Michael de Laine

EU has chosen the wrong path for its peace mission, peace researcher says

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen 22 March 2009

The EU has chosen the wrong path for its peace mission and the Lisbon Treaty gives cause for a debate about the EU and peace, says peace researcher Jan Øberg.

Øberg, the founder and director of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, says his basic tenet is that all conflicts should be resolved with the absolute minimum of force - and by force he means arms and armaments.

He believes that the European Union has chosen the wrong path for its peace mission, the Lisbon Treaty gives cause for a debate about the EU and peace, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should use its 60th anniversary to disarm and become a peace organisation.

With Ireland due to vote in a new referendum on the treaty this summer, he believes there is still time for a thorough debate on the EU’s military/peacekeeping role.

Øberg says there are two understandings of peace. The most applied understanding implies the use of (military) force to resolve conflicts, while the second uses non-violent methods such as research into conflicts and negotiations between the parties in the conflict.

The Lisbon treaty does not actually distance itself from war, Øberg says. Although peace is mentioned as the highest target, the treaty’s main focus is on military force and military collaboration.

Øberg sums his idea up as, “Fight violence, not conflicts.”