TRANSCEND At 20: And Then What?

EDITORIAL, 19 Aug 2013

#286 | Johan Galtung

TRANSCEND: A Peace*Development*Environment Network was founded on March 1993 out of frustrations with a government-sponsored institute in Oslo, Norway–political direct and indirect interference–and a university chair with academic freedom–but all disciplines jealously guarding their academic turfs against inter-disciplinary intruders.

And one very positive experience with a conflict resolution proposal in 1967–a UN Security Commission for Europe like the UN Economic Commission–picked up in 1989-90 and implemented successfully by Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Exactly how and by whom, I was told at a conference in Luxemburg on March 1993 by the then Czech ambassador to Paris, in those years the deputy foreign minister, before that a Dubcek dissident, and in 1967 a 29-year old assistant in the Czech foreign ministry, present when the idea–an outcome of a project for the Council of Europe–was presented. Thanks indeed, Jaroslav Sedivy!

Transcend, go beyond, beyond contradictions, incompatibilities. Come up with constructive, concrete, creative proposals–they may work. Fumiko Nishimura and Dietrich Fischer joined; today there are 522 members invited from 80 countries; 40 percent are women.

From the beginning four tasks were defined for the network:

* action: mediation-TRANSCEND Peace Service-TPS, director Johan Galtung;

* training: university & workshops, onsite and online.

* TRANSCEND Peace University-TPU, Director Erika Degortes;

Publications:

* TRANSCEND University Press-TUP, Director Dietrich Fischer;

* dissemination: for media, with focus on solution-orientation:

* TRANSCEND Media Service-TMS, Editor Antonio C. S. Rosa;

* TRANSCEND Peace Channel-TPC, Manager (YouTube) Naakow Hayford;

* research: the Galtung-Institut G-I, Director Naakow Hayford, also the executive arm of TRANSCEND International. At present the research is focused on the Octagon World Project, managed by Dietrich Fischer.

So, twenty years later, what are the results?

TPS: the first 100 dialogue-based conflict-trauma-project proposals are in the TUP book #1, 50 Years-100 Peace & Conflict Perspectives. The next 100 as TMS editorials. Out of 100, about 30 have been quite successful–like the [Council of Europe] mentioned above–the other 70 not yet, but successes can turn into failures; and vice versa.

TPU: workshops; since year 2000 online: in 2011 16 courses-96 students; in 2012 11 courses-56 students; 2013 so far 6 courses-28 students; 5 through SKYPE.

TUP: started on June 2008. 14 books published in the TUP series (3 more coming), 8 books in the TUPP (pocket book series). All together, 22.

TMS: started on May 2008. 306 Monday editorials by Johan Galtung, 10,348 postings, around 800 visitors/day mostly from USA, UK, Germany, Russia.

TPC: every week, on editorials, with TRANSCEND experts from all over;

G-I (in Grenzach-Basel, Germany): 22 trainees in methods-epistemology of the TRANSCEND approaches; workshops, conferences, handling TPU-TUP, and the Octagon Project of Problems-Proposals for a globalizing world.

TRANSCEND in the Arab World has mediated in 12 conflicts, like Muslim clerics vs Denmark over dialogue refusal[i]. TRANSCEND Latin America has moved judicial mediation forward and published 12 books in Spanish. TRANSCEND Norway runs SABONA–TRANSCEND in family-school-work–and the Hardanger Academy for Peace*Development*Environment in Jondal. TRANSCEND Japan does reconciliation training for Northeast Asia, numerous courses, a journal, and theory. TRANSCEND Germany runs courses, many meetings, training, intercultural relations. TRANSCEND Canada-New Zealand, a huge project for high self-reliance and equity and low ecological footprint for villages all over. TRANSCEND Ghana, a permaculture experiment. TRANSCEND USA, workshops in Washington and mediation from California. TRANSCEND Italy, all of the above; and it was the link to the Italian Senate for a presentation on alternative defense for Europe. TRANSCEND Caucasus makes progress for peace, so do Russia and Nepal; TRANSCEND India struggles nonviolently against nuclear power plants. Etc.

The program for the coming years includes:

TPS: with about 30/100 mediations working well time has come to revisit the others–like Nepal February 2013, Caucasus September 2013–for exhibitions promoting solution-orientation; or more popular handbooks.

TPU: explore more niches like USA, asking participants, more SKYPE; onsite Peace*Development*Environment for the Arab world in Geneva.

TUP: massive reviews, advertising, possibly Amazon for e-books;

TMS: even more focus on solutions, particularly for USA-Israel;

TPC: involving the expertise of the whole TRANSCEND network;

G-I: develop the executive arm of TRANSCEND also in Norway, Spain.

Who pays for all this? Self-financing, by course fees and book sales, and this has worked for almost 20 years. But with the economic crisis, demand is down. There is e-book competition; and free courses. Professors Fischer and Galtung receive retirement benefits, however; and the countries are also self-financed.

TRANSCEND now needs outside support to survive. We are talking about Euro $94,000 for one year. Any amount contribution is welcome, for general support or for specific projects; and will be well publicized on our websites https://www.transcend.org/ and http://www.galtung-institut.de/.

Dear Reader: you can help us by buying something we can offer in return. Take one of our TPU courses this coming term, 23 September-20 December, on Advanced Conflict Transformation Around the World or Mediating at the Micro-Meso-Macro-Mega levels–we get the fee, you get knowledge and skills. And-or buy any number of our 22 TUP books at 25% discount, 50% discount beyond that, postage free. You keep or resell. We get money, you get books; or sell at a profit. You will find the necessary information about courses and books below. But donations are also most welcome, to our bank account:

Galtung-Institut Kto. Nr. 01088509 Sparkasse Lörach-Rheinfelden
BLZ 68350048 BIC SKLODE66 IBAN DE76683500480001088509.

NOTE:

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 19 Aug 2013.

Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: TRANSCEND At 20: And Then What?, is included. Thank you.

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4 Responses to “TRANSCEND At 20: And Then What?”

1. Prof. Bishnu Pathak says:

   20 Aug 2013 at 03:51

   TRANSCEND South Asia Regional Chapter highly appreciates the outstanding works of Prof. Dr. Johan Galtung to bring the peace and harmony in this universe. Dr. Galtung has been a sole inspiration and igniter of peace studies where it has now been teaching in more than 500 universities in the world. Prof. Galtung’s method of conflict transformation by peaceful means has been the world’s most modern tool to wipe-out the armed insurgencies and identity-based conflicts around the earth including Nepal. Prof. Galtung’s two arms namely Prof. Dietrich Fischer and Prof. Fumiko Nishimura are well deserved to congratulations for the proliferation of TRANSCEND in 80 countries. This Chapter salutes Prof. Galtung’s tireless efforts first and his close allies (522 members of TRANSCEND) on the auspicious occasion of 20-years from the lap of Mt. Everest. Hope TRANSCEND to be a competitor of UN in the days to come to restore justice in world. Indeed, injustice commits anywhere is a challenge to peace, harmony, and fraternity in the world.

2. M. Ashaq Raza says:

   21 Aug 2013 at 09:05

   Heartiest Congratulations, Prof. Galtung. It is noble endeavour to build the mind-set (Attitude) of masses around globe towards sustainable peace and development. If not previously done, You deserve a Noble Prize in Peace. I wonder, killers of humanity, are awarded with Peace prizes, and man who is real and unbiased peace maker for about 4-5 decades, yet needs a recognition. Nonetheless, your noble works are laudable, and keep them up, We are with you, sir!!!

   With best regards
   Dr. M. Ashaq Malik
   Jammu and Kashmir, India

3. » Transcend a 20 anni: e poi? – Johan Galtung says:

   26 Aug 2013 at 00:39

   […] http://www.transcend.org/tms/2013/08/transcend-at-20-and-then-what/ […]

4. TRANSCEND MEDIA SERVICE » (Italiano) TRANSCEND a 20 anni: e poi? says:

   10 Sep 2013 at 12:26

   […] originale: TRANSCEND At 20: And Then What? – TRANSCEND Media […]