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 Jan Oberg’s storyof how he met Sir Paul Liverpool – where else to meet Paul McCartney? Paul’s old class mate and TFF Associate, Jonathan Power introduced me to Paul McCartney in Liverpool at an informal reception. It was held at what used to be their school, now the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and we were there to celebrate that Jonathan had written Amnesty International’s 40th Anniversary book. This happy event for “righting wrongs and writing songs” gave me an opportunity to meet Paul and tell him about TFF and get straight to the matter: would he consider making a donation in support of our work for peace? While I was probably the only one with such a wish that day, I was certainly not the only one who wanted to shake hands and talk with him. In the last minutes before Paul was to leave, Jonathan brought us together and we got about three...

1942James Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool on June 18th. 1956Paul writes his first song, I Lost My Little Girl. 1957Paul meets John Lennon at St. Peter’s Church Fete, Woolton, Liverpool. He joins his first group, The Quarrymen and performs in his first gig at The New Clubmoor Hall, Liverpool, on October 18th. 1960Formation of The Beatles, who play residencies in Hamburg and at The Cavern in Liverpool. 1961First Beatles recordings issued in Germany, as the backing group for Tony Sheridan. 1962The first Beatles Parlophone recording, Love Me Do, reaches number 17 in the British charts. 1963The birth of Beatlemania. Please Please Me gives the group their first British Number 1. She Loves You cements their success. Please Please Me and With The Beatles albums released. 1964First triumphant American tour. The Beatles perform at the Royal Command Performance and release their first film, A Hard Day’s Night. Their single I...

By JONATHAN POWER August 16, 2000 LONDON – Remember the summer of ’98? In the sweltering, torpid heat of a Roman august, charged with exhaust fumes, the international community gave its overwhelming approval to the establishment of an International Criminal Court that will enable those accused of “crimes against humanity” to be tried and, if convicted, sentenced. Only seven nations opposed or abstained from the motion, including Israel, China, India and the U.S.A. where the Pentagon had successfully waged bureaucratic guerrilla war to undermine the initially sympathetic stance of President Bill Clinton. Two years on we can now see what an epochal event that was. In a the stroke of 120 pens it changed the climate on political thuggery. After numerous half-starts and false starts ever since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials that convicted the war criminals of the Second World War, the world at last had agreed en masse a common...

By Jonathan Power April 8th 2004 LONDON – There is a widely held opinion abroad that Brazil never had the chance of profoundly changing for the better- shedding its widespread poverty and dire income distribution- until Lula (President Luiz Inácio da Silva) came along last year. This is not entirely false, but neither is it entirely true. Brazil has long made a kind of progress- in the last century it was second only to Taiwan as the fastest growing economy in the world- but it has been appallingly uneven. Part of the story of contemporary Brazil is clear to the eye in this small village of 7,000 people in the arid north east, along with the Amazon the poorest part of this vast country. Twenty five years or so ago I used to come to Pilõezinhos regularly when I had a close friend living here, Valéria Rezende, a radical, grass roots-stirring...

In October 2025, I attended two major academic conferences in Shanghai—both by invitation, and, curiously, as the only scholar from Scandinavia. That absence felt unjust to the more experienced Nordic experts in China studies who deserve a seat at such global forums. What unfolded was a journey through two distinct but interwoven events—each offering a lens into China’s intellectual landscape and its evolving role in the world. The 2nd World Conference on China Studies The first event, the 2nd World Conference on China Studies, brought together over 500 scholars from 50 countries under the theme “Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective.” I participated in the sub-forum titled “China in Global Context: Continuity and Innovation of Civilisation.” It was a masterfully orchestrated gathering… Continue reading here on TFF Substack… Remember to subscribe when you are there. Then you will also automatically get TFF PressInfo and not miss any of what we say and do.

Associate Editor at Russia in Global Affairs in Moscow. Board member at International Institute for Peace (IPP) in Vienna. 
Board member at Center for Nationalism Studies (CNS) in Sarajevo.
 Editorial Board member at Contemporary World Economy in Moscow.
 EMPLOYMENT University of South-Eastern Norway
 – Professor, April 2020 – ongoing. Russia in Global Affairs
 – Associate Editor Nov 2018 – ongoing. Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia – Professor Aug 2018 – April 2020. Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
 – Visiting Scholar, Aug 2017 – Aug 2018. Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia – Adjunct Research Fellow Aug 2016 – Aug 2019. 
 Macquarie University (PICT), Sydney, Australia
 – Lecturer/Scholarly Teaching Fellow, Feb 2011 –Dec 2017
. EDUCATION Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands – 
PhD Politics and International Relations (Doctor of Social Sciences) 2010-2014. 

 Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia – 
PhD Politics and International Relations (Doctor of Philosophy) 2010-2014. Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia 
- Master of International...

“>Sino–Indian Agreement 1954, are: • mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, • mutual non-aggression, • mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, • equality and co-operation for mutual benefit, and • peaceful co-existence Read more about it here. These principles, also called Panchsheel, are fundamental to Chinese foreign policy and embedded in the preamble of the country’s constitution. Here is an excerpt of the invitation letter: “The commemorative events, to be held under the theme “From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” will begin with a commemorative conference, followed by a luncheon and sub-forums. His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, will attend and deliver an important speech at the commemorative conference, and his Excellency Li Qiang, premier of the State Council, will moderate the conference. His Excellency Wang Yi, member of the...

It can safely be assumed that NATO leaders and their media don’t care much about what the President of Serbia, Александар Вучић – Aleksandar Vučić, has to say about the NATO-Russia conflict and the war in Ukraine. Not only do they think that they know everything better than anyone else, but they also have their own experience with Serbia since NATO violated its own defensive Treaty and bombed Kosovo out of Serbia – and blamed Serbia for everything that happened in then Yugoslavia. Serbia and the Serbs have been perceived as the odd man out among the elites of NATO and the EU, as someone you fundamentally look down upon. But perhaps they – and the rest of us – should give Vučić a fair hearing on this particular issue? In my opinion, Vučić here says extremely important things based on analysis and an ability to see things from more...

Jan Oberg January 31, 2024 Mass media has always been an important instrument of warfare, victimizing a broader truth and complexity. All countries promote certain narratives, whether by state, public service, “independent” or even free media. The West has lots of state-financed and state-influenced media, but it usually calls them “free” and other countries’ media “state media,” which is meant negatively. In the Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex, also known as MIMAC, the Media has become more important lately due to the explosion and globalization of media types and communication. It’s become increasingly difficult to know what reality is. Public education is more difficult, or deceptive, than ever. Two and a half years ago, the foundation that I head, published a large report “Behind the Smokescreen. An Analysis of the West’s Destructive China Cold War Agenda And Why It Must Stop.” We identified nine mainstream media manipulation methods… Continue reading the article on...

How much longer can Danes snore while their security and democracy are being stripped away and Danish politics increase the risk of World War III? Jan Oberg December 19, 2023 It’s a damn good thing we have Washington to inform the Danes about what’s coming, right before Christmas when people are thinking about everything else. The procedure is completely obscene: An agreement is first signed (as with Norway, Finland and Sweden), and then it must (possibly) be approved by the Danish parliament: How on earth would it be possible for Denmark to withdraw and say that “thanks to our democracy, we unfortunately have to cancel the agreement again”? It’s not going to happen. Public debate until later this week?? The Danish historically uniquely authoritarian government wants no debate – can’t tolerate it intellectually or morally. Two to four decades ago, this fundamental Danish security policy issue would have been the...

TFF Associates Lund, Sweden – December 17, 2023 As the brutal slaughtering in Gaza unfolds in increasingly horrific proportions, we, as an experienced research foundation for peaceful conflict resolution and peace-making since 1986, feel the urge to contribute our analytical points, sentiments and constructive conflict-resolution ideas. TFF also wants to be on record with this Statement so that when historians look back on this moral calamity, they will see who stood with whom and who advocated peace instead of ongoing genocide. The killing has to stop, and we call, together with the UN and so many others, for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The horrific attack of Hamas on October 7, 2023, with the death of over 1100 people, is indefensible. There is no excuse for the killing of absolutely innocent people. While there is a painful history of 75 years of brutal occupation and apartheid regime against the Palestinian...

Face 2 Face Channel March 22, 2023 Some time ago, we published an urgently important article by Tony Robinson – “We must stop the march towards World War III, now!” We thought, therefore, that it would be good for our readers to see him talk more about these issues – and not just the dangers we face but – much more creatively – the world that we should work for. Face 2 Face has produced this interview and writes that “We speak here with Tony Robinson about the situation in Europe and his latest article published on Pressenza titled “We must stop the march towards World War III, now!” requesting “The foundations of a new peace movement”. Tony is a Humanist Movement Activist, ex-Director of the Middle East Treaty Organization and coordinating committee member of Abolition 2000 – Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, author of the book “Coffee with...