"TFF is an independent think tank, a global network and a website for peace by peaceful means. It inspires a passion for peace from the grassroots to the corridors of power.
TFF is an all-volunteer global network. It promotes conflict-mitigation and reconciliation in general and in selected conflict regions through meticulous on-the-ground research, active listening, education and advocacy."

TFF works in suport of the UN Charter norm - "peace by peaceful means." We help people learn to handle conflicts with ever less violence against other human beings, other cultures and Nature.

We are a networking organization with associates all over the globe. We believe that alternatives to the main trends of our time are desirable and possible - indeed necessary for humankind to survive and live with dignity.

TFF is critical and constructive. It is an experiment in applied peace research and global networking.

Goals

Conflict-mitigation, peace research and education to improve conflict understanding at all levels and promote alternative security and global development based on nonviolent politics, economics, sustainability and ethics of care.
The results which aim at decision-makers and citizens alike combine innovative thinking and theories with workable, practical solutions.

What we do, how we work

1. On-the-ground conflict analyses and mitigation as well as educational and reconciliation work. The areas we work in include Burundi, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran and other places in the Middle East as well as Sweden.
These activities are organized in Theme and Action Groups, TAGs, consisting of the foundation's Associates.

2. TFF constantly develops its intellectual resource base. It provides learning opportunities and inspiration. These are the pillars of our field work and are available to our website visitors, to students at courses and training sessions, and everyone else. It is free of charge.
These main pillars are collected under "Treasures" - the writings of TFF Associates - together with nonviolence, reconciliation, EU conflict-management, our unique TFF News Navigator, TNN, and our link library.

3. Advocacy, training, education, media and other public outreach.
It is the work in conflict areas and our resource base that enable us to work effectively in this third way.
This point will be given more emphasis in the future in two integrated activities: a) general analyses of the media in conflict and peace, including peace journalism and development and b) the implementation of a communications and media strategy for TFF itself.

Trends

After five years of academic research and the publication of comprehensive academic studies, the foundation has - since 1991 - emphasized exploratory, in-the-field, solution-oriented studies in conflict-mitigation and lets this experience inform new theory formation and educational programs in the future.
We intend to remain an experiment, a hybrid between research and practical on-the-ground peace and reconciliation work.

From the UN Charter...

- "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

- "to bring about peace by peaceful means."

Philosophy & credo

• Independent of all special interest groups.

• Non- rather than near-governmental.

• Factual, critical but always also constructive.

• Committed to nonviolence in all aspects of its operation.

• Remaining personal, small and flexible.

• Meets suporters' and grant-makers' criteria for professional management with minimum administration and costs.

• Networking and team-building but no permanent research staff.

• All-volunteer, no one is employed.

• Does not accept funds derived from activities related to warfare.

• Works according to a code of conduct and a series of published principles.

Legal Status

Founded by Christina Spännar and Jan Oberg as an independent not-for-profit public charity in 1986 under Swedish law.

It reports annually to the local government authority for foundations. Its authorized public accountant is KPMG.

Documentation, statutes and progress report available upon request. TFF works in partnership with The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara, California, a non-profit organization with IRS exempt status under 501(c)(3).

Funding

TFF is predominantly people-financed, and operates on donations from citizens who sympathize with our goals and methods.

Next, it is based on unpaid voluntary work by all Associates, the founders, assistants, etc.

Among the grant-givers and donors over the years are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1991-1999), Stockholm; the Alva & Gunnar Myrdal Foundation, Greenpeace International, the Futura Foundation, the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, England; Apple-Macintosh Sweden, the Swedish International Development Authority, SIDA, Soka Gakkai International, Japan, Polden-Puckham, England and the Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sweden.

Although its legal status is that of a "foundation", TFF is not based on any capital endowment.