Fintech PR
According to Institute for Economics & Peace, Terrorism gets worse as global conflicts drive risk of new wave
- Deaths caused by terrorism increased by 22% to 8,352, the highest level since 2017.
- Attacks are more deadly as the number of terrorist incidents fell by 22% to 3,350, and number of countries reporting an incident fell to 50.
- In 2023, the US accounted for 76% of terrorism-related deaths in Western democracies, amid a 15-year low in incidents.
- The epicenter of terrorism has shifted out of the Middle East and into the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, which now accounts for over half of all deaths from terrorism.
- Burkina Faso suffered the worst impact from terrorism, with deaths increasing by 68% despite attacks decreasing by 17%.
- Iraq recorded the largest improvement in the last decade with deaths from terrorism falling by 99% since the 2007 peak, to 69 in 2023.
- The impact of terrorism has become increasingly concentrated, with ten countries accounting for 87% of total terrorism-related deaths.
- Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.
LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Despite the Hamas attacks of October 7th, the number of terrorist incidents fell in the Middle East, along with North Africa, Europe and North America. The central Sahel region has conclusively overtaken the Middle East as terrorism’s epicentre with Islamic State (IS) and Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), a franchise of Al-Qaeda, being the most active terrorist organisations.
The Global Terrorism Index 2024 (GTI) highlights that terrorism remains a serious global threat, with total deaths from terrorism increasing by 22% to 8,352 in 2023, now at their highest since 2017. Even when excluding the October 7th attacks, deaths would still have increased by 5%. This is despite terrorist incidents decreasing by 22% to 3,350, resulting in a 56% increase in the average number of people killed per attack. This is the worst rate in almost ten years.
The GTI is produced by the leading international think tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and has been published annually for the last eleven years. It is the most comprehensive resource on global terrorism trends and uses multiple factors to calculate its score, including the number of incidences, fatalities, injuries and hostages, and combines it with conflict and socio-economic data to provide a holistic picture of terrorism.
Terrorism is becoming more concentrated with the number of countries recording a death from terrorism falling to 41, considerably lower than the peak of 57 countries recorded in 2015 and the 44 countries in 2022.
Burkina Faso suffered the worst impact from terrorism in 2023, with deaths increasing by 68% despite attacks decreasing by 17%. Terrorism in the country has deteriorated every year since 2014. Neighbouring Mali and Niger were also deeply impacted in 2023.
Pakistan recorded the most incidents of any country, with 490 attacks that resulted in 689 deaths. This is the fourth successive year where both deaths and incidents have increased in the country. Iraq recorded the largest improvement in the last decade with deaths from terrorism falling by 99% since its peak in 2007, to 69 in 2023.
The deadliest terrorist incident in 2023 was the October 7th Hamas-led attack in Israel which killed 1,200 people. Its consequences are still unfolding, with more than 30,000 Palestinians killed from Israel’s military operation by mid-February 2024.
Terrorism is not the deadliest form of violence in the world. Armed conflict results in nine times more fatalities than terrorism, homicide over 45 times more, and deaths from suicide 72 times higher. However, terrorism has a uniquely disturbing psychological and social impact intended to traumatize the whole of society, rather than the individual.
Steve Killelea, Founder & Executive Chairman, IEP:
“The last twelve months resulted in the most lives lost to terrorism than in any period since 2017. Conflict remains the primary driver of terrorism, yet most wars in the 21st century have been unwinnable and very costly. Terrorism also thrives in areas of political instability; it is imperative that current political tensions and minor conflicts do not escalate and that current conflicts are resolved, otherwise further increases in terrorism are likely.
Globally, we have seen real gains in recent years in our fight against terrorism, particularly in Western democracies. However, left unchecked regional instabilities could fan the flames of a new wave of terrorism. It is therefore important that global policymakers focus international efforts to address the current global conflicts and prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading”.
Terrorism in Western Democracies
Terrorism incidents in Western democracies recorded a drop of 55% compared to the previous year. There were 23 attacks that resulted in 21 fatalities, marking a 15-year low. However, the US recorded 76% of these fatalities from seven attacks. Five of these attacks were linked to individuals with far-right beliefs yet none had an affiliation with a far-right group. Religiously motivated terrorism has dropped significantly.
In OECD countries, many of which are Western democracies, socio-economic factors such as youth unemployment, military expenditure, lack of confidence in the press and lower inequality-adjusted life expectancy correlate significantly with the GTI.
Regional instability in the Middle East
Tensions between Palestine and Israel prior to the conflict were at an all-time high and the security situation in Israel had been deteriorating. Over 2,500 instances of communal violence in Israel and Palestine were recorded in the first ten months of 2023, compared to less than 500 in 2016.
Neighbouring countries are experiencing a spillover effect, increasing regional instability. If major hostilities were to break out, terrorist activity would most likely increase substantially. Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen could all be drawn into the conflict.
The risk of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has substantially increased. Since October 7th, there have been 630 attacks between the two groups. Hezbollah currently has over 100,000 fighters, with a rocket stockpile estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000.
Regional impact & improvements
Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia accounted for 94% of deaths from terrorism in 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for just under 59% of all fatalities. The Sahel accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally. The impact of terrorism has been falling in MENA since its 2016 peak, with deaths down 66% and incidents by 72%.
Terrorism & Organised Crime in the Sahel region
Organised crime and terrorism have merged in the Sahel with groups forming complex alliances and fuelling the persistence of terrorist activities in the region. Terrorist organisations sometimes integrate with organised crime groups or provide protection and safe passage for illicit trade in drugs, human trafficking and precious metals. The region has seen a surge of kidnapping since 2017, with incidents increasing from 78 to over 1,000 in 2023 and generating significant revenues for terrorist organisations.
Increased attribution to Terrorist Groups
Of the 3,350 terrorist attacks recorded in 2023, 54% were attributed to a group. IS and its affiliates remained the world’s deadliest terrorist group, responsible for 1,636 deaths, despite its attributed deaths falling by 17%. IS was followed by Hamas, JNIM, and Al-Shabaab. Together, they were responsible for over 75% of terrorism-related deaths globally. A decade ago, they were responsible for less than 25%.
In 2023, IS attacks occurred in six of the nine GTI regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, MENA, sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and Eurasia and South Asia. In the Middle East, Syria was the country most affected by IS attacks. It recorded 224 attacks, an increase from 152 in 2022, and a quarter of all IS related deaths.
Using machine learning techniques, researchers were able to attribute an additional 15,000 deaths to IS since 2007, increasing the total number of attributed deaths from 25,000 to 40,000.
The full GTI 2024 report and interactive map are available at: visionofhumanity.org
Twitter: @GlobPeaceIndex
Facebook: facebook.com/globalpeaceindex
Global Terrorism Index (GTI)
The GTI by the Institute for Economics & Peace provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 15 years. The report ranks 163 countries (99.7 % of the world’s population) according to the impact of terrorism. The GTI report is produced using data from TerrorismTracker and other sources. TerrorismTracker provides event records on terrorist attacks since 1 January 2007. The dataset contains over 65,000 terrorist incidents for the period 2007 to 2022.
Institute for Economics & Peace
The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) is the world’s leading think tank dedicated to developing metrics to analyse peace and to quantify its economic value. It does this by developing global and national indices, including the annual Global Peace Index, calculating the economic cost of violence and understanding Positive Peace which is the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.
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Fintech PR
Enabling Regenerative Agriculture for Independent Smallholders in Indonesia: The BIPOSC Project, in Collaboration with Musim Mas, L3F, SNV Indonesia, and ICRAF
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Musim Mas Group, the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (L3F), SNV Indonesia, and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) are collaborating to improve the knowledge and capacity of independent oil palm smallholders through the Biodiverse & Inclusive Palm Oil Supply Chain (BIPOSC) project.
The project began in 2021 and takes a long-term approach to sustain a deforestation-free supply chain, regenerate degraded land, restore local biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of independent smallholder farmers in Labuhanbatu, North Sumatra. BIPOSC will achieve this through implementing regenerative agriculture, locally adapted agroforestry models, capacity-building for sustainable businesses, and others.
The independent palm smallholders taking part previously received complementary training from Musim Mas. Following the training, these smallholders formed a smallholder’s association, Labuhanbatu Independent Oil Palm Smallholders Association (APSKS LB), North Sumatra. Musim Mas encourages smallholders to form associations to get better access to resources and obtain certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO).
“Musim Mas has long saw that smallholders are key to achieving palm oil sustainability, and that’s why we lead Indonesia’s most extensive smallholder program. We believe that the way forward is to collaborate with more partners to achieve a wider impact. With our BIPOSC partners, we hope to advance the skills and knowledge of smallholders through regenerative agriculture and related techniques. Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry have the potential to help smallholders be part of a sustainable palm oil supply chain. It could help them develop alternative sources of income, especially during the replanting period where their palm oil crops are unproductive, typically for three years,” said Rob Nicholls, General Manager, Projects & Programs, Musim Mas Group.
In the face of climate change and threatened biodiversity, regenerative agriculture can play a role for small farms because it maintains soil health, prevents erosion and water runoff, and can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leakage.
“As a global development partner organization, SNV aims to support Indonesia in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this, we need to implement effective and impactful programs to transform agricultural and food systems, energy, and water. In the BIPOSC program, we promote a comprehensive regenerative agriculture and agroforestry model to maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, providing maximum benefits for farmers’ livelihoods and economy,” said Rizki Pandu Permana, Country Director of SNV Indonesia.
The key regenerative agriculture techniques taught include the application of bio-input, mulching to protect topsoil, planting cover crops, integrated pest management that reduces the need for chemical pesticides, and application of compost that reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers needed. To date, 1,032 independent smallholders received training and implement these techniques on their farms, representing a total land with a total area of 1,063.68 hectares. The project trained 25 village facilitators to provide hands-on assistance to smallholders, and seven demo plots established as pilot areas and learning facilities for regenerative agriculture.
“When I visited palm oil smallholders a few years ago in the area, their biggest concern was access to more fertilizers. While fertilizers play a key role in boosting yields, there was a noticeable gap in understanding how to protect the soil from long-term degradation. Smallholders needed more knowledge about maintaining soil health, preserving soil structure, and other critical factors. This is exactly what the BIPOSC project aimed to address, and we’re pleased to see that the farmers involved are now reporting not only higher yields but also healthier soils on their plots,” said Bernard Giraud, President & Co-Founder, Livelihoods.
The projectalso looks into capacity-building. In addition to home composting, the project enabled the local farmer association, APSKS LB, to develop and manage a composting unit with a capacity of 100-150 tons/month. Producing compost at scale with inputs from nearby mills and farmer plots, the unit offers compost to member farmers at half of typical market prices. In 2023, its first year of operation, the unit produced 588 tons of compost, and generated a profit of IDR 421 million. The project partners believe it is a model that can be replicated elsewhere.
“One of the most impactful outcomes of this project for smallholders is the Composting Unit as the business model around it. It enables smallholders to obtain compost affordably, and the profits are shared among member farmers. This is a practical solution to promote the adoption of composting, and all ASPKS-LB smallholders are now using compost in their plots,” said Syahrianto, Chairman of the Labuanbatu Independent Oil Palm Smallholders Association.
As of 2023, independent smallholders manage about 41% of oil palm planted areas in Indonesia, representing 6.94 million hectares. This figure is expected to increase to 60% by 2030, making projects like BIPOSC critical in shaping the future of sustainable palm oil production.
Devane Sharma
[email protected]
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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to provide Indonesian customers with real-time international money transfer capabilities. This collaboration aims to enhance the cross-border offerings for BRI’s individual and corporate customers, delivering more accessible and cost-effective financial services across Indonesia.
This partnership empowers more than 150 million BRI account holders, including those in remote regions of Indonesia, to access modern, real-time cross-border payment services. The offering includes a variety of real-time payment mechanisms, supporting bank account destinations, a global electronic card network, and digital wallets. These innovations are closely aligned with BRI’s ongoing mission to provide affordable and customer-focused financial products, particularly for traditionally underserved communities.
BRI’s Corporate Secretary, Agustya Hendy Bernadi, emphasized BRI’s dedication to constantly improving customer convenience through innovations in its global network and cross-border transaction services. “This collaboration reflects BRI’s continuous efforts to enhance productivity and efficiency by expanding its digital payment channel network to meet the growing demand for global transactions,” he said. Agustya added that the partnership with Nium aligns perfectly with BRI’s vision to be Southeast Asia’s most valuable banking group and a champion of financial inclusion by 2025. “With Nium’s global transaction network, BRI strengthens the digitalization of its business processes and enhances retail banking capabilities in line with our 2025 strategic vision.”
Anupam Pahuja, General Manager and Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, shared his excitement about the partnership, highlighting BRI’s extensive presence across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. “By integrating Nium’s advanced technology into BRI’s platform, we are dedicated to providing BRI’s customers, no matter where they are, with access to exceptional financial services. This partnership will remove the risks associated with cash handling and provide faster, more cost-effective transactions—whether individuals are sending money to family members abroad or businesses are making international payments.”
Cross-border payments are projected to grow significantly in Indonesia, with a forecasted year-on-year increase of 15% through 2025, driven largely by the digital transformation in financial services (Statista, 2024).
This partnership between BRI and Nium is expected to transform the way Indonesians engage with global financial services, meeting the rising demand for modern payment infrastructure and enhancing the overall experience for BRI’s customers in their international transactions.
About Nium
Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 40 markets. Nium’s growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.
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Fintech PR
Grexie Signchain Launches on November 1st, 2024: Enabling Smart Contract Developers to Bring Off-Chain Data On-Chain with Seamless Gas-Paid Signing
Grexie Signchain enables developers to sign off-chain data into smart contracts, with self-hosted or secure vault signer wallet management.
MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Grexie Limited proudly announces the launch of its innovative smart contract solution, Signchain, on November 1st, 2024. Designed specifically for developers, Signchain introduces a powerful way to bring off-chain data on-chain through user-paid gas fees and secure signing of data into smart contract methods using its extendable smart contract, Signable.
In the growing landscape of blockchain technology, securely managing off-chain data and integrating it into on-chain smart contracts has posed significant challenges for developers. Signchain eliminates these hurdles by offering a robust, gas-efficient system for signing and authenticating data in real-time.
Key Features of Signchain:
1. Seamless Off-Chain to On-Chain Data Integration
Signchain enables developers to securely bring off-chain data on-chain by signing it directly into smart contract methods through user-paid gas fees. This integration ensures that data authenticity is preserved, and its entry into the blockchain remains tamper-proof, streamlining processes for industries relying on real-world data verification. Signchain also supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase, making it easy to pull data from popular off-chain data sources.
2. Extendable Smart Contract – Signable
The core of Signchain’s technology is its extendable smart contract, Signable, which allows developers to customize and build upon existing smart contracts. With Signable, developers can easily implement contract signatures for any data type, offering flexibility across industries from finance to logistics and beyond.
3. Signer Wallet Management
Signchain offers comprehensive signer wallet management as part of its service, empowering developers to manage and authenticate signers effectively. Wallets can either be self-hosted using Signchain’s Docker container for those who prefer their own infrastructure, or they can leverage Signchain’s network of secure vaults for maximum security.
4. Self-Hosted or Managed Service
For developers who want full control of their infrastructure, Signchain provides a self-hosted option via Docker containers, allowing them to deploy the platform on their own servers. Alternatively, developers can opt to use Signchain’s secure vault network, offering a hassle-free solution with enterprise-grade security and wallet management.
5. User-Paid Gas Fees
By integrating a user-paid gas fee model, Signchain allows users to cover the costs of signing and authenticating their data, ensuring the signing process is efficient and doesn’t overburden developers with additional expenses. This makes Signchain an ideal solution for dApps and platforms handling high transaction volumes.
6. Google Sheets, AWS, Firebase Integration with Serverless Model
Signchain supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase in a serverless model, powered by a hosted Sign In With Ethereum (SIWE) implementation provided by Signchain’s API. Developers can simply connect their Google Sheets and configure the contract parameters associated with each column. Signchain will automatically look up the user’s wallet address in the spreadsheet, sign the transaction data, and execute it in the blockchain along with any user-supplied parameters. This creates an easy, efficient way to manage data inputs from off-chain sources without heavy infrastructure setup.
Revolutionizing Smart Contract Workflows
With Signchain, developers now have the tools to handle the complexities of integrating off-chain data into smart contracts. The extendable nature of Signable offers flexibility, allowing developers to cater to various use cases, whether it’s automating financial transactions, supply chain data, or verifying legal agreements.
Tim Behrsin, CEO of Grexie Limited, said, “Signchain is more than just a signing solution—it’s a platform that empowers developers to securely integrate off-chain data into their smart contracts with minimal effort. The flexibility of Signable and our focus on signer wallet management offers developers control and security at every stage of the process.”
Why Signchain Matters
Signchain addresses critical challenges faced by developers, particularly those dealing with off-chain data. By signing data into smart contracts and enabling user-paid gas fees, the platform significantly reduces friction in managing secure, scalable smart contracts. Whether developers need to manage high volumes of data transactions or create bespoke smart contracts, Signchain offers a scalable and secure solution.
In industries like DeFi, real estate, and supply chain management, data integrity and security are paramount. Signchain’s secure vault network and customizable signing workflows allow businesses to handle sensitive information with confidence.
Launch Event and Future Developments
The official launch of Signchain will take place on November 1st, 2024, alongside a virtual event. The event will showcase live demonstrations of Signable, with detailed walkthroughs of the Docker-based self-hosted solution and signer wallet management features. Attendees will also get an exclusive preview of future enhancements, including multi-signature workflows and advanced blockchain network integrations.
About Signchain
Signchain is a cutting-edge platform developed by Grexie Limited, based in Manchester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. Signchain simplifies smart contract development by offering a secure, scalable, and customizable solution for signing and authenticating off-chain data on-chain. Developers can either self-host the solution using Signchain’s Docker container or rely on the network’s secure vault infrastructure. With an emphasis on security, flexibility, and developer experience, Signchain is set to transform how smart contracts handle off-chain data.
For more information, visit signchain.net.
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