Spend More On education, Less On Weapons

                      This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the incomplete title above was published in December 2021 at https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-2022-peace-message-spend-more-education-less-weapons. The second was published in December 2021 at  https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-2022-peace-message-spend-more-education-less-weapons. The third was published in April 2021 at  https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2021/world-military-spending-rises-almost-2-trillion-2020 

                     Pope Francis urged global leaders to spend more money on education and devote fewer resources to weapons in his 2022 World Day of Peace message. "It is high time, then, that governments develop economic policies aimed at inverting the proportion of public funds spent on education and on weaponry," the pope writes in a message released on December 17th. "The pursuit of a process of international disarmament can only prove beneficial for the development of peoples and nations, freeing up financial resources better used for healthcare, schools, and so forth," he continued. In his introduction to the three-page text, the pope laments that despite efforts aimed at fostering the conditions for peace, "the deafening noise of war and conflict is intensifying. The pope continues by offering a grim assessment of the state of world affairs. "Diseases of pandemic proportions are spreading, the effects of climate change and environment degradation are worsening, the tragedy of hunger is increasing, and an economic model based on individualism rather than on solidary sharing continues to prevail," he writes. Francis goes on to argue that education must be viewed as an investment, rather than an expenditure, which he says is vital for promoting integral human development. Such investment, the pope says, "make individuals more free and responsible, and they are essential for the defense and promotion of peace." Greater educational training, he continues, will help facilitate more dignified employment opportunities in the labor market, which he says will also help counter the rise of violence and crime around the globe.                                                                                                                                         Teaching and education are the foundations of a cohesive civil society capable of generating hope, prosperity and progress. Military expenditures, on the other hand, have increased beyond the levels at the end of the cold war and they seem certain to grow. It is my hope that investment in education will also be accompanied by greater efforts to promote the culture of care, which, in the face of social divisions and unresponsive institutions, could become a common language working to break down barriers and build bridges. The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected the labour market, which was already facing multiple challenges. In a particular way, the impact of the crisis on the informal economy, which often involves migrant workers, has been devastating. Many of the latter are not even recognized by national legislation. Currently only one third of the world's population of working age enjoys a system of social protection. The answer to this is an expansion of dignified employment opportunities. In light of this, there is a need to promote, welcome and support initiatives that, on all levels, urge companies to respect human rights, raising awareness not only on the part of institutions, but also among consumers. Here, politics is called to play an active role by promoting a fair balance between economic freedom and justice. As we seek to combine our efforts in order to emerge from the pandemic, I renew my thanks to all those who continue to work with generosity in the areas of education, safety and protection of rights.                                                                                                 Total global military expenditure increased 2.6% from 2019, according to new data published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The five biggest spenders in 2020, which together accounted for 62% of global military expenditure, were the U.S., China, India, Russia and the U.K. Military spending by China grew for the 26th consecutive year. "We can say with some certainty that the pandemic did not have a significant impact on global military in 2020. It remains to be seen whether countries will maintain this level of military spending through a second year of the pandemic." Said Diego Lopes, Researcher with the SIPRI. In 2020 U.S. military expenditure reached an estimated $778 billion, representing an increase of 4.4% over 2019. As the world's largest military spender, the U.S. accounted for 39% of total military spending. China's military expenditure, the second highest in the world, is estimated to have totalled $252 billion in 2020. This represents an increase of 76% over the decade 2011-20. Nearly all members of the NATO saw their military burden rise in 2020. France, for example, the 8th biggest spender globally, passed the 2% of its GDP on its military for the first time since 2009. The U.K. became the 5th largest spender in 2020. The U.K.'s military spending was 2.9% higher than in 2019. Germany increased its spending by 5.2% in 2020, making it the 7th largest spender in 2020. Military expenditure in South America fell by 2.1% to $43.5 billion in 2020. The decrease was largely due to a 3.1% drop in spending by Brazil, the South America's largest military spender.