH VOLUME OF IN-PERSON SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIP DISCUSSIONS. SEVERAL RESEARCH CONTRACTS ALLOWED US TO HAVE AN INCREASING IMPACT IN THE MULTILATERAL AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE SPHERE. THIS WORK WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COMING YEAR, COMPLEMENTED WITH OTHER RESEARCH AND POSITIVE PEACE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL PIPELINE. MEXICO OPERATIONS IN MEXICO CONTINUED TO GROW IN 2022/23 CULMINATING IN THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF THE 2023 MEXICO PEACE INDEX, WHICH WAS WELL RECEIVED, AMPLY PROMOTED AND PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SENIOR DECISION MAKERS ACROSS A NUMBER OF MEXICAN STATES. MEXICO WORKSHOPS THE MEXICO OFFICE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED ON TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT OF JALISCO, SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT MUNICIPAL PEACE COUNCILS AND STRATEGIES. THIS WORK WILL BE EXPANDED OVER THE COMING YEAR AND OFFERS THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE POSITIVE PEACE IN THE STATES DEVELOPMENT PLAN. POSITIVE PEACETHE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH WORLD VISION HAS SOLIDIFIED OVER THE YEAR, INCLUDING POSITIVE PEACE TRAINING FOR FAITH LEADERS IN IRAQ AND STAFF TRAINING ACROSS MULTIPLE OFFICES. POSITIVE PEACE COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS IN COLOMBIA CONTINUED, INCLUDING A WORKSHOP TO SUPPORT RECONCILIATION BETWEEN VICTIMS OF THE CONFLICT AND REINTEGRATED GUERRILLA FIGHTERS FROM THE FARC. WORKSHOPS WERE DELIVERED ACROSS THE US, INCLUDING AMONG MANY OTHERS THE NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION AND TRINITY COLLEGE, A DC UNIVERSITY DEDICATED TO PROVIDING AFFORDABLE TERTIARY EDUCATION FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. FROM A RESEARCH AND POLICY PERSPECTIVE POSITIVE PEACE CONTINUES TO GAIN TRACTION AND IT WAS REFERENCED FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN UN AND US GOVERNMENT CIRCLES, INCLUDING DURING EARLY PLANNING OF STRATEGIES RELATES TO THE US GOVERNMENT GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT. GLOBAL PEACE INDEXTHE 17TH EDITION OF THE GLOBAL PEACE INDEX WAS RELEASED IN JUNE 2023. THE MAIN US LAUNCH EVENT IN DC WAS WELL-ATTENDED AND WAS FOLLOWED BY A NUMBER OF SMALLER EVENTS IN NY AND ELSEWHERE. INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS IN SPANISH FOR LATIN AMERICAN AUDIENCES AND PRIVATE BRIEFINGS FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERS ACROSS THE WORLD. THE GLOBAL PEACE INDEX WAS RELEASED DURING A TIME OF SIGNIFICANT UNREST, INCLUDING THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE, ETHIA, MYANMAR AND OTHERS. THE TIMING LED TO A NUMBER OF RADIO AND ONLINE TV AND PODCAST INTERVIEWS AND ONE OF THE STRONGEST RELEASES OF THE GPI YET. GLOBAL TERRORISM INDEXTHE PERIOD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RELEASE OF THIS REPORT INCLUDED MULTIPLE STRATEGIC BRIEFINGS, INCLUDING AT THE UN SECRETARIAT IN COLLABORATION WITH UNOCT, AT THE PENTAGON FOR SPECIALIZED TEAMS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, WITH STATE DEPARTMENT AND NYPD COUNTER TERRORISM TEAMS, AND IN CANADA, INCLUDING THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT AND AN ACADEMIC EVENT WITH THE MONTREAL INSTITUTE OF GENOCIDE STUDIES. THE RESEARCH WAS LEVERAGED CONSIDERABLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND A PARTNERSHIP WAS SIGNED WITH UNOCT TO CONTRIBUTE FURTHER RESEARCH AND INFORM UN CT AND PVE PREVENTION PLANNING THROUGH POSITIVE PEACE.ROTARYTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IEP HAS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT ROTARY ACTIVATORS, CLUBS AND DISTRICTS IN THE SOCIALIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POSITIVE PEACE. NUMEROUS PRACTICAL COLLABORATIONS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, NOT ONLY IN THE US BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT LATIN AMERICA, NOTABLY IN MEXICO VIA A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM REACHING 4 COMMUNITIES WITH THE AIM OF INCREASING SECURITY WHILE BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A MORE DURABLE PEACE. REACHIEP STAFF IN THE US AND MEXICO TEAMS HAVE LED OR PARTICIPATED IN OVER 104 DIFFERENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ACROSS THE FINANCIAL YEAR REACHING OVER 3,500 PEOPLE. IN LATIN AMERICA, IEP PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF IN-PERSON SEMINARS IN COLOMBIA AND PERU AND VIRTUALLY ENGAGED WITH NEW AUDIENCES IN OTHER COUNTRIES.