Steve Killelea

So what we did is we got, I don't know, something like, it's over 25,000 different data sets, indexes, attitudinal surveys.

So we did a whole lot of statistical analysis to understand what are the factors

which are most associated with highly peaceful societies.

And that's what we call positive peace, for want of a better word.

It needed a different description for peace other than just peace.

And so then we turned that around in an index.

And once we did that, we could then very easily see how these factors affected other things we think are important.

So countries which are improving in positive peace and high in positive peace, or one or the other,

on average over the last 60 years, we've had 2% per annum higher GDP growth rates.

Believe me, that's a lot.

That really is a lot as you start to compound it over 50 years.

You find that interest rates are lower.

Inflation rates are lower and less varied.

Foreign direct investments about twice as high.

Sovereign debt ratings were also performed better.

So many, many ways we found that these strong relationships between economics and peace, which for us was staggering.

So this work now sort of giving presentation, the International Chamber of Commerce, we're working with the World Trade Organization.

using this research and a number of different fund managers around the world to create better products for targeting which countries are going to have the highest GDP growth in the future.

But other things came out of it too, like measures of well-being, high measures of well-being and happiness are statistically associated with positive peace.

Better performance of measures of ecology, better measures of inclusion, including gender.