Krigsforberedelser og militarisme er nu de vigtigste faktorer, der holder Vesten sammen – og de vil også få den til at falde hurtigere. Den vestlige verden har mistet sin bevidsthed, sin opfattelsesevne og sine redskaber til konfliktanalyse, konfliktløsning, fredsskabelse og forsoning. De er blevet presset ud af militarismens kakistokrater – et politologibegreb, der betyder styre af »de værste, mindst kvalificerede eller mest skruppelløse mennesker«. Som … Continue reading 1000 – Vestverdens selvdestruktive freds- og konflikt-analfabetisme.
Verdi’s almost mythical music – now 171 years old. That sort of thing lasts. How much of what Europe’s politicians decide today will stand the test of time and give happiness to people in the year 2195? Enjoy the “spontaneous” brindisi in the midst of pizza backing, eating and loving humanity. Enjoy the community that music – and other art, too – can create like … Continue reading Isn’t this just wonderful?
Som nogen hér vel har fundet ud af, så lever jeg jo to liv – men ikke i den forstand, at der er et offentlig kendt og lyst et og så et privat ukendt og mørkt et. Og der er heller ingen personlighedsspaltning mellem dem – mit liv med fred og international politik og mit liv med konstfotografi. De er adskilte på en række måder, … Continue reading Biennalen i Venedig 2022: Se hvad jeg har set Del 1 & 2
Igår publicerede jeg min klumme fra Arbejderen “Censuren, meningskontrollens og krænketheden treenighed” men inden Arbejderen havde kunnet trykke den dukkede der to sager op, der understreger hvad jeg sagde. Man vil huske den sorte unge digter Amanda Gorman, der læste sit eget digt på Capitol Hill – “Demokratiets Tempel”, som amerikanske medier ynder at kalde det – ved Joe Biden’s indsættelse som præsident. Hon blev … Continue reading Sort på sort
Denne artikel kunne jeg selv have skrevet – og havde sikkert gjort det hvis jeg havde siddet to uger i karantæne på et hotelværelse i Kina. Det er Norges tidligere miljø- og udviklingsminister, Dag Solheim, der reflekterer over forskellene mellem den “østlige” og den “vestlige” måde at håndtere Coronaen på. Og det er disse forskelle, vi netop aldrig diskuterer i Vesten – hverken i pressen … Continue reading Vestlige og østlige perspektiver på Coronaen
“This is my message to the western world – your civilisation is killing life on Earth“ 19. oktober 2020 Det sker ikke så ofte. Men blandt dusinvis af artikler fra verdenspressen, jeg forsøger at læse hver dag – eller i det mindste skimme – er der nogle, der bare stikker op og går ind, lige i hjertet. Dem man husker, dem der sagde “bang” i … Continue reading Den hvide mands og kulturs destruktivitet i en nøddeskal
30. april 2020 Jeg har her tidligere her på bloggen skrevet om kunstneren Gudrun Steen-Andersens særdeles innovative installation, Perpetuum Mobile, der inddrager forskere i et tankeeksperiment – “Hvad hvis al migration blev givet fri i verden?” – som de så besvarer i korte videoer. Det var 2019. I marts i år blev de samme personer bedt om at gentage sine svar men denne gang på … Continue reading What if worldwide migration was free…Hvis migration blev fri…
Here my 6th photo series from Aleppo – hashtag #keepfocusonaleppo.
Lund, Sweden – March 24, 2017
Can the almost total destruction of Eastern Aleppo be used constructively?
Only if we are willing to ask and dialogue about this:
• Why does the world go on investing US$ 2000 billion annually in warfare and US$ 30 in all the UN does – only to create destruction of people, places, past and future?
• How absurd, how meaningless – indeed how far must it go to destroy the West itself – before we learn to conflict intelligently?
•
I’ve see much destruction during my work in conflict zones the last 25 years. But nothingcompares with Aleppo and the destruction of Syria and its people.
Det sætter gang i minderne fra dengang i Vejlby-Risskov hvor han var biologilærer på Vejlby Skole, der for øvrigt ikke findes længere. Blandt sine elever havde han mig. Det må have været 1963-64.
Han var en ukonventionel lærer og biologi havde hverken han eller jeg nogen udtalt interesse for. Derimod præges hele hans forfatterskab og mystisk interesse for naturen, det store ubegribelige.
Men samfund, kultur og politik ville han gerne snakke med os børn om. Jeg husker mest hans timer som en slags frikvartér fra en skolegang, jeg ellers ikke mindes med nogen større glæde.
Han syntes om at provokere og få os til at tænke. Han kunne sige ting – ofte med et underfundigt smil – så man tænkte at nu drev han da gæk med os. For at få os til at tænke. Han var ikke altid let at greje.
Jeg husker at han var meget optaget af musik og det var jo den tid hvor beat-musikken med Beatles og Stones, Kinks, Doors og hvad de nu hed var det vi egentlig var optaget af. Hvad man senere forstod bedre var at han – den senere forfatter og poet – opfordrede os til at lytte til teksterne og ikke bare til melodien.
This image was generated automatically by Facebook when I posted the link to the article on my profile page – i.e. not something I did deliberately or to provoke.
Secondly, the image is created by a Swedish professional and respected artistic photographer, Matilde Grafstrom – and is part of a project “Nude In The Public Space”.
The article is about an exhibition of these her works at the main square in Copenhagen – for anyone from anywhere in the world to see.
I am myself a PhD in sociology and have specialised during 40+ years in international peace-making and peace research. Have worked or visited some 60 countries on all continents. I am also an art collector and art photographer who has taken many photos of women, young and old – portraits and bodies.
I tell you this because I am not insensitive to the respect we must all show for each other’s cultures and sensitive ethical issues if and when we want to live and work together on this earth.
There is no end, it seems, to diplomats and government representatives who “express concern”, appeal, urge the parties to show restraint, warn, condemn etc. All words, no deeds. European leaders reaction is basically silence – while 16 Europeans killed in the office of Charlie Hebdo made them walk arms in arm in Paris. When I think of Burundi today, all these words by Martin Luther … Continue reading Burundi’s crisis: Complacency, inaction or racism – or all of it?
Valentina Lisitsa – YouTubeThe world class pianist barred from playing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra because of her tweets about the Ukraine conflict.As if that had anything to do with her art. Shame on Toronto Phony! With suppression of such art by a Western cultural institution we are all doomed! And where are all the phony Paris marchers from Charlie Hebdo today – Netanyahu, Helle … Continue reading Valentina Lisitsa
Skal man tro Rune Lykkeberg i Politiken men det skal man jo ikke nødvendigvis så mistede Rifbjerg faktisk grebet…”Derfor blev opgøret med velfærdsstatens pædagogik og kultursyn også til et opgør med Klaus Rifbjerg, der fastholdt sine gamle standpunkter som svar til alle kritikere og insisterede på, at humoren, legen, kunsten og seksualiteten var argumenter for hans position.” Fy for den lede velfærdsstat, humor, leg, kunst … Continue reading Længe leve gammeldagsen
Israel’s defence minister Moshe Ya’alon writes in Washington Post under the headline “Current Iran framework will make war more likely”When I wrote my comment there were already more than 1100 comments – so here it is: “Israel’s defence minister is an echo of PM Netanyahu. Nothing new, Israel’s official views are well-known, beamed out a thousand times more effectively than Iran’s to the world, not … Continue reading Comment to Israel’s defence minister in Washington Post
Hermed kommentarer jeg har gjort på sociale medier de sidste dage. De begynder kort efter attentatet på Krudttønden og afsluttes længst nede med indlægget “I AM NOT DANISH – I aften er jeg ikke dansk”, skrevet kort efter mindehøjtideligheden mandag aften den 16 februar. Statsministeren: Sådan skal Danmark ikke være http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Politik/2015/02/14/200623.htmDet kan man jo kun være enig i: Danmark skal ikke være et land som … Continue reading Volden i København – og reaktionen på den
When I watch this documentary, Iraq: Shattered Heritage, I cannot but ask myself: Who are the barbarians of our time? What is the mote and what is the beam in this world? Who tells Russia that “big countries shall not bully smaller countries”? Isn’t it time for the Western world to acknowledge its own dark sides and stop projecting them on everybody else? I am … Continue reading Who are the barbarians of our time?
After Paris attacks, Pope Francis speaks out against insulting religions: “You can’t kill in the name of a religion. That is an aberration.” And “You can’t provoke, you can’t insult the faith of others, you can’t make fun of faith.” Thank God there is such a wise Pope! If it couldn’t be misunderstood I would say “I’m Pope”! Remember also Gandhi: “There can be no … Continue reading If one could say so I would: “I’m Pope!”
Or, rather, of violence against violence + terrorism against terrorism. Among the marchers against terrorism and for freedom of expression we find leaders from France, Denmark, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Russia, the U.S., Israel, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Bahrein and Ukraine. What do they have in common? A deep belief in violence – violence of various types: 9-10 of them presently fighting foreign wars (mostly against or … Continue reading Depiction of the Spiral of Violence
Just published by PEN in the US: Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International WritersThis is deeply disturbing: “Concern about surveillance is now nearly as high among writers living in democracies (75%) as among those living in non-democracies (80%).The levels of self-censorship reported by writers living in democratic countries are approaching the levels reported by writers living in authoritarian or semi-democratic countries.And writers … Continue reading Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International Writers
Frank Gehry on his ground-breaking new gallery designIsn’t it just amasing what human creativity and a sense of beauty can create? This is a magnificent new ‘sculptured’ building by Frank Gehry, mostly known perhaps for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Now, imagine that the profession called politician could show us just one man or woman with the same free spirit and mind, just a fraction … Continue reading Frank Gehry – is there one politician somewhere with a similar creativity
☮ ☮ World Peace Day on Sunday! ♫♥ This is the incredible peace symphony by Beethoven that PLAY FOR RIGHTS performs in the Bern Cathedral, Switzerland, Sunday night with my saying a few words about global ethics and positive peace in between the movements. There are many ways to celebrate peace – just being against wars is not enough. We run on merrymaking and mindfulness … Continue reading ☮ ☮ World Peace Day on Sunday! ♫♥
Israel strikes the Islamic University in Gaza City – Al Jazeera English “This brings the death toll in Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began on July 8, to at least 1,655 Palestinians, mostly civilians. More than 8,900 others have been reported injured. On the Israeli side, 3 civilians have been killed by rockets launched from Gaza and at least 63 troops have died in the … Continue reading Will we see a new wave of anti-Semitism now?
