Editor's Letter

By Johanna Bergström

In this issue, seven writers have put their own spin on the peace theme. Viktor Warg has done a haunting dissection of escapism and inner peace, drawing on the works of Slavoj Zizek. We have Adriana Abril Ortiz, who have written on the environmental aspects of armed conflict, using the example of Colombia. Guery Marañón stays in the same part of the world and analyzes how historical conflicts have become embedded in national identities, highlighting how it can both shield and antagonize armed conflict. We have Laurin Zils, who have written on the new arenas that wars are fought on, namely the internet. Adrian Kokk has analyzed the ever-present EU aim to reach “strategic autonomy” and free itself of dependency of other countries, and Johannes Malmgren has written on the critics of war journalism. Last but not least, Turkan Ghafori has drawn on her own experiences as a refugee to highlight the cognitive dissonance in the public rhetoric regarding the current refugee influx compared to in 2015.

This is my last print edition as Editor-in-Chief for Utblick, though online publishing will continue a few more weeks. For the past academic year, it has been a joy and a privilege to work with all the talented writers and editors who make Utblick. For the fall semester, someone else will take over the reins and bring their own flair to the magazine.

Maybe it is you?

Signing off, Johanna Bergström Editor-in-chief and responsible publisher, academic year of 2021-2022