Fafo news archive

Fafo researcher Lise Bjerkan awarded with a peace prize

11 April 2007
Fafo researcher Lise Bjerkan (pictured), together with Linda Dyrlid at Høgskolen in Sør-Trøndelag, recently received a peace prize awarded jointly by the trade union movement in the Førde area and the Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers (in Sogn og Fjordane). They received the award for their work on human trafficking. More about the award (in Norwegian) Download the Fafo-report A life of ones Own. A rights based approach to the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking in Serbia

New article on reintegration in postwar societies

11 April 2007
Fafo researcher Kathleen Jennings's article, "The Struggle to Satisfy: DDR Through the Eyes of Ex-Combatants in Liberia" appears in the current issue of International Peacekeeping. The article calls for a re-examination of the justification, formulation, and implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programming in certain post-conflict environments. The article is based on a Fafo project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Study of Iraqis in Jordan

28 March 2007
On behalf of the Jordanian Government, Fafo is going to carry out a household sample survey in cooperation with Jordan's Department of Statistics (DOS), aiming at,
1) Estimating the number of Iraqis currently residing in Jordan and their geographic distribution;
2) Assessing their key characteristics (sex, age and marital status; family size and composition; place of origin in Iraq; residency status; education and skills; health; employment; economic situation and coping mechanisms; use of education, health and other services); and
3) Assessing the Iraqis impact on the Jordanian economy and the added cost of providing public services to them.
Fieldwork will take place in April and May. Both Iraqi and Jordanian households will be interviewed. As the responsible party, Fafo will be actively involved at all project stages, including during training, fieldwork, and data processing. The project will ensure the full confidentiality of all respondents and their families. Fafo will publish two reports from the project which will be available this summer – Fafo and DOS doing their outmost to produce results as soon as possible. The study is financed by a grant from the Norwegian Government.

Fafo breakfast seminar: Integrity in Post-War Reconstruction

25 April 2007
Tiri and Fafo invites to a breakfast seminar at Fafo 3. May 2007, where they will present findings and recommendations from new research on Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Palestine. Speakers are Fredrik Galtung and Martin Tisné (Tiri) and Mark Taylor (Fafo), while Norways Minister of Development, Erik Solheim, and member of the Board of Tiri, Clare Short, will give their comments. The seminar lasts from 8:30-10:30, it is open to the public and free of charge. Registration by e-mail to pub@fafo.no before 2. May 12:00. Read more

Norwegian Group for Lean Construction

22 March 2007
In cooperation with Norwegian companies, Fafo will establish the Norwegian Group for Lean Construction on May 8th. The International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) makes up a network of professionals and researchers in architecture, engineering, and construction who feel that the practice, education, and research have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the challenges ahead. Several European countries have established institutes connected to the IGLC forum. Fafo will host the Fifth Biannual Meeting of the European Group for Lean Construction (EGLC), on May 9th and 10th. More about EGLC5

The War Zone as Social Space

14 March 2007
In a new report, Fafo researcher Kathleen Jennings examines the war zone as social space, and how this understanding of conflicts can help improve policy and practice around conflict resolution. The report, commissioned by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, maps existing empirical research on conflict and identifies areas of interest for future research agendas. Download the report from here

Job openings at Fafo

13 March 2007
Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies seeks researchers with experience and interest in applied empirical research in countries undergoing transitions, and in conflict and post-conflict areas. Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent experience in political science, public health, statistics, or other social sciences. The institute's working language is English, and competence in other languages (especially Arabic, French, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish) is particularly welcome. For more information contact Managing Director Jon Pedersen or Deputy Managing Director Mark Taylor, tel +47 22088600.

African Guerrillas: Raging Against the Machine

7 March 2007

Fafo researcher Morten Bøås is together with Kevin Dunn at Hobart and William Smith Colleges the editor of a new book on African guerillas, published at Lynne Rienner Publishers. Read more