” It is obvious to us that a shift in emphasis towards prevention of armed conflict and peace building is in Sweden’s long-term interests and should start as soon as possible. “
Such is the main conclusion from the report, Peace, Security, Defence , written by Lars Ingelstam, professor emeritus of technology and social change, and Anders Mellbourn, political scientists, former editor of DN and former Head of the Foreign Policy Institute in Sweden.
The report is written for the Network Partnership 2014, a politically and religiously independent network that consists of fifteen organizations from the Swedish civil society. Its goal is to contribute to an open and balanced public debate and to build peace and prevent violence in our world.
The authors argue that the emphasis should be shifted from the traditional armed forces to civilian efforts to prevent violent conflict and build peace. This work can be a third pillar of the Swedish defense and security, between aid and armed forces.
The Peace Institute has followed the work of the partnership in the framework of its commitment to the issue of the Nordic countries and peace, and with the goal of creating a Nordic peace forum.
The report (in Swedish) can be downloaded from the Partnership 2014’s website www.fredsagenda2014.se.