TFF PressInfo

  New Report “Conflicts and humanitarian emergencies can be handled more effectively if five parties intensify their co-operation — governments, humanitarian organizations, civil society organizations, area experts and conflict-resolution experts. The types of conflicts we face now and in the foreseeable future require of us that we think, act and organise ourselves in new ways,” say Morten Kjarum, director of the Danish Centre for Human Rights in Copenhagen, and TFF director Jan Oberg in this report. Early analysis, early listening and early action reduce human suffering and save resources. Comprehensive information about a conflict area, the conflict itself and the actors are essential for the successful handling of complex conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. Humanitarian workers represent a great reservoir of knowledge and experience that must be utilised better. Furthermore, basic knowledge of conflict-understanding, conflict-resolution and negotiation, as well as human rights, ought to be central components in the education and...

  “Symbolic or shallow democracy will be the only outcome when foreigners impose elections under extremely adverse circumstances as is the case in Dayton-Bosnia. They could even be dangerous in their consequences because some local results are likely to be implemented by force. One increasingly wonders whether the international community is in Bosnia for the sake of the people living there or to uphold an illusory image of itself as effective post-Cold War conflict-“managers” – says TFF’s director, Jan Oberg who has followed the situation since February 1992 as head of the foundation’s conflict-mitigation team to all parts of former Yugoslavia. “The leading Croatian party, the Bosnian branch of President Tudjman’s HDZ in Zagreb, has suggested to its members and voters to boycott the elections. It argues that the conditions for fair and free elections are not in place and complain that international election officials favour Muslims over Croats in...

A Civilian U.N. Authority Supported By NGOs for a Negotiated Settlement in Kosovo “The Serbs and Albanians have proved that they themselves are unable to start and sustain a process towards conflict-resolution and reconciliation. International attempts, lacking analysis as well as strategy, have failed, too. The overall situation has deteriorated and violence is escalating, slowly but surely. It simply cannot go on like that in the future and go well,” says Jan Oberg, director of the Transnational Foundation which has been engaged in the conflict in the Kosovo region of Serbia, Yugoslavia since 1991. “New thinking should be applied sooner rather than later,” he urges. “With the breakdown in Albania, Serbia has lost the argument – never very credible – that the Kosovars want to unite with Albania. President Milosevic recently visited the region with no new proposals. The pragmatic non-violent policies of the Kosovar leadership is being undermined. The Kosovars have failed...

  Det finns andra perspektiv på Balkan än Bosnien och krigsförbrytarjakt. På TFFs InternetForum kan Du nu läsa och direkt trycka ut en serie reseintryck och reflektioner av Sören Sommelius, Nordens mest produktiva och initierade Jugoslavienförfattare sedan kriget bröt ut i 1991. Sommelius är kulturredaktör på Helsingborgs Dagblad och ingår i TFF:s team av konfliktläkare. Han har skrivit böckersom “Sista resan till Jugoslavien”, “Mediernas krig i forna Jugoslavien”, “Kosova utan stjärna”, “Mot kriget” och “Liten guide till stort krig”. Under sommaren har Sommelius återigen rest på kors och tvärs, från Zagreb till Struga. Engagerad och kunnigt pekar han på gamla olösta problem och på framtida. Hans journalistik har förut visat sig vara en “early warning”. Läs honom — och bekanta Dig samtidigt med vårt omfattande forskningsmaterial och med debatten, länkarna samt PressInfo på vår hemsida. Välkommen!

  Important international actors have considered the recent Croatian election free and fair — despite the fact that approximately 250,000 Serb-Croat citizens were unable to vote in their home country. These Serbs fled Croatia during its military operations in 1995 — the largest single case of ethnic cleansing during the wars. They are refugees in Bosnia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, sometimes referred to as “expellees,” but they remain legitimate citizens of Croatia. The United States, EU governments, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and various human rights organisations could have done politically in Croatia what they did in Bosnia: insist that refugees abroad be given an opportunity to influence the future of their homeland — to which many wish to return. The relatively young state of Croatia would hardly have brushed aside such advice from President Clinton (or the very active and human rights–concerned U.S. ambassador to Croatia,...

No 29 (Nov 27, 1997)Conflict and Reconciliation in the Schools in Eastern Slavonia,Croatia. The UN Is Needed There In the Future No 28 (Oct 28, 1997)Post-War Reconciliation – Who’s Got A Clue? No 26 (Sept 18, 1997)The Conflict Consortium – New Publication No 25 (Sept 10, 1997)Bosnia’s Foreign Elections – Unwise and Dangerous No 24 (Aug 1997)Help Serbs and Albanians Settle Their Differences in Kosovo ! No 23 (Juli 26, 1997)Efter Kriget? Sören Sommelius på TFF Internet Forum No 22 (April 24, 1997)Free Elections, But For Whom? No 20 (Feb 7, 1997)Brcko Arbitration Is No Solution

“The US-Iraqi conflict soap-opera is becoming acivilizational tragedy. The cock-fight between Tariq Azizand Richard Butler is pathetic beyond words. The easyargument, held by Washington and its allies and uncriticallypromoted in leading media, is that Iraq must be punished forsuspending cooperation with UNSCOM albeit it continues itwith IAEA. But this whole inspection enterprise is foundedon logical contradictions, and it is intellectually andethically flawed. After years of inspection and sanctions,no solution is in sight, because there can be no solutiondown THIS road. The West never thought of how to end thisconflict, and without a sanctions lifting plan, it’s boundto produce more violence and create ever more hate againstthe Western world,” states Dr. Jan Oberg, director ofTFF. 1) UNSCOM searches not only for weapons of massdestruction but for the capacity to manufacture them. Itlooks for agents, components, research, development andmanufacturing of materials necessary to produce the agents.Potentially every corner of the Iraqi society...