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PressInfos 2006

Think pieces, not press releases

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2006

PressInfo 241, August 15, 2006
Assessing the United Nations after the Lebanon War 2006
The UN has become in these situations, sadly, more of a geopolitical instrument than an instrument for the enforcement of international law. This regression betrays the vision that the guided the architects of the UN back in 1945, chief among whom were American diplomats. It is today incapable of protecting any state that is the victim of an aggressive war initiated by the United States or its close allies.
Sad as it is, this assessment should not lead to a cynical dismissal of the Organization. We need the UN - and there are three ways in which we can help it be what it was meant to be.

PressInfo 240, May 10, 2006
Time for substantive Iran-US talks
A most insightful and fair analysis of the background to the US-Iran crisis and to President Ahmadinezhad's letter as well as a convincing argument for a negotiated solution.
Professor Jahanpour is a British national of Iranian origin educated in languages and with a PhD in oriental studies and has been BBC Editor for the Middle East and North Africa for 18 years.
We are proud to present this most eminent scholar as new TFF Associate. See more about him and read his other articles here.

PressInfo 239, March 29, 2006
The Non-Proliferation treaty is failing: What now?
Lists the problems with the NPT and the states ignoring it. "In effect, we are calling for two new treaties: a Nuclear Disarmament Treaty and a Treaty Establishing an International Sustainable Energy Agency. These are the only initiatives that have a reasonable chance of moving us back from the terrifying edge of the nuclear precipice. By Richard Falk and David Krieger. 

PressInfo 238, March 29, 2006
India, Iran and U.S. nuclear hypocrisy
The Bush administration seeks to reward India for noncooperation with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and for developing a nuclear weapons arsenal, while Iran is threatened with punishment for being part of the treaty and seeking to exercise its rights under the treaty. This approach is likely to lead to a major breakdown of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the international regime that supports it. By David Krieger.

PressInfo 237, March 28, 2006
Israel, Iran, and the Future of the Middle East
One of the leading world order analysts links the issue of nuclear weapons, Iran, Israel, Turkey, the Middle East and their complex relations and warns that a devastating war could break out if no one takes steps to head it off soon. He also asks why we should accept the global nuclear apartheid thinking that this whole affair is imbued with. By Richard Falk.

PressInfo 236, March 28, 2006
Iran, international law and nuclear disarmament
In a soft, matter-of-fact voice David Krieger debunks the main Western arguments against Iran. He then tells what must be done. "The only safe number of nuclear weapons in the world is zero." So to stop nuclear proliferation, the nuclear powers must show the way and live up to their obligations under international law and scrap theirs. Unrealistic? Everything else, says Krieger, will be more unrealistic.

PressInfo 235, 2:a april, 2006
Muhamad-karikatyrerne (3): Grandet och bjälken: Vi måste lära oss att se vår egen kulturblindhet
Den ena sidan av globaliseringens mynt visar naturligtvis hur vi ser på oss själva. Men den andra visar - oavsett om vi kan förstå det eller tycker om det - hur de andra ser på oss. I detta globaliseringens tidevarv går det inte för någon, stark eller svag, att ignorera denna andra sidan. Varje försök att med makt eller våld påtvinga andra våra egna värden och synpunkter som om de vore universella kommer att fungera som ett recept på global förstörelse, allas kamp emot alla. Vare sig mer eller mindre.
Artikeln avslutas med en lång rad "kanske kunde vi lära oss att..."

PressInfo 235, March 22, 2006
Muhammed-karikaturerne (3): Splinten og bjælken: Vi må lære at se vores egen kulturelle blindhed
Den ene side af globaliseringens mønt er naturligvis hvordan vi ser på os selv. Men den anden er - uanset om vi kan forstå eller synes om det - hvordan de andre ser på os. I denne globaliseringstid vil ingen, hverken stærk eller svag, slippe godt fra at ignorere denne anden side af mønten. Ethvert forsøg på med magt og vold at påtvinge andre vores egne værdier og synspunkter vil før eller siden forvandles til en opskrift på global ødelæggelse, alles kamp mod alle. Intet mindre.
Artiklen afsluttes med en lang række "måske kunne vi lære at..."

PressInfo 235, March 17, 2006
The Muhammad caricatures (3): The speck and the log. We must learn to see our own cultural blindness
One side of the coin is what we in the West think of ourselves. The other side is what they think of us. No one, strong or weak, can afford anymore to ignore the other side of the coin, the coin of globalisation. And forcing people to share our view of ourselves is a recipe for world destruction, no less. End with a series of "perhaps we could..." learn something important.

PressInfo 234, 21. marts, 2006
Vestens fredsforebyggelse fortsætter på Balkan
Hvis du har den opfattelse at vestlig politik bør tjene som model for anstændighed, fairness og principfast politik ude i verden, så kig lige på de aktuelle emner fra det tidligere Jugoslavien såsom Kosovos status, Montenegros folkeafstemning, krigsforbryderne, Kosovos nye statsminister etc. Vestlige medier kalder det mægling mens det er rå magtpolitik, der meget vel kan lede til nye problemer på Balkan. Men så vil det være serbernes skyld.

PressInfo 234, 16:e mars, 2006
Västvärldens fredsförhindrande politik fortsätter på Balkan
Om Du tror att västvärldens politik bör fungera som mönster för anständighet, rättvisa och ett principiellt politisk handlande, bör Du tänka över de aktuella nyheter från före detta Jugoslavien om Kosovos framtida status, dess nya statsminister, Montenegros folkomröstning, krigsförbrytere, etc. Västlig propaganda kallar det medling och de som inte ved vad medling är tror på det.

PressInfo 234, March 10, 2006
Western peace prevention continues in former Yugoslavia
If you believe that Western politics should serve as a model of decency, fairness and principled policies, consider the topical news concerning Kosovo's future status and new leader, Montenegro's referendum, Serbia, etc. The Western propaganda calls it mediation - believed by those who don't know what mediation is. It's sheer power politics as usual.

PressInfo 233, 11 februari, 2006
Mohamedkarikatyrerna (2): Det finns ju ett sammanhang !
Om ett större sammanhang rättas till, skulle Danmark - dess regering och folk - tvingas ställa frågan: Vad har vi gjort fel i så mångas ögon under de senaste 10-15 åren? Detta skulle öppna för någon sorts lärdom och långsiktig försoning med dem som uppfattas som fiender. Hittills har den danska regeringen och de danska massmedierna - jodå, det finns naturligtvis några undantag - hållit sig på den senare, sammanhangslösa vägen. Det bådar illa. Det kommer det att väcka ilska hos ännu fler av världens medborgare.

PressInfo 233, February 9, 2006
The Muhammad caricatures (2): But there is a context!
There is a context to the Muhammad caricatures. If that context is addressed, Denmark - its government and people - would have to ask: What have we done wrong in the eyes of so many during the last 10-15 years? That would open for some kind of learning and long- term reconciliation with the perceived enemies.
But if that context is ignored, Denmark will react only with self-pity, feeling misunderstood and sink deeper into it cultural insensitivity and institutionalized lack of self-criticism and empathy. This means more conflict in Denmark and more conflict between Denmark and the Muslim world.

PressInfo 233, 9. februar, 2006
Muhammed-karikaturerne (2): Men der er jo en større sammanhæng !
Hvis man tager denne større sammenhæng med i betragtningerne over det der sker i disse uger så må Danmark, regering og befolkning, udfordre sig selv og spørge: Hvad er det vi synes at have gjort så forkert i så manges øjne de sidste 10-15 år? En ærlig diskussion ville givetvis bidrage til at skabe ny kundskab og åbne døren for en mere forsonende, mindre kulturblind, måde at forholde sig til resten af verden på.
Men hvis man fortsætter med i politik og medier at stirre sig blind på disse tegninger og droppe den større sammenhængen så vil den danske reaktion forblive selvmedlidende. Og som "offer" kommer man at synke dybere ned i kulturel ufølsomhed.

PressInfo 232, 9. februari, 2006
Mohamedkarikatyrerna (1): Förtrycksfrihet
I dessa dagar fruktar jag att den västliga civilisation i snabbt ökande grad framstår som helt befriat från inlevelse och medkänsla, för öppen debatt och för den civilcourage som behövs för att be om ursäkt.
Det här rör sig inte om huruvida somliga ser för negativt på Danmark - det gör de säkert. Det helt centrala är att den aktuella danska politiken är huvudorsaken till att mlijoner har en så negativ bild av landet.
Det kan mycket väl tänkas att vi nu bevittnar början til en utveckling, som kommer att sluta i en katastrof för oss alla.

PressInfo 232, 8. februar, 2006
Muhammed-karikaturerne (1): Undertrykkelsesfrihed
I disse dage frygter jeg at den vestlige civilisation i stigende grad opfattes af andre som blottet for indlevelse og medfølelse, for egentlig åben debat og for den civilcourage der er brug for når man skal sige "Undskyld, vi skulle have håndteret det hér lidt anderledes."
Det hér drejer sig ikke om hvorvidt nogle mennesker dømmer Danmark som helhed for hårdt - og det gør de såmænd nok. Det helt centrale er at den aktuelle danske politik er hovedårsagen til at millioner har fået dette billede af Danmark og danskerne.
Det kan meget vel tænkes at vi nu er vidner til begyndelse af en udvikling, der efterhånden vil ende i en katastrofe for os alle.

PressInfo 232, February 7, 2006
The Muhammad caricatures (1): Freedom of suppression
These days I fear that Western culture increasingly comes across as lacking both empathy, self-critical debate and the courage to say, We are sorry! My native country is now a rogue state in the eyes of millions of fellow human beings. Whether or not this is a fair judgment of Denmark is not the issue. The issue is that Danish politics is a prime reason that those millions hold that image.
We could well be witnessing the beginning of a drift towards unparalleled catastrophe, writes TFF director Jan Oberg who is a Danish citizen.

2005

PressInfo 231, December 9, 2005
Is the European Union pro-peace?
Read the Constitution/Treaty text and you are in for a surprise! Contrary to what you have heard repeatedly, there is no hope for real conflict-resolution and peace there. In this field, the EU is more in need of reform than the United Nations. This PressInfo also includes information about TFF's work concerning the EU, not the least Johan Galtung's analysis and Erni & Ola Friholt's constructive re-formulations of the Treaty. By Jan Oberg.

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