The Eight Principles of Positive Peace
An interconnected framework of attitudes, institutions, and structures — based on the Institute for Economics and Peace — that create and sustain peaceful societies.
Eight Interconnected Pillars
Developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace, these eight pillars represent the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. Select any pillar to explore it in depth.
Click any segment to explore the principle
Well-functioning governments are accountable to their citizens, transparent in their operations, and inclusive of all voices in decision-making. Good governance ensures institutions serve the common good, uphold the rule of law, and deliver services equitably. Without it, societies become vulnerable to corruption, exclusion, and structural violence — the preconditions for conflict.
How the Pillars Interconnect
The eight pillars of Positive Peace do not operate in isolation. They form a dynamic, mutually reinforcing system — strengthening one pillar creates positive ripple effects across all others.
“Positive Peace is not merely the absence of violence — it is the presence of the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.”
— Institute for Economics and Peace
Governance & Institutions
Strong institutions reinforce good governance, and accountable leadership in turn builds institutional credibility — a virtuous cycle that compounds over time.
Rights & Social Cohesion
When every person's rights are protected, social trust deepens. And where communities are cohesive, their collective defence of rights becomes far stronger.
Information & Economic Opportunity
Free-flowing information enables informed economic decisions, transparent markets, and entrepreneurship — the building blocks of inclusive economic opportunity.
Environment & All Pillars
Environmental sustainability underpins every other pillar. Resource scarcity and climate stress threaten governance, rights, social cohesion, and economic opportunity alike.
Put the Principles Into Practice
Understanding the framework is the beginning. Explore how we translate these eight pillars into real-world programmes and resources.