CEO Paul Wood represented Pax Mondial in a debate during the June 29th launch of the 2011 Failed States Index (FSI) in Washington, D.C. The event was co-presented by the Fund for Peace and Business Executives for National Security, and hosted by the National Press Club.
The FSI is a leading index that annually highlights current trends in social, economic and political pressures that affect all states, but can strain some beyond their capacity to cope. Apart from the impact on their people, fragile and failed states present the international community with a variety of challenges. In today’s world, with its globalized economy, information systems and security challenges, pressures on one fragile state can have serious repercussions not only for that state and its people, but also for its neighbors and other states halfway across the globe.
The 2001 launch event included a keynote address by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, who spoke on the challenges that fragile and failed states pose for the international community. The debate centered on the motion that “failed states are a product of modern globalization.” Paul argued against the motion with partner Arvind Subramanian, of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Center for Global Development. A poll of the audience before and after the debate indicated that the “negative” side won.
Details of the event can be found here: http://www.fundforpeace.org/global/?q=node/115.
More information on the Failed States Index can be found here: http://www.fundforpeace.org/global/?q=fsi-grid2011.
