July 2006

Project Summary A common project conducted by the municipality of Eslöv – a small town in Southern Sweden – Eslöv Apartments Inc., the Police in Eslöv, the Swedish Church, the Social Insurance Office, the Transnational Foundation (TFF), ERF – The European Refugee Fund (through the Swedish Integration Board and the Swedish Migration Board). Project director: Christina Spännar from TFF. The aims The aim is to develop a model that can help mitigate the integration process for refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants who knock on the door to Eslöv. The model shall be developed through partners in a network, i.e. an information and communication structure. On the one hand, there are the actors and authorities who receive the immigrants in a variety of functions; on the other, we will work with refugees who – through their experiences of the encounter with Swedish society – are able to give us images of what...

Israeli moves toward all out war in Gaza and Lebanon seem linked to wider dangers of a regional war with severe global consequences. By interpreting these wider dangers it is not meant to minimize the human suffering and regressive political effects of current carnage in these two long tormented war zones. Looking at this bigger picture is crucial for its own sake, but also helps us understand the immediate crises more fully than if as officially presented by Israel, and unfortunately echoed by many governments around the world. Whatever else, this outbreak of major two-front violence is not about Israel’s right to defend its against an enemy that is seriously threatening its territorial integrity or political independence, the only grounds for justifiable war. To treat border incidents, involving initially a few military casualties and the abduction of a single Israeli soldier by a Gazan militia and two by Hizbollah in...

In a shocking display of disregard for the restraints of international law and morality, Israel has been resorting to a massive, flagrant, and cruel display of collective punishment inflicted on the essentially helpless and captive 1.2 million population of Gaza. Almost as shocking has been the silence of the world community in the face of these criminal violations of the Geneva Conventions, which contain the fundamental rules of international humanitarian warfare. The alleged justification for this behavior was the seizure of a single Israeli soldier and the killing of two other members of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) in a raid carried out by an armed Palestinian group that is apparently independent of Hamas that is in political control of Gaza as a result of its decisive electoral victory in January. To punish the entire Gaza population, already enduring incredible hardships as a result of Israeli refusal to allow economic...

Keynote, International Peace Research Association, Calgary 1/7/2006 Johan Galtung On professionalization in general Generally, the sociology of professions identifies three characteristics of a profession: [1] There is a range of SKILLS with which a range of professionals will handle a range of problems for a range of clients, with proven competence. The clients have an idea of what to expect from the professional, and the professional of what to expect from a client. [2] There is a professional CODE OF CONDUCT, defining the relation of a professional to the clients, other professionals and others. The code of conduct may be supported by an oath. [3] There is a pattern of ACCOUNTABILITY of the professional to the clients, to other professionals, and to others. Professionalization of peace work moves us beyond peace research and studies, both indispensable for skills. The purpose of peace research is to produce intersubjectively communicable and verifiable...