By David Newman, February 8, 2016, published in Community News Commons
This is one in a series of dispatches from David G. Newman, who attended the recent Rotary World Peace Conference 2016 in Ontario, California. These stories are inspired by the organizers and presenters to this peace conference and are posted by Mr. Newman on CNC as part of the process of advancing Positive Peace in Winnipeg.
Trust Manomambe, leader of National Peace Trust.
Trust Manomombe, leader of National Peace Trust in Harare, Zimbabwe, reported to several hundred Rotarians attending a Rotarian Action Group for Peace workshop that the National Peace Trust is beginning to ready Zimbabwe for the post Mugabe regime. Robert Mugabe has served as the post-colonial dictator for 35 years. He is now 93 years old.
Their focus: where do we go from here?
They are adopting the Global Peace Index designed and championed by Steve Killilea from Australia nine years ago. Positive Peace is defined by the index as attitudes, institutes and structures that create and sustain a peaceful society.
Every year in June, a Global Peace Index ranking countries is released. The Global Peace Index now allies with Rotary International and The World Bank.
It will be used in Zimbabwe as a means to focus investments and measure their results towards achieving a Positive Peace framework. Such a framework is measured by eight pillars including reducing corruption, creating a sound business environment, good neighbourliness and respect for the rights of others and human capital.
A government and civil society summit is scheduled to take place in March of 2016. Mugabe is expected to be part of it.
Currently in the Global Peace Index, Zimbabwe ranks 158 of 162.
Global Peace Index Scores, 2015. Countries appearing with a deeper shade of green are ranked as more peaceful, countries appearing more red are ranked as less peaceful
In June 2016, Rotary Peace Fellow Alumnus Eduardo da Costa from Brazil, who is now an Arthur V. Mauro PhD candidate in Peace and Conflict Resolution, will as an Ambassador of the Global Peace Index, release publicly in Winnipeg the 2016 index report and explain it. Eduardo is also a member of Rotary World Peace Partners’ Peace Days Planning Committee.
Rotary World Peace Partners in Winnipeg is aiming to have grassroots and leader decision makers commit to Winnipeg becoming a Positive Peace Community and have its progress measured by a local version of the Global Peace Index in collaboration with The Peg.
The Peg is a creation of United Way and International Institute for Sustainable Development. This writer has linked The Peg to Steve Killelea and his team with this goal in mind.
Read the original article here.
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