As part of our efforts to raise awareness about the UN
International Day of Peace
(21 September), International Alert commissioned a
YouGov survey to discover the British public's knowledge and awareness of peace
and conflict today. The survey was conducted in August 2006 and the results
were grim: nearly three-quarters of respondants felt the world is more violent
today than 50 years ago and that it will remain that way—or get
worse—in the next 50 years.
But the reality is that the number
of violent conflicts has declined by more than 40% since 1992 and is at the
lowest it has been since WWII, with the deadliest conflicts (those with 1000 or
more battle deaths) dropping by 80% in the past 15 years. The current pessimism
demonstrates how important it is for Alert and others to offer our ideas on how
peace is possibly achieved.
| Sample Size: a reporesentative sample of 1757
electors throughout Great Britain questioned online |
| Fieldwork: 22nd - 24th August
2006 |
| |
Total |
| Weighted N |
1757 |
| Unweighted N |
1757 |
| |
% |
| |
|
| In recent times, there have been many
international efforts aimed at helping poorer countries around the world
improve their conditions. Which TWO of the following challenges are the most
important for developing countries today? [Please select the two most
important] |
| Poverty |
47 |
| Health issues (e.g. HIV/ AIDS) |
45 |
| Peace and security |
32 |
| Education |
26 |
| Governance |
16 |
| Climate/ environment |
13 |
| Trade policy |
10 |
| Don’t know |
5 |
| |
|
|
|
| Compared with 50 years ago, do you think
the world today is, generally speaking, more or less violent? |
| Much more violent today |
39 |
| Somewhat more violent |
35 |
| The same |
18 |
| Somewhat less violent |
4 |
| Much less violent today |
0 |
| Don’t know |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
| Which of these types of violence concerns
you MOST today? |
| Violent crime here in Britain |
42 |
| Terrorism |
38 |
| War between states/ countries |
13 |
| Civil wars |
3 |
| Don’t know |
3 |
| None of the above |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
| How concerned are you about wars taking
place in other parts of the world, where British interests (e.g. troops or
ex-pat communities) are NOT involved? |
| Very concerned |
18 |
| Fairly concerned |
47 |
| Not very concerned |
21 |
| Not at all concerned |
4 |
| It’s not something I’ve thought
about |
6 |
| Don’t know |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
| As an individual, do
you feel you have any power in ending violent conflict in the
world? |
| Yes, there is a lot I can
do personally |
2 |
| There may well be things
that can be done but I don’t know what they are |
21 |
| No, there isn’t much
I can do personally |
69 |
| Don’t
know |
3 |
| I’ve never thought
about it |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
| Based on your own knowledge and
perceptions, how many wars – that is, armed conflicts between countries
and civil wars within countries – do you think are happening in the world
today? [Please type in a NUMBER, in figures, not in words] |
| None |
0 |
| 1 to 5 |
25 |
| 6 to 10 |
30 |
| 11 to 20 |
21 |
| 21 to 50 |
16 |
| 51 to 100 |
6 |
| Over 100 |
2 |
| Mean |
25 |
| Median |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
| When it comes to addressing armed
conflict around the world, which ONE of the following British Government
actions or policies would you most support? |
| More use of diplomacy, mediation and third
party negotiations |
34 |
| Increased support for local initiatives in the
conflict region |
15 |
| Increased humanitarian aid and relief
projects |
14 |
| Sending more troops for peacekeeping
missions |
13 |
| Don’t know |
12 |
| None of the above |
7 |
| Sending more troops to end violent
conflicts |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
| Based on what you know and what you have
heard and read about, which TWO of the following are the most common reasons
for wars between and within countries these days? [Please tick up to
two] |
| Religious differences |
70 |
| Oppressive or corrupt leaders and
governments |
42 |
| Racial differences |
22 |
| Land disputes |
19 |
| Economic and financial interests |
15 |
| Decisions by outside countries, such as
Britain, the United States, Russia and China |
9 |
| Disputes over natural resources such as
water |
4 |
| Poverty |
3 |
| The behaviour of international institutions
such as NATO, the United Nations and the European Union |
2 |
| Don’t know |
5 |
| |
|
|
|
| Compared with today, do you think the
world will become a more or less violent place in the next 50
years? |
| Much more violent in the future |
23 |
| Somewhat more violent in the future |
40 |
| The same |
23 |
| Somewhat less violent in the future |
4 |
| Much less violent in the future |
1 |
| Don’t know |
8 |
| |
|
|
|
| Do you feel the British
Government’s current approach to the ‘War on Terror’ is doing
more to encourage peace or instability across the globe? |
| It is doing more to encourage peace |
8 |
| It is doing more to encourage instability |
30 |
| It’s contributing equally to both peace
and instability |
27 |
| It makes little or no difference to either
peace or instability |
22 |
| Don’t know |
13 |
| |
|
|
|
| Do you feel the British
Government’s current approach to the ‘War on Terror’ is
making the UK a more dangerous place in which to live? |
| Yes, it is making the UK a more dangerous
place |
55 |
| No, it is making the UK a safer place |
10 |
| It makes little or no difference to safety in
the UK |
25 |
| Don’t know |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
| Are you familiar with the term
‘peacebuilding’? |
| Yes |
44 |
| No, I’ve never heard of it |
30 |
| I’ve heard of it but I don’t know
what it means |
26 |
| |
|
|
|
| Given what you and
other people know about armed conflict, does ‘peacebuilding’ sound
like something that friends of yours are likely to want to know more
about? |
| Yes |
41 |
| No |
34 |
| Don’t
know |
25 |
