List of World's Most Peaceful Countries Released

The 2011 Global Peace Rankings were released this morning, and for the first time, Canada was in the top 10, placing 8th. The Global Peace Index ranks countries around the world by the following criteria: crime, terrorism, government, democracy and human rights. The rest of the top 10 include: Japan, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Slovenia and Iceland taking the top spot. Some people have argued about Canada being included in the top 10 because o the violent protests that occurred during the G20 summit last summer, but the creators of the index have indicated that the protests were a "one-time blip."

This is in contrast to the United States placing an astonishing 82nd on the index. This ranks the United States below countries such as China and Cuba. The creators have stated the the U.S. "reflects much higher levels of militarization and involvement in external conflicts than its northern neighbour." The countries at the bottom of the list include: Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia taking last place.

To me, this is a very proud moment to be Canadian and to be thankful to live in a place as peaceful as we do. It is always good to know that we enjoy a high level of freedom, as it is something we must never take for granted.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/996268--canada-among-10-most-peaceful-countries?bn=1