Born October 13, 1964, Stellan Vinthagen has, since 1980, been engaged in various social movements; he took up peace research in 1997. In 1986 he began to do trainings in nonviolent direct action and conflict transformation; he was one of the founders of the European Plowshares movement. He has spent one year in prison in total for nonviolent civil disobedience against Swedish weapon trade and US and British nuclear weapons.
Vinthagen completed his PhD 2005 in Peace and Development Research with the book Ickevåldsaktion - En social praktik av motstånd och konstruktion [Nonviolent Action - A Social Practice of Resistance and Construction, (PADRIGU, Gothenburg University).
Current Positions
Associate Professor in Sociology (Docent) at University West, Trollhättan, (2009-);
Part-time Senior lecturer in Peace and Development Studies (Timlärare, högskolelektor) at School of Global Studies, Department of Peace and Development Research, University of Gothenburg (PADRIGU), (2000-);
Deputy Director (Vice föreståndare) at Museion, University of Gothenburg, (2007-);
Scientific Advisor for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), (2009-);
Visiting Lecturer (Gästlärare) at Department of Global Political Studies (GPS), Malmö University, (2009-).
Areas of Expertise
Social Movements & Change, Globalisation, Nonviolent Action Strategies, Resistance Studies, Conflict Resolution/Transformation, Power Theory, International Relations.
Selected examples of relevant professional work and memberships:
Co-founder of several academic networks, e.g. The Resistance Studies Network with 150 associated researchers globally. Organized e.g. two panels at the ISA (International Studies Association) conference, New York, Feb 2009.
Key-note speaker at e.g. a Conflict Research Conference in Hamburg 2006, and the XIV Trobada de Barcelona on Peace Building & Social Movements, Barcelona, 2003.
Peer-reviewer for, e.g. Acta Sociologica; Research in Social Movements, Conflict and Change; The Round Table; Cooperation and Conflict.
The Exhibition “Take Action! 83 Ways to Change the World” (2008-2009) at Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg, is partly built on one of my articles (the “Political Underground”) and my work as consultant
Regular external lecturing work around the world since 1986 in 12 countries on four continents with over 100 lecture subjects given to mainly universities, high schools, state/municipal institutions or voluntary organisations (complete list available).
Main conference organiser of e.g. the international research seminar on resistance, University of Gothenburg, June 2007; and a number of international movement conferences.
Nominated for the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award 2007 by Ms. Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, Ambassador of India to Sweden, Stockholm.
Member of TRANSCEND (a global network of invited scholars-practitioners working for peace and development); Associate of TFF (Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research); and Council-member of WRI (War Resisters’ International).
11 months of research field work experience totally in Europe, Africa and Asia.
More than twenty years of movement experience with education and organising, e.g. action and strategy trainings in peace, justice and environmental movements.
Six years as editor of a peace movement journal (Plogbillen).
Vinthagen became TFF Associate in summer 2006.