The Global Peace Index (GPI) is the flagship publication of the Institute for Economics & Peace and is now on its fifteenth edition. The GPI presents a comprehensive analysis of trends in peace worldwide, the economic value of peace and how to develop peaceful societies. The GPI measures the levels of Negative Peace, which is the absence of violence or fear of violence. Negative Peace is a complement of Positive Peace, which is defined as the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.

Our virtual panel discussion will focus on the latest trends in peacefulness as well as understanding the concepts of Peace.

Leading the panel in discussion are Serge Stroobants, Director Europe and MENA from the Institute for Economics & Peace.

Serge is joined by is joined by Dr Andrew Thomson from the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and Enda Young of the William J Clinton Leadership Institute.

Serge Stroobants

Serge Stroobants is the Director of Europe and MENA region at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Brussels, Belgium.

Mr Stroobants specialises in political science, security and defence, counter terrorism, global risk analysis and crisis management. He bases his expertise on 30 years of experience in the security and defence domain underpinned by an extensive academic background with degrees from the Belgian Royal Military Academy, the Free University of Brussels, Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, the German General Staff College and Vesalius College.

Enda Young

Enda is a highly experienced conflict resolution facilitator and trainer who specialises in negotiation, mediation and experiential learning.

Mr Young is a programme director and executive coach at the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute and leads the Negotiation and Influencing Skills, Aspiring Leaders and many organisational custom programmes and leadership interventions.

Dr Andrew Thomson

Andrew is a lecturer in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics and a fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice.

His research interests include pre-government militias and civilian defence forces, dynamics of violence in civil war, the Colombian conflict and peace process and also works on ex-combatant dialogue in Colombia.

The panel will review the findings of the annual Global Peace Index (GPI) report, and discuss in particular the outlook for our part of the world.