Many people feel that global violence is increasing, given the shocking images we see daily in the media: children wounded in Syria’s civil war, innocent victims of Mexico’s ruthless drug cartels, terrorist attacks in the Middle East and Europe, ongoing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. But away from the cameras, violence has ebbed in many other places: The Asian nation of Sri Lanka is thriving after a quarter century of civil war finally ended in 2009; in Africa, Sierra Leone and Liberia are rebuilding, following brutal civil wars that lasted until 2002 and 2003, respectively; and in South America, Colombia is trying to finalize a peace deal that would end five decades of civil war.
So is global violence on the rise overall or not? Two experts weigh in.