Johan Galtung: A CHANGE IN WASHINGTON? 06-12-2012
 
Washington, Election Night: OK, one of them won even if the real winners as usual were the non-voters, for whatever reason; men more than women. At about 23:15 Obama passed the magic 50%, not of the popular votes but for the electoral college, with 302-206 well above 270 and it turned into a landslide. Net result: status quo, no change. The media did their best to make the presidential election look important, being the pinnacle, the altar on which democracy is built. Some democracy. (Click here to read on)

Interview-Excerpt: “If you want peace, abolish hunger”
 
Federica Riccadonna: You say different communities have varying abilities to overcome and transcend conflict which you call the ‘local potential of peace’. How do you assess the Nepali people’s potential for peace?
Johan Galtung: Nepalis have a capacity for negative peace. The 10-year-long conflict was a testament to their potential for excessive violence, while during the 18 days of Jana Andolan II in 2006, they toppled a 240-year-old monarchy without resorting to violence.
Nepalis are specially good at ‘negative’ forms of non-violence like civil disobedience, demonstrations, and non-cooperation, but they struggle when it comes to positive non-violence, like nation building and constructiveactions towards peace.
 
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