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The Global Nonkilling Index (GNI) has been launched with the publication of the research paper titled – ‘A Global Nonkilling Index as a Critical Measure of Human Development and Progress’ by the International Journal on World Peace, Volume XXXV No. 3, September 2018.

This index (Global Nonkilling Index) reflects an advanced method of indexing peace by looking at “killing” beyond traditional murder rates, to includes suicide, capital punishment, and battlefield death rates – Gordon L. Anderson, Editor in Chief, International Journal on World Peace

The capital punishment rate is a symbol of either an excessively harsh and inhumane regime or a social system that produces excessive criminal behavior. The suicide, or self-killing rate, correlates with the frustration and despair of a society. Battlefield deaths for defense of a state are justifiable, but are also the consequence of regimes that send young men to die for less noble purposes. Combining statistics on all these forms of killing into a global nonkilling index provides a more accurate overall picture of which states are the most peaceful and happy, the Editor in Chief points out adding the authors, Katyayani Singh and Anoop Swarup provide for us a 2015 Nonkilling Index. The World Health Organization only collects data for suicide rates every five years.

Because a nonkilling index provides a better correlation to peace in a broader context than simple murder rates, the adoption of a nonkilling index, will hopefully encourage the collection of more data on killing in any form every year by the World Health Organization and others.

The paper fosters a “nonkilling” world view in contrast to “nonviolence” as a path to universal peace. Nonkilling, not as a metaphor but a finite reality in infinite reverence to life, is measurable and achievable and can be targeted to measure human development and progress. The present paper is an attempt to develop an index based on critical elements, scientific rationale, and dispassionate analysis of a country’s specific characteristics such as homicide, suicide, battle related deaths, internal armed conflict deaths and also capital punishment. The data has been obtained from reliable sources that are transparent and verifiable. It is recommended by the authors that a Global Nonkilling Index (GNI) to promote positive and structured “Affirmative Nonkilling” can be an important measure for human progress and development.’

Conclusion

In this index, out of five parameters, two parameters, Suicide and Capital Punishment, have been highlighted which are considered to be the factors contributing to the peace and happiness of a society. Ironically these have failed to find their place in those indexes that are particularly built to measure peace and happiness of a country. The purpose of the index is to show that despite economic prosperity of nations, killings in different forms continue undermining the peace, prosperity, and development of a nation. This index would help in creating such approaches that can only be adopted once the nations are aware of the kind and extent of killing(s) being faced by them. Thus in order to have a better erspective, a Global Nonkilling Index (GNI) will not only foster an affirmative nonkilling approach towards positive peace but also promote a different approach and paradigm needed in solving societal problems.

Click here to access the paper

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Publishing details: International Journal on World Peace, Volume XXXV No. 3, September 2018.Gordon L. Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal on World Peace, Paragon House, 3600 Labore Rd., Suite 1 St. Paul, MN 55110 (651) 644-3087.

Katyayani Singh is a Doctoral Candidate at Jagran Lakecity University in Political Science.

Dr. Anoop Swarup is the Chairperson of the Centre for Global Nonkilling and Vice
Chancellor of Jagran Lakecity University. He has over 38 years of distinguished service as
strategy and peace activist, life scientist, futurist, and as civil servant in India, Australia, and
the UN. Among his notable books are Aloha and Arcadia Book of Poems, Give Nonviolence
a Chance, and Indian Civilization through the Millennium. He is recipient of the Hiroshima
Peace Award, Japan, and the Presidential Award, Republic of India.