love30stm

100% Pure New Zealand New Zealand has just been ranked #1 most peaceful country in the world. Check the link below to see how we topped the Global Peace Index for the second year running. Not that we're competitive about it or anything! Ommm...

http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2010/scor/

JohnThePom

I dunno if it means anything, but it's cool nonetheless

Genesis

AND that is why I am sooooooooooooooo content here. The peace. I went to a cottage 30 mins out of Okahune....it was so tranquil you could slice it and put in a bag. In nigh on 52 yrs of life never have I seen such raw beauty and quiet and stillness. NZ is a truly unique place, probably the best place on earth to live in the ways of room, space and just being able to alight from the throng that is everyday life. God bless NZ. I can thoroughly recommend said cottage which sleeps 9 and is a gorgeous mix of bohemia and 5 star luxury.

love30stm

Sounds wonderfull! I feel lucky to live here

Auskiwi

That's why I'm returning next year!

How many Aussies have you met that would rather be in NZ?!!

gocebe

N.Z. is peaceful for whom?

Very high assault mortality rate (particularly of women and children).
Very high level of domestic violence.
High suicide rate (especially among young people).

It would seem that much of the violence in N.Z. happens behind closed doors so at least it won't affect tourism too much eh?

Genesis

All what you have typed is totally true. NZ has some awful stats. Really bloody awful. It is very, very sad. Fortunately the above only touches the very, very unlucky. Those ugly stats do not stop NZ being a wonderful backwater in a crowded world. A place where the beach is always empty and where ever you go in the main there will be few people.

There is little me or anyone living here can do about those 3 stats. For some reason sucide is taboo and won't be allowed into the open arena. The child mortality rates re assault are known to be limited to pretty much one ethnicity. That is another rotten, ugly fact. Alas the leaders of this ethnicity seem more worried about the Foreshore and Seabed Act and do little about it. It always amazes me when another poor innocent child dies those who could do summat about it who have the ear of this group of people decide to keep quiet.

NZ also has a rotten road death toll every year. We also have rotten drinking stats, we also have gangs that are up to no good. BUT NZ for the most of us is a peaceful place. In 5 years I have had no crime in my neighbourhood. In Northants (NN1) it was daily. If you are involved in any of the latter shite NZ must be the worst place on earth. But as I mentioned earlier most of us have little to do thankfully with the ugly side on NZ.

I'm alright attitude? Maybe, but what can you do??

Expat Kiwi

When you say in your neighbourhood do you mean in the street in which you live and the surrounding area, or within Palmerston North as a city?

http://www.infonews.co.nz/default.cfm?l=96&t=102

I think it's safe to say that crime exists all over the world and if we each pick our piece of turf with care we all reduce our chances of experiencing it, no matter which country we're in. Surely we can all find a little oasis, a piece of paradise in most places?

Expat Kiwi

I think that the family of Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell will see the irony in this.

Genesis

Palmy has loads of crime just like everywhere. We have some horrible crimes going on. I mean in my locale with regards to being 'crime free'. I live in a very, very low crime area. We are in a cul de sac off 2 others. The main cul de sac is almost impossible to find as it is off an off ramp to a dual carriageway which thankfully is far enough from our home to neither see or hear. Most people can never find us unless they have a sat nav. I have found my paradise in amongst the anonimity and mediocrity of the dull suburbia that is palmy. It makes NN1 look like Kabul on a bad day. Dull and suburban as it may be it affords me and my family the utter luxury of peace, quiet and tranquility and no prositutes, menacing youths, drug takers or drunken louts outside my front door which was life in NN1.

Genesis

Not sure what the point was re the link?? I do realise that crime happens here. I did not say 'Palmerston North the crime free capital of NZ'.

hazeandsteve

Surely if he'd been here he would have been slightly less likely to be blown up by a roadside bomb.
Kind of implies that NZ is a bit more peaceful wouldn't you say?

Expat Kiwi

If New Zealand were more peaceful why was he there in the first place?

One has to question exactly what is meant by peaceful and how New Zealand can be judged to be any more peaceful than another country. What makes it more peaceful than Switzerland, for example?

I think that there is a danger in just accepting surveys like this without question, better surely to take them with a healthy dose of pragmatism?

Genesis

[QUOTE=Expat Kiwi;8784810]If New Zealand were more peaceful why was he there in the first place?

QUOTE]

NZ I believe has a commitment to actively be supportive to some of the conflicts her allies are involved in. It is about sharing an unpleasant duty rather than saying 'we did not start it..you sort it' I don't think it's a very good argument saying ' If Nz were peaceful why was he there? '

Shit happens and NZ as a country has global responsibilities. Please remember more importantly that all these soldiers choose to join and one assumes they want to do it.....otherwise why join? They all realise the possibility that they will face danger. Bit like when I was plod I was never surprised when I was offered violence, it just went with the job. I could have easily stayed well safe as a sales rep, but I did not want to.

Bo-Jangles

Ask the 1.2 million people in Auckland if they think NZ is peaceful. I was thinking just the other day, how tranquil and peaceful those souped up monstrosity boy racer cars are.

Since the survey has nothing to do with 'PEACE' in the way you describe it, you are barking up the wrong tree. It is mostly about, war, arms, numbers of military conflicts, military expenditure and capability, thus yes therefore NZ is a peaceful nation.

One other measure is the numbers of people in prison - NZ is equal with UK in this stat. Similarly with the homicide rate per 100,000 people - hmmn same score!!

Which makes a total mockery for the statistics around 'perceived' criminality, for which tips the balance highly in NZ's favour. Well ha ha blooming ha, how many people 'think' that NZ has a less criminal element than another country?

NZ does better than Switzerland in the peace stakes, because apparently Swizerland manufactures and exports a lot of arms and seemingly on a per capita basis they are armed to the teeth with heavy weapons.