Articles by Johan Galtung
We found 1019 results.
Caucasus: The Powder Keg at Work
Johan Galtung,
11 Aug 2008
In 2003, from a TRANSCEND perspective on Caucasus (50 Years: 100 Peace & Conflict Perspectives, TRANSCEND University Press 2008, chapter 39c, see also chapter 64): TRANSCEND was asked in June 1997 to explore possible ways out for the (South) Caucasian situation. As nothing along the lines suggested (broadly speaking, a Caucasian Community for the 3 […]
→ read full articleThe Host Country/Immigrant Contract
Johan Galtung,
4 Aug 2008
A sad drama is unfolding in one European countryafter the other: higher barriers for immigrants, and for citizenship. Denmark, today one of the least tolerant countries, has an exam inDanish facts and values, Germany and France are planning the same,Norway’s opposition party, probably in government next year, iscontemplating; as opposed to Sweden, with citizenship automatic […]
→ read full articlePerfide Albion And Grand Strategy
Johan Galtung,
28 Jul 2008
Like today, Anglo-America (A-A) faced two major challenges in Europe in the first between-wars period: communism from Lenin took power in 1917, and nazism from Hitler was given power in 1933. The latter was a geo-political challenge with Germany demanding revision of Versailles, Neuordnung in Europe with Lebensraum–a New Order and space–as did Italy more […]
→ read full articleG8 and Global Pollution
Johan Galtung,
14 Jul 2008
There are figures in the air. CNN’s Todd Benjaminpointed out that the G8 countries account for 50% of the world wealth,but major developing countries for 70% of the world growth. And AlJazeera estimated the G8 share at 48% some years ago, now down to 43%,whereas-because major developing countries’ share has risen from 12% to27%, like […]
→ read full articleHousing, Food, Oil – What Next
Johan Galtung,
7 Jul 2008
“You see, this is a buying-and-selling car, not a driving car!”, the Chilean said as he wrapped the car I had sold him in plastic. I had used it, as a UNESCO expert, and did like they all do (the standard excuse): had a garage make it look new, and pocketed the difference. Seller and […]
→ read full articleCold War I and II – Solutions Anyone?
Johan Galtung,
30 Jun 2008
Cold War-I, say 1949-1989, came and went. Whathappened? Cold War-II started mid-1990s, building on the ruins of ColdWar-I and is now building up. What will happen? Anything to learn? Whatwas Cold War-I about? Reading the rhetoric of the time byestablishment and anti-establishment we might believe it was about armsrace in general, nuclear arms in particular, […]
→ read full articleThe West and Islam
Johan Galtung,
23 Jun 2008
We have been there before, many times. The West, particularly the United Kingdom-Britain-England, have attacked Islam after the massive Christian attack known as the Crusades. By no means forgetting the Omayyad Islamic attack on the Iberian peninsula and close to 800 years occupation up to Poitiers in France, nor the Ottoman expansion into Southeastern Europe […]
→ read full articleNOBAMA?
Johan Galtung,
16 Jun 2008
He held his cards close to his breast, this Barack Obama. Rather than talking program he talked Change and Together, and his incredible charisma did the rest. Now a nominee. But cards must be shown. Democracy is about transparency, including of what the candidates stand for. He is surrounded by advisors, there are leaks, and […]
→ read full articleThe May 1968 Revolution 40 Years Later
Johan Galtung,
2 Jun 2008
I will never forget that day. There was the standard French ritual: barricades, cobblestones, cars, buses even, turned over, tires burning, tear gas, CRS police in full gear, and hordes of students jumping from car to car to get away from the drifting clouds. One sensed 1789-1830-1948-1870/71. And strikes, grève. But then it changed tonality […]
→ read full articleA Vision for Sudan
Johan Galtung,
26 May 2008
Dear friends in peace, Peace Be Upon You, Sala’am Aleikum! My task at the end of this very impressive conference with 150 participants here in Hermansburg on the Lüneburger Heide is to fly above the nitty-gritty of failing implementations of the many peace agreements, report the visions, and indicate possible solutions that have been tried […]
→ read full articleThinking Colombia
Johan Galtung,
19 May 2008
What a brilliant idea! The Senate of the República and the Universidad Nacional organize Thursday meetings in the Congress on how to think about Colombia, opened by president Alvaro Uribe, the president of the Congress, Nancy Gutiérrez, and then a foreigner, this author, amply covered by the press and TV channels. Many countries might benefit […]
→ read full articleIsrael at Sixty
Johan Galtung,
12 May 2008
Casalmonferrato 09 May 2008 The synagogue in this rather remote little town, in the middle of the Milano-Genova-Torino triangle, dates from 1735. They came here, Spanish Jews, expelled by that primordial ethnic cleansing, at the hands of the Spanish reyes católicos Ferdinand and Isabella, from 1492 onwards. Moros, Jews, heretics, or all those suspected thereof; […]
→ read full articleCatastrophes, Aid and Peace Politics
Johan Galtung,
5 May 2008
Four natural catastrophes have touched our hearts theselast years: the tsunami hitting the coastlines of the Indian Ocean; thehurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, USA; the cyclone hitting Myanmar; and the earthquake hitting Sichuan in China. All four clearcases of natural violence, nature’s violence, against us, humanbeings. Of course, we sometimes attribute intent to Nature as revengefor […]
→ read full articleA Little Future History?
Johan Galtung,
28 Apr 2008
I have in front of me the 120 members of the SwissZulassungs-kommision who decide whether a young man who refusesmilitary service should be accepted as conscientious objector and betransferred to Zivildienst, civil service. Criteria: is theirconscience, not necessarily religious, compelling, and is the youngman’s construction of reality, from inner conscience-intentions to theouter actions-consequences contradiction-free? […]
→ read full articleThinking Conflict
Johan Galtung - TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Apr 2008
In an important article in the leading Austrian newspaper Der Standard (16-17 Feb 2008), Hans Küng, the famous president of the World Ethos Foundation, calls for more than “change” from a new US president. He calls for basic change, guided by a new ethos. And Küng gives a number of examples of misguided policies by […]
→ read full articleThe Democratic Illusion
Johan Galtung,
14 Apr 2008
Democracy is about people choosing leaders who areaccountable downward, to the people. So, what kind of leaders do wechoose? Not too impressive in the Western democracies. George W. Bush obviously suffers from a mental disorder, some kind ofautism, living in his own bubble, repeating the same message offreedom–even saying that his criterion for success is […]
→ read full articleTibet
Johan Galtung,
7 Apr 2008
All over the same story: nations imprisoned in statesagainst their will, wanting freedom-independence-autonomy, like forTibet, the “Xizang autonomous region” next toNepal-India-Bhutan-Myanmar; – once–like Samis in Norway–primitivehunter-gatherers and then traditional agriculturalists, united by the5th Dalai Lama in 1642; – then the Big conqueror/civilizer, the Qing Chinese dynasty, came in1720 and occupied till the Qing collapse in […]
→ read full articleThe Crime Against the Serbs: Kosova Independence
Johan Galtung,
10 Mar 2008
That the USA was the first out to recognize the break-away state was to be expected. From a country devoid of historical understanding but filled with the solid egocentrism of oil pipelines, with an enormous base, Camp Bondsteel, at Urosevac near Pristina, as a part of the encirclement of Russia-China, so militarist that they could […]
→ read full article50 Years of Fidel
Johan Galtung - TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Mar 2008
Late 1958, 50 years ago, the revolution won, Batista fled, Fidel and his brother Raúl entered Habana early 1959. The rest is history. Castro’s resignation as President is a mini-event. He has put his mark on the history of Cuba, Latin America, the whole world. He has survived politically 10 US presidents (5 even serving […]
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