The year began with a heavy revising and updating of all sections of the foundation's website; in particular new link sections on a) September 11 and terrorism; b) reconciliation, truth and forgiveness; c) intelligence, covert operations and psycho-warfare and, finally, d) Burundi. We also fed the revised website into a number of search engines, made special dispatches to Nordic and international groups in education, media, civil society, religion, libraries, etc. Searching the web and establishing links to web resources on reconciliation, forgiveness and truth as well as on Burundi itself also served as an intellectual preparation for our work in Burundi.

Christian Hårleman and Jan Oberg plan the foundation's Burundi reconciliation project and take the initial contacts with partners and potential donors. The project, however, can't be implemented before there is a viable cease-fire agreement in the region.

In late January, PressInfo #142 about the World Bank goes out, timed with a view to the World Economic Forum in New York. (PressInfo Index)

TFF associate Jørgen Johansen, Gothenburg and Tromsoe Universities, writes a series of articles from the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil (in Swedish).

In late January, we begin the work to optimise the utility functions of the website. The work is carried out by Peter Love, Australia, who is an expert in the field, and Jan Oberg in Sweden. The work soon leads to the development of an entirely new website, and it continues to the end of the year.

From now on we also post many more Feature articles on the site. By systematically identifying potentially new user groups such as journalists, teachers, parliamentarians, libraries, educational institutions and writing to them, the number of visitors increases to about 1000 per day. The number of links from other sites to TFF's doubles in three months, to over 1100.

In early February, PressInfo #143 about Bush' State of the Union Address goes out; more reactions, lots to answer; we gather some of the reactions in PressInfo #144. PressInfo 145 is a selection of the reactions to that and an invitation to participate in a dialogue. PressInfo 146 enthusiastically reviews Robert McNamara's book, Wilson's Ghost, the best blueprint for a new US foreign policy.

With this PressInfo, TFF begins to build its TFF Review Forum with comments and recommendations of interesting literature with direct links to where they can be bought. The referral fees then goes to TFF. We also issue a mini-appeal with a PeaceBrowser for donations and receive about US$600 immediately. This finances the new laser printer we had to purchase as the old one refused to print any more papers for peace!

In early March, Jan participates in a two-day consultation on world order issues at St. George House, Windsor Castle outside London. In March also, the 16-year old TFF archive was sorted out and hundreds of kilos of materials thrown away.

During this time we also built up a pool of voluntary translators of English, Swedish and Danish. They are Erik Göthe, Therese Marlan, Orla Jordal, and Doris Kuckenberg. This means a great expansion of articles on the website and many more readers of the same articles.

TFF takes part in the GRAD project launch in Oxford, a project initiated by the Toda Institute in Hawaii, an activity of Soka Gakkai in Japan (March 17-21). GRAD stands for "Globalisation, Regionalisation and Democratization" with the subtitle, A Multi-Civilisational and Dialogic Research Project. TFF will take part in one of the project's Action Research Teams, ART, on the role of media in conflict and peace.

Immediately afterwards, Jan Oberg travels to Moscow with members of the Swedish branch of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, IPPNW, to participate in a three-day Swedish-Russian consultation entitled Instead of Nuclear Weapons, i.e. not only disarmament and abolition but a focus on a new security policy and peace by peaceful means. TFF has contributed to the project, led by Hans Levander in Uppsala, Sweden, by writing "Can we learn to live without the bomb?" The conference which was also attended by active and retired officers and by parliamentarians and NGOs was held in the Russian Federation parliament, the Duma. (March 23-27)

There was also a separate meeting at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the deputy director of the Department for Security Affairs and Disarmament, Mikhail N. Lyssenko. He accepted a proposal from TFF to produce a policy-oriented paper for the Ministry on how the Russian Federation could opt out of the military competition with the West and spearhead a new security and conflict-resolution policy and thereby present a viable alternative to the Bush administration's dangerous policies.

Jan Oberg teaches an intensive course in peace and conflict-resolution and the culture of peace at Umeå University, April 2-5 and speaks for Green Cross Sweden on the 6th April.

A couple of intense weeks are spent in April on producing a conflict and violence assessment concerning Macedonia, commissioned to TFF by the UNHCR. A report on 16.000 words is produced. In April preparations for the Burundi project continues as does the planning of the May mission by Hårleman and Oberg to Iraq.

Chaiwat Satha-Anand and Jan are keynote speakers at Unimondo's huge fair and conference at the Civitas Forum Centre in Padua, Italy, May 3-4. More than 700 participants!

PressInfos #148, 149 and 150 about the Middle East conflict go out in May.

Jan is a keynote speaker at a peace movement meeting in Iceland, invited by the local movement against NATO's base in Keflavik (May 10-13). The conference is held a few days before NATO foreign ministers hold their meeting. Interviewed also by Radio Iceland.

May 14 to 29, Christian Harleman and Jan Oberg are on TFF's first fact-finding mission to Iraq. They have about 35 meetings with various people in Baghdad, representing the government, parliament, NGOs, media, academia and culture; they also meet with diplomats at a number of embassies and with representatives of the UN and a series of humanitarian organisations. The last evening they give a guest lecture at Beit Hikema, The House of Wisdom, for about 50 leading scholars. See later PressInfos.

On May 31 Jan lectures at the NATO School (SHAPE) in Oberammergau close to Munich, Germany on alternative views of European security with about 100 NATO and PfP officers. Very positive reception, he is invited back.

The beginning of June means catching up and planning the follow-up to the Iraq mission and new teaching obligations. PressInfo # 152 by Hårleman and Oberg goes out in early June, offering arguments why there must be no new war against Iraq.

PressInfo # 153 tells what TFF does that people do not see on our site.

Invited by the Women's Pedagogical Institute and the Center for Conflict Management in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Jan departs on June 23 to teach a course for three days. The purpose is to teach peace and conflict research and stimulate participating scholars from the Central Asian republics to start up peace studies at their respective universities.

Then he flies back to Europe and participates in the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces, DCAF (Geneva) organisation's conference in Skopje, Macedonia, on reconciliation on June 27-29. He participates in a panel with TFF associate Radmila Nakarada, while Håkan Wiberg and Biljana Vankovska are also present at the conference. All give interviews to the media. Leaves two days later to lecture in Denmark on the 30th June.

Then catch-up work and board meeting 53 on July 5, 2002, on Vegagatan. In July we also introduce the small e-mail messages we call TFF Peace Tips.

TFF PressInfo 154 to 156, all three on Iraq, are published over the summer.

Joergen Johansen and Jan teach a course on non-violence and conflict-resolution arranged by MEND, Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy, in East Jerusalem, August 12-18. We also link up with Ta'awn, another Palestinian conflict-resolution NGO, in Ramallah. Both become partners with a view to future co-operation. Christina and Jan also visit Gaza, the UNRWA, UNSCO and others there.

On August 30 we publish PressInfo # 157 on "EU countries must act now to break out of the US/Iraq diplomatic blackout". And on September 6, # 158 on "How to end terrorism, end state terrorism" by Galtung and Fischer. On August 31, Jan and Hans von Sponeck participate in a panel discussion about Iraq in Gothenburg.

Hans von Sponeck, former UN assistant Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, becomes a TFF Associate. So does Gunnar Westberg, President of the Swedish branch of IPPNW.

From the last week of August to mid-November, Vegagatan 25 was in the process of being partly rebuilt; there is a new roof and alterations have been made to the third floor. Living for months in a construction site and doing some of the work ourselves, reduces the energy available for foundation work and routines.

In September, Pressinfo # 159 "Denmark, the vassal state: foreign policy and research at a crossroads", is followed by #160 entitled "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark, but there are ways out". On September 25, Jonathan Power writes PressInfo # 161 on "How Iraq might defeat the mighty U.S.A."

Bo Rybeck, Professor, MD, PhD, former Director-General, Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOA), Surgeon-General, Major-General (ret.) becomes a TFF Associate.

On September 12, it is 17 years since TFF was established. On the same day we send the application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the organisational support we lost in 1999.

On September 20, Jan lectures again at the NATO School (SHAPE) in Oberammergau close to Munich. An overwhelmingly positive response.

PressInfo # 162, "Untold effects and the local viability of peace-keeping", written by TFF Associate Vasiliki Neofotistos and Jan Oberg, is posted on the site on September 27.

Shastri Ramachandaran, Times of India, becomes a TFF Associate. The following people also become TFF Associates during the autumn: Francis A. Boyle, Kamran Mofid, Mahdi Elmandjra, Nur Yalman and David Loy. (See who they are here: http://www.transnational.org/tff/associates.html).

On October 5-7, Jan is in Rovereto, Italy to lecture at IUPIP and participate in a public panel on Iraq.

Board member Else Hammerich and Jan begin work on an Open Letter to the Danish Government concerning the possible consequences of war against Iraq. All Danish humanitarian organisations and a series of distinguished Danes are contacted to sign the Letter.

TFF gets a new volunteer on board, Katie Heikkinen, a student from Harvard University. She concentrates on practical tasks and on posting materials on the website.

PressInfo # 163, "US military dictatorship in Iraq? Regime change in Washington?" goes out October 15.

We begin planning a fund-raising campaign in Southern Sweden.

October 26 is international anti-war demonstration day. Jan speaks in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen. Now begins a series of lectures and speeches during autumn, in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany.

PressInfo # 165, "Subverting the UN", by Richard Falk and David Krieger, goes out on October 29.

On November 1-2, Jan and Christina are in Berlin for an international conference about Iraq. The main speakers are Scott Ritter and TFF Associate, Hans von Sponeck. Jan gives two speeches which are later transcribed and ends up at our own and other websites.

November 8, TFF board meeting 54. Among other things, we decide to try to find the funds to make another fact-finding and conflict-mitigating mission to Iraq.

PressInfo # 164, "Anna Lindh's regrettable speech on Iraq", goes out on November 12.

We develop a 10 point program for conflict-resolution, not war, with Iraq. Goes out in English, Swedish and Danish, published in several newspapers and on important sites in the Nordic countries, India, the U.S., Germany etc.

With Bo Rybeck we plan how to get the risk of an international smallpox epidemic in the wake of warfare on Iraq on the political and media agenda. Rybeck and colleagues who are experts in this field, begin writing an analysis.

PressInfo # 166, "The West does not understand Iraq: perhaps we need an Intifada?" goes out on November 19.

During the last week of November and into early December, Jan lectures on Iraq and alternatives to war at universities in the Nordic countries: in Aarhus and Roskilde Universities in Denmark, at Tromsoe University in Northern Norway and in Oslo at the Social Forum (Porto Alegre follow-up), then in Gothenburg and at Umeå University in Northern Sweden. It is combined with interviews on Danish and Swedish Television and Broadcasting and numerous articles in student newspapers and elsewhere.

In late November we obtain a grant from the Danish foundation, Inge Lehmanns Legat af 1986, for a fact-finding mission to Iraq for Christian Hårleman and Jan Oberg, planned to take place in early January 2003.

PressInfo # 167, "Iraq - Twelve Years of Sanctions: Justified Punishment or Illegal Treatment?" - by Hans von Sponeck, appears in December.

In early December, TFF participates with Norwegian activists and parliamentarians in a small campaign to change the Norwegian Government's plan to close down its embassy in Baghdad. The decision is postponed - perhaps a small victory?

On December 12, when we published Bo Rybeck's analysis of a smallpox epidemic, he was on television and radio in Denmark and Sweden most of the day.

The Danish daily Politiken publishes the Open Letter to the Danish government on December 17. It is mailed also to all members of the Danish parliament, media, etc.

On December 20, we find out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has again turned down our application for organisational support. On the same day, Jan comments on the Ballistic Missile Defence plans for the Thule facility in Greenland, on Greenland Radio.

Ola och Erni Friholt join us as Swedish advisers in December. David Loy, Bunkyo University in Tokyo, and Toshiki Mogami, International Christian University, become TFF Associates.

Daisaku Ikeda, president of the lay Buddhist Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and TFF adviser, writes a large feature article about the work of TFF on the front page of the organisation's newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun, in Tokyo. With 12 million members, the organisation is probably the world's largest peace movement.

International Herald Tribune publishes Hans von Sponeck's and Jan Oberg's commentary, "A road to peace with Iraq - Europe's choice."

The year in statistics

12 new associates/advisers and a new Honorary Friend of TFF.

2 founders, 7 board members, 1 honorary friend, 42 international associates, 21 Swedish advisers, 7 Peace Antennas: a global network of 80. Plus 10 volunteers.

25 PressInfos. About 300 Feature articles (selected excellent articles not written by TFF associates) posted on the site.

14,000 now receive PressInfos, PeaceBrowser and PeaceTips from TFF. 1000-2000 visitors per day at www.transnational.org.

More than 4,000 e-mails written to individual recipients.

Jan Oberg, alone, published about 250 pages this year.

Frequent users of TFF materials and our partners:

Oneworld; Global Issues; MediaChannel; The Euobserver; Idealist.org & Action Without Borders; The News Insider; Global Policy Forum, New York; Centre for Conflict-Resolution, Copenhagen; Tibetan Centre for Conflict-Resolution, Dharamsala, India; The Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research; Transcend; IUPIP International University of Peoples' Institutions for Peace; UNESCO Culture of Peace Program; Center for Global Nonviolence, Hawaii; New World Order Forum, St. George House, Windsor, UK; Svenska Läkare mot kärnvapen; Centre for Research on Globalisation, Canada; Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy, MEND; BalkanIDEA, Macedonia; Lawyers Against the War.

Links from other sites: 1170 sites have links to TFF's website.

Outreach activities you do not see in this report

Dozens of public lectures over the years, e-mailed PeaceBrowsers and PeaceTips, interviews and comments to media, shorter articles; expansion of e-mail address registers. Constant website updating with hundreds of selected feature articles and more original TFF analyses than ever before posted over the year. Translation and promotion of PressInfos, other analyses and debate articles with newspapers, news agencies, etc.

Organisational maintenance and development that you do not see in this report

Board meetings, fund-raising activities, work on the new website, book keeping, library and archive maintenance, correspondence, travel planning, reporting to authorities, correspondence with and development of TFF's global network and invitations to new associates. And last but not least: paying special attention to and communicating with the increasing number of TFF Friends who have supported the foundation.

Volunteer assistants
Sara E. Ellis, Katie Heikkinen at HQ,

Volunteer translators
Orla Jordal, Erik Göthe, Dorit Kruckenberg, Frida Berg, Jean-Francois Drolet, Lea Hansen.

Web technician
Gunnar Jonson.

Designer of forthcoming homepage
Peter Love

Fund-raising 2002: US$ 11,527

Last but not least: our struggle to become a people-financed organisation. We received US$ 11,527 in individual donations from our 140 Nordic friends and 110 friends in the rest of the world.

Thanks to every single one of you!

Jan Oberg & Christina Spännar
Founders
Lund, December 31, 2002