KALEJDOSKOP 2002

DN, 31 december 2002
Aktivt EU kan stoppa Irak-krig
Krig presenteras som den enda lösningen på konflikten med Irak. FN:s säkerhetsråds resolution 1441 minskar inte risken för att USA i januari eller februari nästa år – med eller utan FN:s godkännande – angriper, besätter och kontrollerar Irak.

DN Debatt, 31 december 2002
Debattera “Aktivt EU kan stoppa Irak-krig”
Läs insändare och skriv ett inlägg i debatten om Jan Öbergs artikel.

Lund, 13 december 2002
Konfliktlösning, inte krig, med Irak
Krig presenteras som den enda lösningen på konflikten med Irak. FN:s säkerhetsråds resolution 1441 minskar inte risken för att USA i februari eller januari nästa år – med eller utan FN:s godkännande – angriper, besätter och kontrollerar Irak.

Lund, 19 november, 2002
Konfliktløsning, ikke krig, med Irak – 10 punkter
Uanset hvilken holdning man iøvrigt har til EU kan vi europæere ikke være bekendt at sidde og blot vente på at blive tilskuere til Bush-regimets krig, Europa må, som EU, omgående tage et mæglingsinitiativ i konflikten mellem Irak og USA.

Lund, 25 oktober 2002, på dansk
Vest forstår ikke Irak, vi behøver måske en Intifada? (Irak 3)

Helsingborgs Dagblad, 25 oktober 2002, på svenska
Väst förstår inte Irak, kanske vi behöver en Intifada? (Irak 3)

Lund, 19 oktober 2002, på dansk
Kik! På TV i Baghdad (Irak 2)

Helsingborgs Dagblad, 19 oktober 2002, på svenska
Titta! På TV i Baghdad (Irak 2)

Lund, 11 oktober 2002, på dansk
Rejs till Irak! (Irak 1)

Helsingborgs Dagblad, 11 oktober 2002, på svenska
Res till Irak! (Irak 1)
Jan Öberg berätter om sin resa till Irak. Om han kan så kan andra!

PressInfo # 156, 23 august 2002, på dansk
Besøg Irak
Jan Øberg skriver om sine oplevelser i Irak. Udover en række iagttagelser, som man ikke får andre steder, er denne PressInfo ét langt argument for at forskere, journalister og diplomater bør besøge landet og danne sine egne meninger.

Lund, 2 april 2002, med Christian Hårleman
Et fredeligt Europa – noget nyt
I de foregående artikler er der udtrykt bekymring over den fortsatte militarisering af EU. Nogle vil sige, at der ikke findes alternativer. Vi tror, at der altid er alternativer, at demokratier er karakteriseret ved alternativer, og at åbent diskuterede alternativer vil forbedre kvaliteten og legitimiteten af den måde, hvorpå samfundet træffer beslutninger.

Lund, 2 april 2002
Militarisering af den Europæiske Union: Kan imperialistisk politik og krig undgås nu?
Hvordan er det muligt at militarisere den Europæiske Union med så ringe opmærksomhed fra og så lille viden om det i medierne, i den offentlige debat og blandt de politiske beslutningstagere? Hvordan går det til, at idéer som militær, humanitær intervention, bombning, krigsførings-strategier og en uophørlig strøm af nye, mindre våben såvel som masseødelæggelsesvåben bliver ‘solgt’ til offentligheden som fredsinstrumenter?

Lund, 2 april 2002
Militarisering af den Europæiske Union: Klumpe-Dumpe som fredsskaberJeg må vedgå, at den lære jeg her taler for hører til et nyt paradigme. Hvis man skal dømme ud fra EU-dokumenter og planer, ønsker EU ikke noget af det.

Lund, 2 april 2002
Militarisering af den Europæiske Union: En civilisationsfejltagelse
Det var helt forudsigeligt, at EU ville blive militariseret. Faktisk forudså en af verdens førende fredsforskere, TFF-rådgiveren Johan Galtung, det allerede i sin bog om EU fra 1972 “A Superpower in Making” (En supermagt på vej).

Lund, 5 marts 2002
Den falske humanismes støvletramp
De fleste anser at det enkelte menneskes liv er ukrænkeligt og at alle liv er lige værdifulde. Dette kvalitativt unikke ved livet selv bør, siges det, ikke kvantificeres. Publiceret i Kristeligt Dagblad 26 februar 2002.

Ekstrabladets “Frontalt”, marts 2002
Tre minutters stilhed for de døde i Afghanistan og tre andre fredsfremmende forslag
Ud fra et lignende humanistiskt hensyn mener jeg Danmark og ligesindede lande bør vise de uskyldigt dræbte i Afghanistan den samme ære. Af principielle grunde og fordi der er en indlysende sammanhæng mellem de to begivenheder.

Lund, 19 februari 2002
Stats- og privatterror – pas på!
Siden 11. september har en række regeringer, herunder også den danske, deltaget i en “krig mod terrorismen.” Jeg skal argumentere for at kampen mod terroren er en panikreaktion, der kan føre mere ondt med sig og at vi burde interesserer os meget mere for hvad terrorisme er og hvad der forårsager den.

Lund, januari 2002
Danmarks militær i Afghanistan øger risikoen for terrorisme
Danmark skal deltage med elitesoldater, F16-fly og diverse andet i krigen i og over Afghanistan. Da denne håndtering har været analysefri og uden tegn på selvstændig holdning eller anvendelse af etiske principper har denne konkrete beslutning samme karaktér.

Åbent brev til regeringen, januari 2002
Tre minutters stilhed for de døde i Afghanistan og en Sandheds- og Forsoningskommission
Som andre EU-lande iagttog Danmark tre minutters stilhed for de uskyldigt dræbte i terror-angrebet på World Trade Center og Pentagon den 11. september sidste år. Der blev også afholdt en mindegudstjeneste i København med repræsentaner for regering, kongehus og for De forenede Stater i Danmark.

London, januari 2002
Mark Rothko og tilfældighedens gave
Beskyttet fra Londons og hele verdens støj, mode, tant og flygtighed; fra ligegyldighed og forbrugerisme kommer jeg bag om Tate Moderns tykke maskinrumsmure ind i et mørkgråt kapellignende rum med dæmpet belysning.

InternetWorld, 23 januari 2002
Terrorbekæmpelse og verdensherredomme

Helsingborgs Dagblad, 31 januari 2002
Terrorbekämpning: Somalia har kopplats ned
Har man makt och “misstankar” kan man stänga ned ett helt land.

PhD, Peace & future researcher + ‌Art Photographer, Professor Emeritus and media commentator

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UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
Jan Oberg TFF director October 28, 2026 Exactly one month has now passed since I published my criticism of the introduction to the special issue on Johan Galtung published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, JoGSS, and of Tor Egil Førland’s chapter about Galtung which serves as a preview to his forthcoming biography of Galtung to be published by PRIO. See the original on The Transnational here and the same article on TFF Substack with many general and critical comments and, in particular, the people who decided to withdraw from the biography project in protest. The special issue itself was extraordinary. It was devoted to the intellectual legacy of one of the founders of peace research and contained a number of strong assessments of his personality, scholarship, intellectual trajectory, and public role. Such assessments are, of course, entirely legitimate. No scholar is beyond criticism, and neither was Johan Galtung....
An aspect of Iran’s culture and civilisation you’ve probably never heard about. Don’t be surprised if the US and Israel also try to bomb them. Jan ObergTFF director October 26, 2026 Today – under the “USraeli” threat of new “annihilating” bombings – opens the 7th International Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution at Tehran’s University. As far as I can tell, this is the only permanent, advanced peace research institution in West Asia/the Middle East. Perhaps more countries in that region could be inspired? I mean, how many military “security” institutes and military academies do they have? Many peace research institutes and university departments have been established since the 1950s in the West. They are now all under attack; some have closed down, some have gone mainstream, yet others kept the name but do nothing to research peace and disseminate results or advice; instead, they cooperate with militarism’s platforms such...

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UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
Jan Oberg TFF director October 28, 2026 Exactly one month has now passed since I published my criticism of the introduction to the special issue on Johan Galtung published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, JoGSS, and of Tor Egil Førland’s chapter about Galtung which serves as a preview to his forthcoming biography of Galtung to be published by PRIO. See the original on The Transnational here and the same article on TFF Substack with many general and critical comments and, in particular, the people who decided to withdraw from the biography project in protest. The special issue itself was extraordinary. It was devoted to the intellectual legacy of one of the founders of peace research and contained a number of strong assessments of his personality, scholarship, intellectual trajectory, and public role. Such assessments are, of course, entirely legitimate. No scholar is beyond criticism, and neither was Johan Galtung....
An aspect of Iran’s culture and civilisation you’ve probably never heard about. Don’t be surprised if the US and Israel also try to bomb them. Jan ObergTFF director October 26, 2026 Today – under the “USraeli” threat of new “annihilating” bombings – opens the 7th International Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution at Tehran’s University. As far as I can tell, this is the only permanent, advanced peace research institution in West Asia/the Middle East. Perhaps more countries in that region could be inspired? I mean, how many military “security” institutes and military academies do they have? Many peace research institutes and university departments have been established since the 1950s in the West. They are now all under attack; some have closed down, some have gone mainstream, yet others kept the name but do nothing to research peace and disseminate results or advice; instead, they cooperate with militarism’s platforms such...
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UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
JoGSS-Silent
Jan Oberg TFF director October 28, 2026 Exactly one month has now passed since I published my criticism of the introduction to the special issue on Johan Galtung published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, JoGSS, and of Tor Egil Førland’s chapter about Galtung which serves as a preview to his forthcoming biography of Galtung to be published by PRIO. See the original on The Transnational here and the same article on TFF Substack with many general and critical comments and, in particular, the people who decided to withdraw from the biography project in protest. The special issue itself was extraordinary. It was devoted to the intellectual legacy of one of the founders of peace research and contained a number of strong assessments of his personality, scholarship, intellectual trajectory, and public role. Such assessments are, of course, entirely legitimate. No scholar is beyond criticism, and neither was Johan Galtung....
Screenshot 2026-10-26 115647
An aspect of Iran’s culture and civilisation you’ve probably never heard about. Don’t be surprised if the US and Israel also try to bomb them. Jan ObergTFF director October 26, 2026 Today – under the “USraeli” threat of new “annihilating” bombings – opens the 7th International Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution at Tehran’s University. As far as I can tell, this is the only permanent, advanced peace research institution in West Asia/the Middle East. Perhaps more countries in that region could be inspired? I mean, how many military “security” institutes and military academies do they have? Many peace research institutes and university departments have been established since the 1950s in the West. They are now all under attack; some have closed down, some have gone mainstream, yet others kept the name but do nothing to research peace and disseminate results or advice; instead, they cooperate with militarism’s platforms such...
Screenshot 2026-10-15 141837
Let’s discuss using AI to create peace – in contrast to boring geopolitics devoid of creative healing and visions. Jan Oberg TFF director October 15, 2026 I asked VEED to create a short video exemplifying how peace is preferable to war, then chose the lady as a template. Simple as that. In less than a minute, it produced this video, which any peace-loving person would appreciate. The only problem is that human intelligence (HI), at least the one that exists among Western decision-makers, isn’t half as moral or smart as AI. I have used AI to dialogue about peace and peace plans, creative conflict resolution and visions of a better future for humankind. It so happens that I am having more stimulating, intelligent, creative and moral discussions with AI than I could possibly have with any EU or NATO leader today. Yes, AI has very problematic and dangerous aspects; used...
girl-5894831_1280
Below are TFF-related media mentions, comments, videos and social media posts published elsewhere but not on this homepage. We happen to catch and list only a fraction. Regarding video comments and debates, we recommend that you go to the TFF Video Channel on Substack where many of them are reproduced. Jan Oberg is a contributor to China Daily – 52 million daily clicks – and Global Times, CGTN and CCTV (the national television), China Investment, Xinhua News Agency and several others. Articles and videos on these media very often multiply into countless Chinese (and Western media) that re-post them from these main media. Thanks to The China Academy, his analyses, interviews and comments are frequently posted on YouTube channels such as Thinkers Forum and Wave Media. These videos are often re-posted on Bilibili (China’s YouTube), the China Content Center on TikTok, and on the Chinese edition of TikTok, Douyin.com. This means reaching hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide over a year. While there are too many to catch on all these...
Nobel-Prize-Plaque
Jan Oberg TFF director October 13, 2026 According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the Nobel Peace Prize shall be awarded: ”to the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.” Further down, he also expresses how the prize for the “champions of peace” shall be decided: “that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be selected by the Norwegian Storting. Alfred Nobel’s will is remarkably short and clear. But few seem to have read it. Nobel did not say that the committee itself should consist of members of parliament. He entrusted the Storting with appointing five persons. In principle, it could have selected diplomats, mediators, peace researchers, conflict-resolution specialists, or other individuals with recognised expertise in matters of peace from around the world. Instead, the Storting gradually...