Global Peace Education Network urges shift from war spending to peace education

By AI, Created 5:02 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Global Peace Education Network is calling world leaders to invest in peace education as violence cost the global economy $17.5 trillion in 2025, according to figures cited from the Institute for Economics & Peace. The group says teaching conflict resolution, nonviolence and human rights is essential to reversing worsening global peacefulness and building a Culture of Peace.

Why it matters: - Violence drained $17.5 trillion from the world economy in 2025, equal to about $2,200 per person worldwide. - Countries hit hardest by conflict have seen GDP fall by as much as 30% in a single year. - Peacekeeping spending is at its lowest share of military spending in more than two decades, at 0.52% in 2024. - The Global Peace Education Network says those numbers show governments and institutions are prioritizing war over long-term stability.

What happened: - The Global Peace Education Network, or GPEN, urged citizens and leaders worldwide to shift resources toward peace education. - The group said the goal is to build a Culture of Peace through education at every level. - GPEN linked its call to the United Nations’ 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace. - The organization framed the appeal as urgent because armed violence is at a tipping point.

The details: - GPEN said peace education should be integrated into homes, classrooms, communities and public spaces. - David Weinberg, GPEN executive director, said peace education should become as fundamental as reading and mathematics from early childhood through university. - Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, GPEN advisory council president, said the Culture of Peace is an active process built on dialogue, mutual understanding and skills in nonviolence, equality and human rights. - Chowdhury said peace cannot be outsourced and must be owned by people, not only governments. - Kehkashan Basu, founder and president of Green Hope Foundation and a GPEN advisory council member, said societies normalize either militarization or empathy, critical thinking and dialogue. - Dr. Lisa Worth Huber, president of the National Peace Academy and vice-president of the GPEN board, pointed to harms including family separation, racial inequities, threats to worship places and attacks on the LGBTQ community. - Mabingue Ngom, GPEN global ambassador and board member, said the world must move from preparing for war to investing in peace education. - GPEN described itself as a volunteer-driven, multinational nonprofit formed in 2021 and incorporated in 2022. - GPEN said it works with more than 1,100 organizations across every continent. - GPEN is a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - GPEN included its website as more information.

Between the lines: - The release pairs economic-loss data with an education-first policy argument, aiming to recast peacebuilding as a practical investment rather than a moral appeal alone. - By citing schools, families and communities, GPEN is pushing for a broad social strategy instead of a narrow diplomatic one. - The repeated focus on youth suggests GPEN sees long-term behavior change as the most realistic path to reducing violence.

What’s next: - GPEN is positioning itself to expand outreach to educators, civil society groups and governments. - The group is pressing leaders to fund peace education as part of wider violence-prevention efforts. - GPEN’s message suggests the next phase is advocacy for curriculum adoption and local organizing around peacebuilding.

The bottom line: - GPEN’s central claim is simple: lasting peace will require systematic teaching, not just ceasefires and security spending.