Wednesday, June 2 at 19.00
Brusewitz, Badhuset, Plan Three, Gamla Torget Six
Thailand's Political Crisis and the Response of the International Community
Thursday, May 20th
A Special Night with Jan Eliasson
On Thursday May 20th just over thirty members of Pax et Bellum were treated to an exclusive evening with the distinguished Jan Eliasson. The former President of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minster of Sweden, and Special Envoy to Darfur spoke candidly with the intimate crowd about issues such as career-defining choices, Swedish foreign policy, UN reform, and several current global crises. While listening and discussing with Mr. Eliasson, guests enjoyed thumb-print cookies, rhubarb cake, and delicious brownies, all provided by Pax et Bellum. All in all, the evening with Jan Eliasson proved to be very special indeed.
Thursday, May 13th
Waffles for Peace: Burma Night
On May 13, Pax et Bellum hosted the unforgettable Waffles for Peace. Hosted by Pax et Bellum’s partner organization, the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, Waffles for Peace offered its guests the opportunity to discuss the peace and democracy movement within Burma and support Pax et Bellum, all while enjoying delicious waffles prepared and served by the board. The highlight of the evening came from the presentation and discussion period with two Burmese activists. Their candid recounting of events, and thought provoking ideas engaged the entire audience, piquing great questions from all, and leading to more discussions even after the evening had finished. Waffles for Peace was definitely an event not to be missed!
A special thanks to the entire staff of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation for their gracious welcome - the evening would not have been possible without their generosity.
May 3rd and 6th
Career Days: Professional Workshop & Career Fair
Pax et Bellum’s growth over the past year become strikingly obvious at the 2010 Professional Workshop and Career Fair, with more than 30 different organizational representatives taking part, and over 100 participants. On the first day, attendees were treated to workshops and discussion sessions focused on project cycle management, PhD applications, and CV writing. And on the second day, participants of the career fair filled four different areas in the Department of Peace and Conflict Research to meet with potential employers and discuss their hiring mechanisms as well as their current openings. Apart from gaining novel insight and practical guidance, guests we’re also treated to delicious fika on both days! For more information on who participated in the 2010 professional workshops and career fair, please contact Pax et Bellum, and be sure to check it out next year!
Friday, April 16th
Study Trip to Stockholm
The first Pax et Bellum study trip was certainly a remarkable experience for everyone involved! On April 16, Pax et Bellum took 11 interested members to a fascinating and informative day trip to Stockholm. In the morning, Secretary General of the Olof Palme International Center, Jens Orback, invited the students from Uppsala to the headquarters of the Palme center. In a cozy and welcoming atmosphere he presented the Center’s work on the empowerment of grassroots movements around the world, answered the curious questions of the students and was eager to discuss current political affairs. After a social and cheerful lunch, the director of the Stockholm Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS), Robert Egnell, received Pax et Bellum’s members in the halls of the Swedish National Defense College, to talk about the SCSS, study opportunities at the College, his academic work and his experience from the field. Overall an unforgettable event and certainly not the last Pax et Bellum study trip!
Friday, April 9th
Annual Peace Gasque
They did it again!!! This year the student representatives of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research and Pax et Bellum co-organized the social event of the year for all those studying and working in the field of peace and conflict in Uppsala: the Peace Gasque! The annual event was held on April 9th, and was hosted in the beautiful Gamla Salen of Norrlands Nation. Honoured by the presence of Dag Hammarskjöld Professor Peter Wallensteen, the dinner brought together students, teachers, and researchers from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, who happily took part in the singing led by song master Jakob Piehl and the activities introduced by Toastmaster Jonas Baumann. During the evening speeches were given by professor Wallensteen, the Student Representatives of the department, and the Chairman of Pax et Bellum. There was also a performance by the UCDP staff (peace yeah!) and an interactive personality quiz given by Pax et Bellum. In addition, Pax et Bellum also auctioned off six items that were donated by the staff of the Department in order to raise funds for the Polaris Project. After the dinner, the Peace Gasque continued on the dance floor and in the lounge, where guests mingled and enjoyed the music provided by the DJ. See you next year at the 2011 Peace Gasque!
April 8th and 9th
Spring Negotiation Workshop: Kashmir
On April 7 and 8, Pax et Bellum invited its members to a two-day Negotiation Workshop on the Kashmir conflict! The purpose of the workshop was not only to provide its participants with a thorough knowledge on the work of a mediators and major issues of the conflict, but also to practice tactics of mediation in a simulation. On Wednesday, Pax et Bellum invited Kristine Höglund, an expert on negotiations and third-party intervention from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, to lecture on actors, reasons and strategies in mediation. After her challenging lecture, the highly motivated participants brainstormed on main issues of the conflict before preparing the upcoming simulation in subgroups representing the conflict parties: Government of India, All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and the mediator team. On Thursday the simulation took place. Gathering again in a pleasant atmosphere at the DPCR and being treated with fika, the participants switched to their roles as members of the conflict parties. The simulation proved to be highly demanding, offering the participants an insight into difficulties mediators face in situations of high mistrust and unwillingness to cooperate. In the end, the parties however could agree on a solution – a successful (hypothetical) end to the Kashmir conflict and a pleasant workshop for all its participants!
Thursday, March 18
Spring Peace Cafe
Pax et Bellum’s Spring Peace Café was definitely memorable, with its 24 participants, 4 impassioned moderators, and lively atmosphere. Held at Värmlands Nation on March 18th, the Peace Café brought Pax et Bellum a plentiful amount of attention, as the banner was visible to everyone entering the nation, and it even caused a few non-members to casually join in on the discussions! With topics ranging from drug abuse and trafficking policy all the way to the impact of violence on the work and presence of humanitarian agencies, the various discussions touched on a diverse number of controversial, albeit significant issues. The Peace Café provided a relaxed and comfortable arena for discussion and debate, leading to a fun evening had by all, and a great start to Spring 2010.
Wednesday, March 10
Post-Copenhagen Perspectives and the Role of NGOs
Post-Copenhagen Perspectives and the Role of NGOs was terrific event for Pax et Bellum to begin March with, as the friendly and casual atmosphere allowed all attendants (including Professor Peter Wallensteen), to participate in the discussions arising. Two different speakers took part in the debate, namely the keynote speaker, Bo Kjellen, Chairman of the Swedish Research Council FORMAS and Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, and also Jakob Risberg, a climate negotiator representing the Swedish Church. Mr. Kjellen gave a 30 minute speech on the current state of climate negotiations and he also highlighted the challenges in the light of the upcoming conference in Mexico. Mr. Risberg complemented the previous presentation with relevant insight and perspectives on the role of civil society in climate negotiations. The speeches were followed by a lively and intense discussion that was fed by some thought-provoking participant questions. The discussion period allowed the participants to gain first hand insight and relevant information from the field, which was greatly appreciated by all. In addition to the discussion, Pax et Bellum provided a fika prepared with local products, in order to promote awareness on gas emissions. Thanks to the organizing committee, and all those in attendance, Pax et Bellum provided yet another exciting event for its members.
Thursday, February 11
Peace Education and Human Responsibility
The lecture started with a presentation on how the medical community approaches issues related to peace and security, and how it is involved in pro-peace projects. Dr. Lavender discussed his personal experiences, as well as the efforts and principles behind the Life Link project. Moreover, he also touched on some of Life Link’s activities, namely in Iran and Iraq.
After Dr. Levander concluded his presentation, the discussion was opened up, and provided an opportunity for participants to raise questions on education issues in post- conflict situations. In the discussion, Dr. Lavender also looked at the involvement of Life Link in Iranian peace education projects, and shared some of his many personal experiences. At the end of the lecture all of the participants had the opportunity to mingle with Dr. Levander, and continued the discussion while enjoying the fika provided by Pax et Bellum.
Thursday, March 4
World Domination Board Game Night
On March 4th, 2010, Pax et Bellum organized a Board Game Night at Uplands Nation. More than 25 people joined in the fun, playing games from around the world. Everyone seemed to enjoy the evening and the last people left Uplands at 00.50 after having finished a six hour game of Risk (!) and cleaned the place up. The game was ended without any definite winner, but Urooj Mian seemed to be the one to have won, had the game gone on.
Friday, December 4
Winter Peace Cafe
On Friday December 4, Pax et Bellum hosted the 2nd Annual Peace Café with the cooperation of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research. Designed as an informal discussion forum pertaining to peace and conflict related issues, the Peace Cafe welcomed 24 participants and 5 moderators to the event, which lasted just over 3 hours. Due to the diverse educational backgrounds of the moderators and participants, there was an assorted and dynamic number of discussion topics, ranging from issues such as post conflict elections, to the legality of humanitarian intervention.
For more pictures, visit our Facebook page.
Thursday, February 25th
Movie Night: Milk
On February 25th, 2010, Pax et Bellum screened the movie Milk, starring Sean Penn. The movie was enjoyed by all, as was the carmel corn, coffee and regular popcorn made available to attendees.
November 9, 18.30
Miss the last Pax et Bellum event: A Nuclear Weapons Convention - An Idea Whose Time Has Come!
On November 9, nuclear physicist and AKRONYM Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy founder Rebecca Johnson awed a large crowd of Pax et Bellum members with a lecture and slide show on her work in Nuclear disarmament. Johnson, who also worked under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Investigation in 2003, has been a highly prolific proponent of nuclear disarmament, and she used her vast knowledge and experience to encourage audience members to become more aware of the costs and affects of nuclear weapons. The lecture, which ran for around 45 minutes, was preceded by a stimulating discussion and question period, which allowed audience members to ask Johnson a wide range of questions, stemming from disarmament policy to civilian impact. Afterwards, guests of the Uppsala Peace Museum were treated to fika as well as further discussion with Johnson, to the delight of the audience.
Monday, November 02
Reflections on Kosovo: Experiences and Perspectives
If you missed the event "Reflections on Kosovo: Experiences and Perspectives", you can read the report and view pictures here.
Friday, October 22 - 23
Negotiation Workshop
If you missed the event "Negotiation Workshop", you can read the report here.
Monday, October 05, 17.00
Who wants to Forgive and Forget?
If you missed the event "Who wants to Forgive and Forget", you can read the report and view pictures here.
September 10, 17.15
Dag Hammarskjöld and Martin Buber: Can We Save True Dialogue in an Age of Mistrust?
Lecture by and debate with Lou Marin
Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Övre Slottsgatan 2
In co-operation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Hammarskjöld and Buber met three times between 1958 and 1961 and exchanged thoughts as well as letters on how Buber’s philosophy of dialogue could influence practices of international negotiations and interventions. According to Marin, this contact can be divided into two phases, both times initiated by Dag Hammarskjöld after having read some of Buber’s works. From 1958 to mid 1959, their discussions would focus on a more political analysis of the current situation of Cold War perceived as characterized by “walls of distrust within the age of mistrust” (in reference to expressions used by Hammarskjöld and Buber). Buber perceived the age of mistrust arising due to an ever extending and politicised sphere of the state destroying the social sphere in which the individual is embedded in a community on a smaller level. The resulting fear leading to mistrust is a situation, which Hammarskjöld witnessed in his daily life of international negotiations, hence joining Buber in his call for the restructuring of the society. The last month of Hammarskjöld’s life constitutes the second phase of the two men’s encounter, which emerged as a more philosophical discussion of Buber’s thoughts in ‘Between Man & Man’ and ‘I & You’ (the latter of which Hammarskjöld started to translate into Swedish). The reflection upon Buber’s mysticism and understanding of God being the ‘between’ of the I and the You in a situation of true dialogue led the two thinkers to different solutions in case that true dialogue fails. Where Buber would favour continuous initiatives to further dialogue, education, civil disobedience and unarmed ‘interventions’ by the newly founded World Peace Brigade (later Peace Brigades International), Hammarskjöld envisaged military Peacekeeping as an appropriate means if dialogue fails.
The discussion following Lou Marin’s presentation centred mainly around the latter aspects in relation to their appropriateness in situations needing short-term action by the international community.
Exhibition "Forgotten Peace"
Monday May 11 & Wednesday May 13 | 9.00 - 16.00 | Department of Peace and Conflict Reseach | Gamla Torget 3
The Forgotten Peace exhibition produced jointly by Pax et Bellum and the Peace Museum will be displayed in the lobby of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research during two days. Drop by and have a look! Consequences of armed conflicts often tend to be forgotten after the conflict is officially ended. On nine portable screens, the exhibition focuses on social, economic and security-related consequences of armed conflicts, including for example brain drain, aid dependency and ex-soldier reintegration issues. More information on opening hours on http://www.fredsmuseum.se/.
Pax et Bellum Career Day
Wednesday | May 6 | 12.00-17.00 | Department of Peace and Condflict Research
This year's Career Day was a well visited event, both by organisations from the peace & conflict field that came to present themselves and by students who came to inform themselves. Folke Bernadotte, IDEA, SIPRI and several other NGO's held short presentations and were present in the lobby to interact with the visitors of the Career Day. Students also had the opportunity to get personal and professional CV feedback by the Student Office career counsellor.
Peace Café
By Pax et Bellum and UF Uppsala
Wednesday – April 22 – 19.00 – Östgöta Nation
Together with Uppsala Association of Foreign Affairs (UF), Pax et Bellum organized a Peace Café, providing for the opportunity of engaged discussion around peace-related topics in a relaxed atmosphere.
With input from several moderators, students from different national and educational backgrounds discussed on different debate tables about issues such as success and failure of UN Peacekeeping, the role of news in conflict and peace as well as the question of truth, justice and / or reconciliation and the role to play for the International Criminal Court in this context.
Even after the debate rounds of 20 minutes at each table, discussions went on long after the event.
Clowns without Borders
Thursday | April 16 | 17.00 | Department of Peace and Condflict Research | Gamla Torget 3
Skratt.nu - Laugh.now!
Children are often particularly affected by conflicts and coping with their experiences of conflict situations, as well as HIV or disability, is a sensitive and complex issue. Since they first started to work in Tindouf Camps in Algeria in 1993, Clowns without Borders commit their work to spread happiness amongst children in difficult situations. Laughing – or engaging in all sorts of physical creative activities – can help to cope with frustration, build up self-esteem, create new role models and even enable to think outside the typical vicious conflict cycle. This may help gaining a wider range of possibilities to act and even finding alternative solutions to conflicts.
In his presentation and movie screening, Clown Joel Lindh did not only provide for information about the Clown’s work, stories and experiences in countries like Burma, Palestine, Lebanon or Sudan. He engaged in discussion, encouraged a lot of reflection on alternative creative approaches, gave inspiration, and may occasions for laughter.Joel Lindh from Clowns without Borders shares his stories and experiences from his work in conflict environments.
Freedom to Choose or Trapped by the Rebels? Civilian Support in the Sri Lankan Conflict
Lecture by Jannie Lilja, PhD Candidate at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research
Tuesday – March 24 – 17.00 – Department of Peace and Conflict Research
Why do rebels choose violence over non-violent methods to attain the cooperation of their constituency in the war against the government? What is the meaning of popular support in an ongoing armed conflict? The importance of rebels' dependency on constituent cooperation is assessed through a study of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. The findings suggest that dependency largely results in non-violent measures. However, a multitude of passive coercion methods - broadly unaccounted for by existing research - evolve over time in the form of territorial and social entrapments. This implies that rebels do not need the hearts and minds of their people to wage war at later stages of conflict. Time pressure, however, appears to result in violence.
Do it Yourself! Conflict at Play
WORKSHOP by Critical Mass
Friday – March 6 – 09.30 until 15.30 – Department of Peace and Conflict Research – Hall 24
The Dutch NGO Critical Mass was invited by Pax et Bellum to give students from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research and members of Pax et Bellum a full day workshop on practical socio-psychological insights into the conflicts we observe, cause and resolve in our everyday surroundings. The trainers of Critical Mass, with a background in anthropology, political science and conflict studies, aimed to ‘personalize’ macro level conflict theories in order to analyze the interpersonal and intergroup conflicts in which we take part ourselves.
A group of 25 participants particpated in the Critical Mass workshop, in which students discussed social processes that lead up to conflict and were confronted with their own actions and attitudes. Students experienced escalation and de-escalation and participated in mediation by means of practical exercises and role playing.
Thanks to everyone involved it was a wonderful and insightful day!
Find the program of the workshop here.
The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
FILM Screening, with introduction and comments by Erika Beckman, Project Manager of Female Victims of Sexual Violence project in Bukavu, DRC; Research Assistant IDEA
Tuesday – February 24 – 17.00 – Department of Peace and Conflict Research
After a short introduction on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the occurence of sexual violence in war given by Erika Beckman, we watched the film The Greaters Silence.
Since 1998 a brutal war has been raging in the DRC. Over 4 million people have died. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. In the film these women finally speak. Emmy Award winning producer/director Lisa F. Jackson spent 2006 in the war zones of eastern DRC documenting the tragedies of these women and girls. She was afforded privileged access to not only the grotesque realities of life in Congo (including interviews with self-confessed rapists) but also to examples of resiliency, resistance, courage and grace. The film is a journey into a literal heart of darkness, a search for survivors who pay witness to their own experiences, and break the silence. Background, context and opinion are provided by interviews with peacekeepers, politicians, activists, doctors and priests. Find more info on the film at www.thegreatestsilence.org
After the screening by which we all felt moved and shaken, we had a discussion on the quality of the film, on sexual violence as a weapon of war and ways to prevent these atrocitities.
Mass Violence as Integral Part of European Modernity: the dark side of Enlightenment
Lecture by Henning Melber, Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Monday – February 9 – 18.30 – Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation – Övre Slottsgatan 2
‘Thinking outside the boxes’ is what Henning Melber strongly encouraged in his lecture on ‘Mass Violence as Integral Part of European Modernity: The dark side of Enlightenment’. His point of departure is an outline of critical theories reflecting upon the limits to the liberating processes in the emerging industrial-capitalist societies as well as the mindset of European modernity and its value system as reflected in the dominant perspectives of progress and development. However, the mainstream portrait of these processes as human emancipation, as well as the development of fundamental norms and values building the ground for European modernity, veils the dark side of Enlightenment. These are, according to Melber, numerous and apparent, including the introduction of various dichotomies beyond a mere north-south distinction, bio-politics, repression and genocide in the name of civilization. Racism and Nazism, by no means new or hidden phenomena, can thus be seen as having their bases of thinking in the era of Enlightenment. The inconvenient, but necessary subsequent question is: How far have we overcome this? 31 visitors of different background discussed this fundamental question in a lively debate, including issues such as the practice of mass violence, thinking in categories and limits of tolerance.
Reconciliation Processes in Latin America: the Cases of Chiapas, Mexico, Chile and Argentina
Lecture by Fernando Camacho, PhD Candidate History
Thursday - January 29 - 17.30 - Department of PCR - Hall 24
Fernando Camacho exposed the similarities and differences of the “endless” Argentinean and Chilean reconciliation cases from their transition to democracy until the present-day. The countries have had similar histories, like massive human rights violations (though the numbers affected are noticeably higher in Argentina than Chile) and their politicization, as well as the torture, kidnappings and disappearances, and killings of people viewed to have been in the way of the interests of the leadership. Certain American interests had a special role to play in the support of these human rights violations. In the aftermath, the creation of Truth Commissions and publication of “Never Again” reports, and national discussions on reconciliation, as well as the evolution of state policies in reaction, have been quite different. In Chile an amnesty law from 1978 has made it very difficult for perpetrators to be tried, as Pinochet himself passed away in 2006 without being brought to justice. On the other hand, Argentina has come further in bringing perpetrators to justice and continues this process to this day, though much is left to be done.
Fernando Camacho Padilla has been investigating the effects and historical significance of the “Never Again” reports of Argentina and Chile. He has been apart of different projects on this issue at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (his home university) and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Mr. Camacho works as a guest teacher at the Departments of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at Stockholm University.
Chiapas After the Zapatista Rebellion: Paramilitaries and Indigenous Uprising
Film screening
Monday – January 26 – 17.00 – Department of PCR – Hall 24
Linked up to the event on Thursday, January 29, Reconciliation Processes in Latin America: the Cases of Chiapas, Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
Together we watched the film “Chiapas After the Zapatista Rebellion: Paramilitaries and Indigenous Uprising”, by José Alfredo Jiménez Pérez, a Maya Indian who tells the story of a Maya organization called Las Abejas which sided with the Zapatista struggle against the Mexican government, and the massacre of 45 women, men and children in the town of Acteal in Chiapas in 1997, which was the culmination of the low-intensity war against government-oppositional Mayas. It was a heartfelt, indigenous-made film about the reality of human rights and democracy in Mexico.
Helpful and insightful comments were provided by Heidi Moksnes, who holds a PhD in Social Anthropology and is a Research Fellow at the Uppsala Center for Sustainable Development at Uppsala University. She has done extensive research in highland Chiapas, particularly with the organization Las Abejas.
Peace & Conflict PhD Candidates in the picture
Friday, January 23, 16.00, Department of PCR, Hall 24
Pax et Bellum invited Joakim Kreutz and Daniel Strandow to talk about their PhD candidacy at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research.
Both Joakim and Daniel presented their research project, and showed the challenges and complexities of doing research in the peace and conflict field.
Guatemala - on the way to become a failed state?
Lecture by Michael Jonsson, PhD candidate, Political Science
Monday, January 12, 18.00, Peace Museum, Uppsala Castle
Michael Johnsson started his lecture by giving us a daunting picture of contemporary crime in Guatemala: alarming numbers of homicide, wide-spread impunity and a huge insecurity problem in the capital Guatemala City. A complex structure of interdependency and competition among the mara's (youth gangs), drug cartels, Private Security companies, and the ineffective Police Forces makes it very difficult to tackle the problem of crime. The civil war may be over, but the violence is definitely not. However, Michael mentions a few hopeful initiatives, such the The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and several Police Reform programs initiated by the Government. In the discussion, the issue of post-war violence was brought up and compared with other Central and Latin American countries, which face similar problems in times of 'peace'.
The influence of Burma’s refugees in Thailand on the democratisation process within Burma
Workshop by Matilda Hald, Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Swedish Burma Committee
Monday, December 15, 17.00 at the Peace Museum, Uppsala
Just having returned from Thailand, where she had visited the Burmese exiles near the border to Burma once more, Matilda Hald was full of fresh and new impressions that she could share with us.
Linking to Pax et Bellum’s previous event on Burma (the screening of “Prayer for Peace” with Joakim Kreutz) Matilda gave a short overview of the current situation in Burma and the situation concerning its exile groups, especially the one living in Thailand. She then turned to the problems and challenges of these exile groups. She answered many of our questions, which ended up in an interesting discussion not only about the current situation, but also about the future of Burma and the role of exile groups in general.
National Security and the US Presidential Election
Lecture by Prof. JOANNA SPEAR, Director Security Policy Studies Program And DoD's National Security Studies Program, The Elliott School, George Washington University
Thursday, December 18, 16.15, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Hall 2
In front of at least 25 interested students and teachers, Professor Joanna Spear started her lecture with looking back on the exciting and in some ways unique US Presidential election. During the following 45 minutes, Professor Spear spoke with a balanced mix of anecdotes and seriousness about how she experienced the campaign as researcher and neutral observer and about the two competing candidates. She gave her insight in the preferences and expected politics, especially in the field of foreign policy, of President-elected Obama. Before opening the stage for another 45 minutes of questions and answers, she finished her presentation with the conclusion: “I don’t want to be to negative, but not too positive neither”.
Micro-Credit and Finance: Empowering Women in India
Lecture by Dr. Sujit Kumar Brahmochary, The Institute for Indian Mother & Child
Thursday, December 11, 20.00 at the Peace Museum, Uppsala Castle
On the evening of 11th of December Dr. Sujit Kumar Brahmochary, spoke on behalf his organisation The Institute for Indian Mother & Child in Uppsala as a guest of Pax et Bellum. As head of this NGO he has been working in West Bengal for almost 20 years in an effort to address the medical needs of the poorest segments of Indian society. Established in 1989 as a medical organisation IIMC has expanded its remit into several aspects of development and poverty alleviation, indeed it now includes projects in the areas of Health Education & Health Promotion, Network Programmes, an Education & Sponsorship Program, and several integrated rural developmental projects including women's economic empowerment through Micro Finance Banking and agricultural programmes. Dr. Brahmochary has vast experience of many aspects of development from the day to day running of medical centres to the challenges of large scale project implementation, as such Pax et Bellum was glad to facilitate his appearance in Uppsala. For more information on the work of IIMC please see http://www.iimcmissioncal.org/
Somalia’s Humanitarian Crisis & the Role of Women
Asha Hagi, Right Livelihood Award recipient 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008, 14.00-16.00 at ABF-Huset, Sveavägen 41, Stockholm
In cooperation with: Forum Syd, Life&Peace Institute, Nordic Africa Institute, Right Livelihood Award.
The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is shocking and deteriorating every hour, not every day. In her speech and the subsequent lively discussion, Asha Hagi described the severe situation in Somalia, and notably its effects on the life and health of women and children. Criticising the international community for neglecting their responsibility to protect in the shadow of a politicised crisis in Darfur, she outlined mechanisms where a network of several grassroots organisations is able to take on responsibility wherever they can independently from the non-functioning central government. Since women have neither the right to represent one clan nor to take part in the reconciliation process, Asha and her Safe Somali Women and Children (SSWC) mainly focus on the cross-clan approach of the “sixth clan” (besides the five Somali main clans), assisting women and giving them a voice in political and peace processes. Her hope lies in those grassroots organisations that can become active in an environment where international organisations do not take on the risk to get engaged.
For her work, Asha Hagi received the Right Livelihood Award on December 9th, 2008.
Prayer of Peace: Relief & Resistance in Burma’s War Zones
Movie Screening with Introduction, Comment and Discussion by Joakim Kreutz, PhD Candidate, Department of Peace and Conflict Research
Thursday, November 27, 2008, 18.00 at the Peace Museum at Uppsala Castle
The complexity of Burma’s conflict in its historical, geographical, ethnical and political dimensions is striking. After an introduction into this background, the movie “Prayer of Peace: Relief & Resistance in Burma’s War Zones” showed insight into the situation of the Karen people and relief work in Burma’s border region to Thailand. Joakim Kreutz, PhD Candidate of the department of Peace and Conflict Research and expert on Burma, gave insights and background information, enabling a fruitful discussion of the roles and development of different actors and factors such as the Burmese Army, the Free Burma Rangers, the Karen National Union, the border situation and life of refugees.
Find more information on Joakim Kreutz and his research on http://www.pcr.uu.se/about/staff/kreutz_j.htm.
Gunnar Jarring: Advocacy and Innovation in Peace and Peacemaking
Lecture by Madeleine Mezagopian, Associate Researcher, Department of Peace and Conflict Research
Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 18.30 at the Peace Museum at Uppsala Castle
Gunnar Jarring is one of the commonly less known diplomats working for the Swedish diplomacy and a figure giving hope that effective Peacemaking is possible. In a lively presentation and discussion, Madeleine Mezagopian, associated researcher at the department of Peace and Conflict Research, presented the most important facts about his life and related to Gunnar Jarring and the science of Peacemaking in three aspects: As an advocate of Peace evolving into an eligible mediator, the multifaceted mediator and peacemaker innovating strategies and tactics in the science of peacemaking and as an innovator of Peace and Peacemaking in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The United Nations, Security and Peacekeeping in Africa
Lecture by Henning Melber, Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 18.00 at the Peace Museum at Uppsala Castle
Since Dag Hammarskjöld and the first UN Peacekeeping Mission in 1956 (Suez Crisis), followed by a new chapter with the intervention in the Congo as from 1960, Peacekeeping missions have become a widely applied effort to reduce violence. A new dimension started on the African continent with the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU), when the principle of non-intervention was replaced by the principle of collective responsibility, urging intervention in cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite combined Peacekeeping missions with regional organisations such as the African Union, peacekeeping missions today are however not more succesful. Departing from this overview, Henning Melber, Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, outlined and discussed major challenges and disappointments with regard to UN peacekeeping missions today. Notably some peacekeepers turning to troublemakers and an interest-driven peacekeeping policy of participating states, who place their own hegemonic interests over the human rights issues, are reasons for concern, raising doubts on the efficacy of peacekeeping missions and the legitimacy and power to intervene. These factors are amongst the obstacles to the realisation of a Global Security Contract, where every human being would have the possibility to live a decent life.
Find more information on the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and its publication “The United Nations, Security and Peacekeeping in Africa” on www.dhf.uu.se.
Opening of Exhibition "Forgotten Peace"
22 November Peace Museum, Uppsala Caste
37 people joined Pax et Bellum and the Peace Museum for the opening of the exhibition “Forgotten Peace” at the Peace Museum in Uppsala. Consequences of armed conflicts often tend to be forgotten after the conflict is officially ended. On nine portable screens, the exhibition focuses on social, economic and security-related consequences of armed conflicts, including for example brain drain, aid dependency and ex-soldier reintegration issues. The exhibition will be in place until January and will subsequently move into different high schools. Please feel welcome to visit the exhibition at the Peace Museum. More information on opening hours on http://www.fredsmuseum.se/.
A big thank you to all having been involved in the preparation and opening of the exhibition!
Click here to read the invitation in Swedish.
Identity formation, Masculinity and Humanitarianism Discussing Research on Humanitarian Action
October 31st Pax et Bellum invited Tanaji Sen, Qi Cui and Christian Huber and of the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA) programme to present and discuss their thesis at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies. All three of them had spent some time in the field to collect their data. These were certainly not the most common places: a refugee camp in Algeria, a Masaai village in Tanzania and an indigenous community in Colombia.
Tanaji Sen raised important questions about refugee identity. Who are you when you have never been in the place where you think you come from? His research showed how the identity of Saharawi children, whose parents come from the Western Sahara, is significantly shaped by living in the refugee camps on Algerian territory. Tanaji underlined that these children need to be included in the peace process, to address their feelings of frustration and isolation.
Qi Cui travelled to East Africa and discussed sensitive topics such as masculinity, sexuality and HIV/AIDS with young men. She found that this group was unjustly marginalized in HIV/AIDS policy. Men as well as women should be equally considered in gender based research and policy, since both are part of the solution. Perceptions of masculinity and sexuality need to be addressed in all layers of society.
Christian Huber conducted his fieldwork in the Colombian bushes, while doing research among members of the Misak indigenous community and Afro-Colombian community in the Cauca region. He was interested in how these cultures determined people’s perceptions of humanitarianism, and more specifically, how and why people supported victims of armed conflict.
Pax et Bellum wants to thank Tanaji, Qi and Christian for sharing their enlightening research findings with us and wishes them good luck with their future career!
Divided History - Turkish and Armenian perceptions of what happened in 1915
Since the first World War the Ottoman Empire (and its follow-up state Turkey) is accused for the Genocide on the Armenians during the war. While Armenians speak of over 1.000.000 victims of Ottoman atrocities, intended to extinguish the Armenian people, the position of Turkey is slightly different: less casualties, no intention to extinguish, just a relocation caused by the war.
Both sides pay a lot to bring the "true story" into the public with publications and documentaries. On September 8 and 10, Pax et Bellum presented two movies with following discussions on the movies "Ararat" (Armenian production) and "Sari Gelin" (Turkish production)
Career Day
In the end of May Pax et Bellum organised the first 'Career Day' for students of Peace and Conflict Studies and International Relations. Get in touch with possible future employers
Students could get in touch with possible future emploers and listen to personal experiences, good advice, and tips for your future career!
In addition students could bring their CV or Resume to become a critical feedback and advice how to formulate and design the self portrait in the most attractive way.
Speakers at the event were:
Åsa Blomquist, Recruitment Officer, Field Personnel, Swedish Red Cross; Professor Peter Wallensteen, Uppsala University; Uppsala Conflict Data Program staff; Hanne Martinek, PhD Candidate, Dept. of Government; Anna Widepalm, Program Officer, Conflict Prevention in Practice, Folke Bernadotte Academy; David Moheim, Strategic Analysis and International Relations Office, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets Materielverk); Maria Wold-Troell, IT-Consultant who will give us a unique, practical and experienced spin on how to get a job in “the real world”
Others organisations present:
Save the Children, International Red Cross, and the International Women’s Institute for Peace and Freedom (Internationella Kvinnoförbundet för Fred och Frihet).
CV Advice for European and American formats was given by Andreas Jarblad, Jonathan Hall, Kristine Eck, Maria Wold-Troell.
Darfur-Dimensions and Dilemmas of a complex situation
an introduction by Professor Adam Azzain Mohamed and Johan Broshé
In late April 2008 UN officials had to admit that the death estimates of the five year long conflict in Darfur had to be increased by about 100,000. This development is just the latest act of the deadly play and illustrates once again the powerlessness of the international community to deal with the situation in the Darfur region.
In a general overview Johan Broshé from the Dept Peace and Conflict research will attempt to highlight the current situation in Sudan and Darfur and try to identify the roots of the current situation. Brosché will touch upon issues regarding actors, peacekeeping and negotiations.
In addition Professor Adam Azzain Mohamed from the University of Khartoum/Sudan, who is this year's Claude Ake Visiting Professor at the Dept of Peace and Conflict Research will give a deeper insight to the conflict. In an interview with the Nordic Africa Institute Azzain Mohamed said: ‘My theory is that Sudan is characterised by uneven development. The government of independent Sudan continued the policies of the British colonial rulers, leaving Darfur underdeveloped.'
See publications for background info.
The World after Iraq: New Challenges for the International System
in cooperation with Anna Lindh Minnesfond, Uppsala University and Utrikespolitiske Förening
On Friday the 25th of April more than 150 people came to hear a panel discussion on international leadership, responsibility and cooperation with Professor Samantha Power from Harvard University and visiting Professor Jan Eliasson, Uppsala University.
Lead by Professor Peter Wallensteen from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, the panel discussed what and how to learn from previous experiences, like the one's of UN representative of 34 years, Sergio Vieria de Mello, about putting human security before states' security and preventing genocide and mass violence in the 21st century. Samantha Power, author of the biography of Vieria de Mello ‘Chasing the Flame,’ stressed the necessity of global solutions for global problems like the one's in Iraq and Darfur, as well as seeing the UN as a global organization useful in such cases. An important point Jan Eliasson, who is currently negotiating as UN-Special Representative in the Darfur region, agreed upon in order to create the necessary support among the international community of today, and also elaborate the debate on the responsibility to protect the world's populations from ethnic cleansing, war crimes and mass violations of human rights. For further interesting information on these issues Pax et Bellum encourage everybody to read Samantha Power's new book ‘Chasing the flame’!
After the engaging discussion, Prof. Berit Hagekull, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science, invited to a reception in the historic halls of Uppsala University’s Mainbuilding, where everyone attending got the chance to get in touch with the discussants and discuss the issues further joining the hope for change, while enjoying a glass of traditionally served sherry.
Samantha Power holds the Anna Lind Chair of Practice of Global Leadership at the J.F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She has just published her new book Chasing the Flame (Penguin Press 2008) about the late Sergio Vieria de Mello, the UN Special Representative who died in the suicide attack against the UN building in Baghdad in 2003. Her previous work A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide was widely praised and won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction.
Jan Eliasson is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University and the UN Special Envoy for Darfur, Sudan. His previous appointments include being Sweden’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1994-2001), Ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations, and Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs (2006). He was the President of the UN General Assembly 2005-06 and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs 1992-94. He is chairing the Anna Lindhs Minnesfond and Honorary member of Pax et Bellum. (Poster of the event)
Summary by Katja Christensen |
Photos by Florian Krampe
Rethinking reconciliation: Concepts, Methods and an Empirical Study of Truth Telling and Psychological Health in Rwanda
Public dissertation defence by Karen Brounéus
'The dissertation combines psychology with peace and conflict research in a cross-disciplinary approach to reconciliation processes after intrastate armed conflict. (...) The results of this study challange the claim that truth telling is healing, suggesting instead that there are risks for the individuals on whom truth-telling processes depend. (...) The results of the dissertation can be used to improve the study and the design of truth and reconciliation processes after civil war and genocide' (Summary on the back cover).
Visit to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Exclusivly for Pax et Bellum members the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) presented their work, in particular focussing on their research and methods. SIPRI publishes annually the SIPRI Yearbook on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security.
Conflict Resolution between NATO and United Nations - Panel discussion
in cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
On April 17, 2008 Katarina Engberg from the Swedish Ministry of Defence, Hans-Wulf Bartels from the German Embassy and Robert Silverman from the US Embassy discussed with Erik Noreen, Head of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, and Pax et Bellum the dilemma NATO and UN as international Organisations are in.
What became visible in the post-cold war period is, that both organisations are trapped in what one could describe as a horizontal dilemma where two international organisations are captured between legitimacy on the one hand and efficacy on the other. The United Nations acting too slow and weak but are still the only legitimate international actor. On the other hand NATO acts much more efficient but what legitimacy does a military alliance really have in a post-cold war world and as a peacemaker?
After their introductory statements the discussants quickly came to a more or less unanimously conclusion that both organisations must cooperate in the future to act strong and in the best case preventive. Thus they concluded comparably to Madeleine Albright’s statement from 1996, by then US permanent representative to the United Nations: “In responding to crises, then, both the UN and NATO can contribute much, but neither is without its limitations. When an emergency has many dimension - and most today do - a division of labour will be required.”
Beside this optimistic strategy in overcoming the dilemma through cooperation the discussant responded very open on the problems that erupt in the context of the concept ‘Responsibility to Protect’ that was adopted by the World Summit in 2005, and the double standard in today’s intervention policy. Interests of course drive states to intervene actively in conflicts today. As Mr Silverman visualized it, there are no ‘free-givers’, thus intervening parties want and need to get something back in response to the intervention. Although these answers left the questions open for ‘responsibility’ in conflict regions that have nothing to ‘give back’ the sincerity of all three discussants on this topic is noteworthy.
Before and after the discussion participants had the chance to get free publications presented by the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation who co-organised the event. The Foundation plays an important role in the identification of new issues and the formulation of new concepts, policy proposals, strategies and work plans towards solutions and so keeping the legacy of Dag Hammarskjöld alive (www.dhf.uu.se) (Poster of the event).
Summary by Florian Krampe
Kosovo and the Balkans: Regional Implications and Challenge
Tomislav Dulic, Researcher at the Uppsala Programme for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, gave a very up-to-date and detailed lecture concerning the historical process of the Balkans’ region in its relation to the recent declaration of independence of Kosovo.
He summarized how Kosovo has noright to secession from Serbia when looking at it from the legal perspective with respect to national sovereignty and international law. Furthermore, Dulic spoke about the regional risks and implications as well as nations’ underlying interests for recognizing the state of Kosovo or not: spheres-of-influence and power politics, and oil pipelines. With focusing on problems and prospects for the future, Dulic wrapped up for example a largely young population, extreme unemployment, a thriving black market economy but a weak official economy. Dulic was very knowledgeable and interesting—clearly an expert on the issue.
About 35 students and researchers attended the lecture and joined in a lively discussion afterwards, which was thought-inspiring and motivating. We were very happy to see the participants interest and hope to get such a turn-out for upcoming events.
Summary by Sandra Johansson
Challenges and perspectives for Conflict Resolution in 2008
On 12th March at 17h, Peter Wallensteen, Honorary Member of Pax et Bellum and Dag Hammarskjöld Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University presented in his lecture a special perspective on Conflict Resolution for the year 2008.
Watching at the latest devlopment Wallensteen presented major paterns that will be the challenges for conflict resolution actors in 2008. That are Electoral Violence, increasing prices, the spreading of conflicts and climate change.
Darwin’s Nightmare - Film and discussion
After the members meeting members stayed together to watch the documentary Darwin's Nightmare. The film by Hubert Sauper recounts a tale about North and South, globalization, and fish. A booming multinational industry of fish and weapons has created an ungodly globalized alliance on the shores of the world’s biggest tropical lake, Lake Victoria, where an odd combination of an army of local fishermen, World bank agents, homeless children, African ministers, EU-commissioners, Tanzanian prostitutes and Russian pilots all meet.
Member Meeting
On the first member meeting in 2008 the members agreed on changes of the statutes of Pax et Bellum. The new version of the statutes is published in the 'about us' section of this webpage. Furthermore, the suggestions of honorary members was discussed and improvments in the conducting of events.
Burma: Struggle for freedom - Presentation and workshop on Burma
In cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Pax et Bellum offered a presentation and open discussion on the Burmese struggle for freedom on Wednesday, December 12th, 18:30h at the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation (Övre Slottsgatan 2, www.dhf.uu.se).
The lecturer, who just came back from a one month stay in Thailand, close to the Burmese boarder, inform the participants about the development in Burma over the last month and especially how the current situation in Burma is.
After the presentation, participants and lecturer discussed the topic with a focus on the role and possibilities of student leaders in national transition processes, from initialising change till making it durable. Furthermore, how students and citizens can get involved in supporting other students and citizens, especially in Burma, in their struggle for freedom.
At the end of the meeting the participants expressed their wish to work more and deeper on the topic of Burma's struggle for freedom and decided to found an informal group that will meet ones a month to discuss possible events and actions that can be taken from Uppsala to support the students and citizens in Burma.
Movie presentation: Pax et Bellum and Why democracy? invited to have “Dinner with the President”
About 25 students joined the movie presentation from Pax et Bellum and Why democracy on November, 26th at the Department for Peace and Conflict Research.
The documentary film shown was done by an Indian female filmmaker and shows the different perceptions and angles of democracy in different corners and levels of society in Pakistan. The main issue of making the film was to show the views and perspective of the President of Pakistan, General Musharaf, who came to power by a military coup and claims Pakistan to be democratic and moving through a transformation of empowerment of the people and development of the country. Other perspectives on democracy in Pakistan were presented by the poor farmers and truck drivers, the religious tribe leaders and the modern rich youth and intellectuals of the country.
The following debate of the participants started out with the big question of whether a dictator can bring democracy to Pakistan? And if so, how? And what are the opsticals? The influences of religion, development, grass-rotes and education of the people lead the discussion towards the issue of different views of democracy and democratization around the world and the participants of the discussion.
For 2008 Pax et Bellum and Why democracy? will organise another movie presentation, the topic then will be Terrorism and Democracy. Information will be posted on our homepage and in our newsletter soon.
Group picture for Burma
About 70 students and citizens supported our Petition for Burma by joining the group picture in front of the University main building.
Petition || Flyer || Pictures
Visit to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) in Stockholm
'Claude Ake lecture' by Dr. Charles Villa-Vicencio
Where the Old and New meet: Transitional Justice and Traditional Reconciliation Practices in Africa.
Events academic year 2006/2007
Seminar: Turkish Foreign Policy
2007-02-23 (Uppsala, Sweden)
Special Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Mr. Cemal Erbay, presented a lecture on current developments in Turkish foreign policy, with a special focus on the EU.
Meeting at U.S. Embassy in Stockholm
2007-03-23 (Stockholm, Sweden)
Pax Et Bellum members met with U.S. diplomats, including Ambassador Michael M. Wood. The discussion centred on U.S. foreign policy, and was highlighted by Ambassador Wood’s keynote address on alternative energy and climate change.
Uppsala Model United Nations (UMUN)
2007-03-02 (Uppsala, Sweden)
Pax Et Bellum, in conjunction with the Uppsala Association of International Affairs, and the Uppsala UN Student Organization, co-organized the first Uppsala University Model UN. (http://www.umun.se/)
Workshop: European Court of Human Rights
2007-04-03 (Uppsala, Sweden)
This workshop, led by Dr. Anna Jonsson, dealt with the European Court of Human Rights, with a particular emphasis on the Chechen trials against the Russian state.
Workshop: What is Genocide?
2007-04-18 (Uppsala, Sweden)
Led by Dr. Mark Klamberg from Stockholm University, this workshop aimed to broaden the audience’s knowledge on genocide. Dr. Klamberg addressed the role of the UN Convention on Genocide, the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.