Jan Oberg • TFF - The Transnational Foundation for Peace & Future Research

What motivated you to become involved in peace and conflict resolution?

I had teachers who opened my eyes to the potentials of nonviolence. The Vietnam War. My encounter with people like Hakan Wiberg, Johan Galtung, Elise and Kenneth Boulding, etc. Being a young student in Somalia (at war) 1977 to 1981. My education in Yugoslavia from 1974. A lot of reading, peace research and Gandhi in particular.
And the belief that with more research and education at all levels, we can learn to understand conflicts better - and when we do, there will be less "conflict illiteracy" and thus, other tools in the toolbox than a hammer and a chain saws...
Finally, as a conflict 'doctor', I like to combine the idea of alleviating suffering, confronting power nonviolently and suggesting alternatives - pro-peace and not anti-war only...
By the way, in May 2009 I opened an art photography gallery. Welcome to visit - it may have something to do with peace too...

Please feel free to provide a short bio about yourself (no more than 3 paragraphs)

About me here
Write to me:
oberg@transnational.org

Please list the countries and/or regions in which you have direct and significant expertise

All of former Yugoslavia since 1974
Iraq since 2002
Burundi since 1999
Somalia 1977-81
Japan since the 1980s
Sweden and Denmark
- and a few other places

What is your current country of residence?

Sweden

What is your current job (and organization) and/or where and what field are you studying?

Director of TFF - The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research

How many years professional experience do you have?

15+

What is one of your favorite websites in the field? (please provide one answer per box)

http://www.transnational.org

What is one of your favorite websites in the field? (please provide one answer per box)

http://www.youtube.com/TFFVideo

Which are your primary sectoral areas of expertise?

Civil Society, Conflict Resolution, Education, Peacebuilding

Which are your primary skills areas?

Advocacy, Research, Training, Intervention

What are some of your current areas of research (if any)?

- Former Yugoslavia - What Should Have Been Done (working on a book with Johan Galtung and Hakan Wiberg)
- Reconciliation and forgiveness - Burundi
- Peacebuilding - Iraq
- Nonviolence or "peace by peaceful means"
- World order and governance
- Nuclear abolition and alternative defence
- Peace research in general - co-editor with Lester Kurtz of the "Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict"

If appropriate feel free to list several of your publications

All available at
TFF - The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research
And I would like to recommend the books of TFF Associates that you find on that homepage under "Publications".
In addition! Of course the websites of TFF are my favourites. I put a lot of effort into making them, content first but also aesthetics. On TFF you'll find all our favourite websites under "Features". We use them every day to supply YOU with important analyses of global developments.