A new study undertaken by India's strategic Foresight Group, backed by governments or other agencies in Norway, Qatar, Switzerland and Turkey has concluded that twenty years of conflict in the Middle East has cost the region $U12 trillion. Well well well, tell us something we have not suspected already!!

The study added that unless the conflicts are resolved, the costs will continue to rise. Sundeep Waslekar, the group's president and one of the report's authors take on the situation is that "The choice they have to make is the choice between the danger of devastation and the promise of peace,"... Again tell us something we have not already deducted Mr Sundeep.

The report suggests that  peace combined with good governance and sound economic policies would allow some countries to grow at 8%.

One of the main conclusions of the report is that individuals in most countries earn half as much as they would have been if peace had taken off in 1991.
"Incomes per head in Israel next year would be $44,241 with peace against a likely $23,304. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip they would be $2,427 instead of $1,220.
For Iraq, income per head next year is projected at $2,375, one quarter of the $9,681 that would have been possible without the conflicts of the past two decades.  "

The report covers many sides of the conflict however the one thing the report does not detail is how to achieve peace and therefore economic prosperity especially in light of the recent events in Gaza.

Any genius has a report on how this can be achieved?

By Sil