Corporations

In the usual culture of peacemaking, corporations--especially large, multinational corporations--are regarded as neutral or even counterproductive to peacemaking. Especially arms companies, military contractors, private security corporations, and extractive industry companies are spoken of with fear and concern.

Let's put those types of corporations aside and simply consider business in general. According to many studies--but most recently work done by Steve Killelea's Vision of Humanity on the Global Peace Index--corporations and business have a great deal to gain from peace. Increased trade, increased standardization, decreased customs and immigration barriers, and growing markets all add up to a healthy climate for business and prosperity. As war-torn areas stabilize and grow, they create vast new opportunites for small, large and new businesses.

Corporations and business have a key role to play in creating world peace. The capabilities of large companies to influence policy, gain the trust of their customers, set new standards, and contribute in a thousand different ways are greatly needed.

Those companies that are considered supportive of war have even more to offer peace, and in many cases they also have more to gain. New peacekeeping technologies, logistical demands, transparency of origin of materials, all of that is extremely important to a new agreement in the world to abolish politically organized violence. Companies leading this movement will win peace contracts, gain new customers, and gain status.

P:5Y will lead "reverse boycotts." For instance, if there is a company working against peace, then we could all buy their products on the same day to demonstrate what is possible for that company in a peaceful world. Say Exxon is falling afoul of peace safety. Then, for one day, the entire peace army of P:5Y would buy Exxon products and ask Exxon to support world peace. Exxon would see a spike in their sales that day and know their customers are requesting them to be peaceful.

Let's all invite corporations to create peace with us. They will come along, hopefully sooner than later.