Peace movements today

In the last ten years or more, the security debates in most countries seem to have been about the expansion of the military and police, mentioning,...

Why cannot NATO and Russia talk?

The Western Julian calendar year 2023 is still young, and so is indeed the Chinese Lunar year, which is celebrated this week. A year can change the...

Challenges in a fragmented world

Honoured with a state funeral

To be given a funeral paid for by the state is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed upon a citizen, alas, it can only be appreciated by...

What can I do for you?

Praying for a peaceful 2023

In his annual Christmas speech and prayer to the ‘city and the world’, or in Latin, Urbi et Orbi, Pope Francis said that the world is suffering...

The night before Christmas

I have borrowed the title of my article today from what is said to be the first and most famous Christmas poem, ‘It was the Night before...

The Nobel banquette and class journeys

This year’s winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Annie Ernaux (82), was in Stockholm last week to receive the Nobel gold medal, diploma and...

Democracay and participation

Democracies are not stagnant. They keep changing as they have done for the last hundred years when they have been in existence in the West and have...

What if ordinary people ruled?

I have recently written a couple of articles about ‘meritocracy’, that educated people rule, in most countries and indeed in Europe. They give...

Including ordinary people in politics

It is a fact that educated people everywhere, indeed in the West, limit democratic participation of those with less education, those who just have...

Meritocracy’s undemocratic face

We live in a time when education and the right work experience are decisive for political participation and decision-making, and certainly for getting...

Loss and damage—justice and fairness

The Climate Change Summit, COP27, is well underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, lasting from 6-18 November 2022. I was quite pleased that on Monday and...

Being closer

In all countries and cultures, religion plays an important role, even in the more secular European countries, where religion today plays a lesser...

Checks and balances in politics

When Boris Johnson was forced to leave his post as Prime Minister a couple of months ago, it was a result of the checks and balances in the British...

Ideologies and values in politics

In our time, pragmatism is ruling politics more than ideology and values. Well, save for the populists and right-wingers who are quite ideological,...

In support of human rights and democracy

In today’s article I shall focus on the important work of human rights organisations, generally, and in countries with limited democracy and...

Is Europe becoming more selfish?

In a few recent articles, I have written about the general elections in two European countries, Sweden and Italy. The Sweden Democrats...

Rise of the right-wing in Europe

Most of the time, politics and elections in Europe are quite orderly and safe as compared to many other parts of the world, where elections sometimes...

‘Predicted surprise’ in Sweden’s election

Sweden just had its general election on 11 September, and the two blocs, the social democratic left and the more conservative right became almost...

The last queen

Queen Elizabeth II passed away at 96, two years after her husband for 77 years, Prince Philip, who died at 99. When the Queen ascended to the throne...

Short-sightedness in politics

Liz Truss (47) was elected the new Prime Minister in the UK this week, succeeding Boris Johnson, whom she called a friend in her acceptance speech at...

Russia and the West

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) passed away this week at the age of 91. He was the last president of the Soviet Union, resigning in 1991. He is...

Europe at the crossroads

As the world changes, politics and thinking must change, at home and abroad, in practical ways and in the way we think. We are today at the crossroads...

Cordial political debate for results

It is easy to criticise other people; we all do it and to some, it has become a pass time, not really with any purpose. We like to criticise people in...

Imagination and creativity

In today’s article, I shall emphasise the importance of imagination and creativity in education. I shall use two persons as models, Albert Einstein...

Everyone has the right to education

In a few articles during the school holidays, I have discussed education issues. I have suggested that we should make basic education for all by...

Inclusive education

The term ‘inclusive education’ became more commonly used some twenty years ago, although it had been used earlier, from the mid-seventies...

Second chance education for youth

Debates about education and learning are never-ending issues, also now during school holidays. Education commissions, specialists, and politicians...