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Ada Nissen

Pro-Dean - Faculty of Humanities

Email ada.nissen@hf.uio.no

Phone +47 22 85 72 70

Mobile phone +47 48 12 34 28

Room P.A. Munchs house 280

Username

Visiting address Niels Henrik Abels vei 36 P. A. Munchs hus 0313 Oslo

Postal address Postboks 1079 Blindern 0316 Oslo

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Ada Nissen (b. 1985) is an associate professor of modern Norwegian history. Nissen earned her doctoral degree from the University of Oslo in 2015 with a dissertation titled "The Peace Architects: Norwegian Peace Diplomacy Since 1989." She has been a visiting researcher at Columbia University and had extended writing stays in New York. From 2017 to 2022, Nissen held a postdoctoral position in the project "Statoil's History, 1972-2022," led by Professor Einar Lie at IAKH. She has also lived in Central America and worked on topics related to this region.

Research Interests

My research interests can be divided into two main fields. The first is concerned with Norwegian and Nordic foreign policy, peace and conflict studies, and international relations in general. I have particular expertise in peace diplomacy and peace processes.

The second research field focuses on the interaction between politics and economics. I have worked on various topics such as oil history, business history, business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), with emphasis on the oil industry's approach to climate change and human rights.

Overall, my research is characterized by its attempts to obtain a richer understanding of the connections between the national, regional, and global levels.

Teaching

I teach modern Norwegian and international history at all levels, from bachelor's to doctoral. I also supervise assignments and dissertations across these levels. In addition to teaching in IAKH’s history programs, I contribute to the interdisciplinary bachelor's program in International Studies. My teaching primarily focuses on contemporary history."

Positions

Head of The Norwegian Research School in History.

Program Director for the Bachelor's and Master's Programs in History, IAKH.

Tags: Contemporary History, Nordic foreign policy, International Relations, Business history, Oil history, CSR

Nissen, Ada & Gjersø, Jonas Fossli (2026). Political Advantage, Political Risk: The Nascent Stage of Statoil’s International Expansion, 1978–1999. Scandinavian Journal of History. ISSN 0346-8755. p. 1–24. doi: 10.1080/03468755.2026.2736239. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article analyses how the dynamics between the Norwegian national oil company Statoil and its government owner gradually changed during the 1980s and 1990s, as Statoil invested in politically risky business environments outside its domicile. Yet, despite this seemingly profit-maximizing behaviour, the NOC was closely intertwined with its government owner and this owner’s pursuit of a value-based foreign policy with emphasis on support for poverty reduction, democracy, human rights and peace building. Beginning in China in the 1980s, the article follows Statoil’s investments and challenges in Nigeria and the Caucasus until the end of the 1990s. The article explores how Statoil used its close association to the Norwegian state to both gain market access and to mitigate its associated risk. It observes how Statoil gradually moved from instructed agent to instructor of its government owner, and illustrates the background to which the company, through its investment policy, created a fait accompli for fully fledged privatization and stock market listing in 2001. By using Statoil as a case study, the article hopes to contribute to a deeper understanding of the emergence of different varieties of the international national oil company or “INOC”.
Nissen, Ada & Lie, Einar (2026). The Nordic state as a global investor: A reflection on Norway's ethical stance on investments since 2000. In Hilson, Mary; Marklund, Carl; Hellenes, Andreas Mørkved & Rom-Jensen, Byron Zachary (Ed.), Globalising the Nordic Model From exceptionalism to entanglement. Manchester University Press. ISSN 9781526184283. p. 130–149. doi: https:/manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526184276/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) frequently attract attention as examples of a 'Nordic model'. The meanings of the term vary, but especially since the global financial crisis of 2008-9 the Nordic countries have often been portrayed positively, as examples of economic dynamism, innovation and social equality. Studies of these images of the Nordic countries and their international circulations have opened new horizons for understanding the global influences upon the Nordic model. This volume explores how the Nordic model has been shaped by global entanglements, in exchange not only with Western Europe and North America, but also with the Global South. Drawing on selected case studies, the volume offers new perspectives on the meanings of the Nordic model and Nordic exceptionalism in a global context during the half century since c. 1970.
Nissen, Ada (2026). From Oil Nation to Wind Power Nation? An Exploration of Norway’s Turn to Offshore Wind Power, 1998–2024. Business History Review. ISSN 0007-6805. 99(3), p. 343–363. doi: 10.1017/S0007680525101128. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article examines how Norway, a hydropower-rich oil and gas producer, has sought to diversify its energy production since the late 1990s. It explores how and why leading Norwegian oil companies have attempted to redeploy into offshore wind, and how this redeployment has been shaped by political developments and sectoral interests. Through a four-part historical analysis, the article pays particular attention to the motives and interests of key stakeholders within the so-called oil–industrial complex, which encompasses both industrial and political actors, including employer and labor organizations. By integrating corporate and political perspectives, the article explains Norway’s attempt to transform from an “oil nation” to a “wind power nation” despite growing awareness of poor profitability and challenging conditions for offshore wind.
Engh, Sunniva; Ikonomou, Haakon Andreas & Nissen, Ada (2025). Scandinavians on the world stage: Rethinking Scandinavian international involvement since the interwar period. Cooperation and Conflict. ISSN 0010-8367. 60(4), p. 869–901. doi: 10.1177/00108367251380669. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article supplements dominant interpretative frameworks in historical International Relations (IR) and contemporary history by rethinking the history of Scandinavian IR. Unpacking three interrelated perspectives—highlighting less obvious Scandinavian roles in international politics, governance, and business since the interwar period—we nuance the typical realist-constructivist paradigms found in existing literature. These often lead to stereotypical portrayals of Scandinavian actors as peace-loving, bridge-building, norm-entrepreneurial small states. We argue for a different understanding by situating Scandinavian international interactions within transnational contexts and examining a broader range of actors and influences beyond the nation-state. We advocate moving beyond state-centric accounts to include diverse actors and arenas in analyses of Nordic IR, reflecting recent historiographical shifts and the transnational and global turn in international history. Inspired by new diplomatic history, we expand the focus beyond state actors to include boundary-spanning diplomatic practices. Drawing on global and transnational history, we reassess the structuring power of international orders—imperial liberal, Cold War, and post–Cold War—by empirically tracing the specific roles Scandinavians were given or assumed, and how these shaped what became mythologized as a particular kind of internationalism. These perspectives are especially relevant as Scandinavian countries again calibrate their place on the world stage.
Dembicki, Geoff; Ekberg, Kristoffer; Davies, Kert; Bergquist, Ann-Kristin; Nissen, Ada & Levantesi, Stella (2025). The Global Role of the Oil and Gas Industry in Climate Delay and Denial. In Roberts, J. Timmons; Milani, Carlos R. S.; Jacquet, Jennifer & Downie, Christian (Ed.), Climate Obstruction A Global Assessment. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780197787151. p. 29–61. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197787144.003.0002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
In the years since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the oil and gas industry has gone to great lengths to portray itself as a committed climate leader. This chapter surveys a large and growing body of academic literature and investigative journalism that reveals that this current stance is the latest iteration of a decades-long strategy to obstruct global progress on mitigating climate change. It documents three primary obstruction tactics deployed by oil and gas producers: undermining or denying scientific results, utilizing socioeconomic scare tactics to achieve tactical delay, and co-opting or trying to shape the environmental policy discourse on terms favorable for the industry. By learning to identify these tactics, climate advocates and governing bodies can gain a better understanding of how to neutralize and overcome them.
Nissen, Ada (2024). With Statoil as a Prism: Revisiting Key Features and Concerns in Western Oil Companies’ Evolving Human Rights Awareness, From the Mid-1990s to the 2000s. Enterprise & Society. ISSN 1467-2227. 25(4), p. 1214–1240. doi: 10.1017/eso.2023.33. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article uses Statoil (Equinor since 2018) as a prism to explore some key features and concerns of Western oil companies’ evolving human rights awareness from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. This period saw the first human rights lawsuits brought against oil companies and a gradual change in their human rights awareness. The article uses insights from the business history literature and new archival material from the oil industry to explain why business ethicists and legal scholars are wrong to argue that the relationship between business and social responsibility, on the one hand, and business and human rights, on the other, are inherently problematic and profoundly disparate due to their divergent historical origins. In so doing, the article offers a historical take on the so-called debate between business human rights (BHR) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and it repudiates the argument that a so-called minimal understanding of human rights has hindered business from undertaking proactive human rights initiatives. Mapping onto both the business history literature and the BHR–CSR debate, the article aims for a richer understanding of the experiences and ideas that incentivized oil companies to “get serious” about human rights.
Engh, Sunniva; Nissen, Ada & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2024). Norge som fredsnasjon og krigsmakt etter 1945 - Forskning, forståelse og fortelling. Historisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0018-263X. 103(3), p. 200–210. doi: 10.18261/ht.103.3.2. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). I samtalens tjeneste - Norske megleres fortellinger om krig og fred. Historisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0018-263X. 103(3), p. 211–230. doi: 10.18261/ht.103.3.3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Denne artikkelen tar for seg fire memoarbøker skrevet av norske fredsmeglere i perioden mellom 2011 og 2023, og undersøker disse fortellingenes doble rolle som historiske kilder (førstehåndsberetninger) og litterære bidrag. Analysen kretser rundt fortellingenes formål, utforming og innhold, og fokuserer på meglernes forståelse og fremstilling av eget virke og de historiske begivenhetene de har tatt del i. Bøkene ses i sammenheng med faghistoriske studier og annen forskning på feltet, og artikkelen trekker på historieteori, litteratur om diplomati, byråkrati og fredsmegling, samt litteratur om den demokratiske offentligheten og enkelte litteraturteoretiske innsikter. Målet er å diskutere aktørfortellingers bidrag til dannelsen av en felles historieforståelse av norsk diplomati spesielt og Norges internasjonale rolle mer generelt.
Nissen, Ada (2024). Den gode forurenser. Fortellinger fra en klimavennlig oljenasjon. Arr - Idéhistorisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0802-7005. 35(3-4), p. 3–15. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2023). Sikkerhetspolitikkens primat – norsk freds- og forsoningspolitikk under Ine Eriksen Søreide. Internasjonal Politikk. ISSN 0020-577X. 81(1), p. 3–13. doi: 10.23865/intpol.v81.4102. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Denne artikkelen redegjør for og diskuterer freds- og forsoningspolitikkens ambisjoner, hovedlinjer og posisjon innad i utenrikspolitikken under Ine Eriksen Søreides periode som utenriksminister fra 2017 til 2021. Artikkelen argumenterer for at to politiske hovedspor tegnet seg for fredspolitikken i løpet av disse fire årene. Dette er fredspolitikkens rolle som sikkerhetspolitisk verktøy og det multilaterale sporet, ofte omtalt som FN-sporet. Artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i aktuelle stortingsmeldinger og årlige redegjørelser og setter dette i sammenheng med konkret innsats i utvalgte fredsprosesser og utvikling i internasjonal politikk.
Hellenes, Andreas Mørkved; Ikonomou, Haakon Andreas; Marklund, Carl & Nissen, Ada (2021). ‘Nordic Nineties’: Norwegian and Swedish self-understanding in the face of globalization. Culture Unbound. Journal of Current Cultural Research. 13(1), p. 1–15. doi: 10.3384/cu.3993. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
‘Nordic Nineties’: Norwegian and Swedish self-understanding in the face of globalization
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2021). A greener shade of black? Statoil, the Norwegian government and climate change,1990-2005. Scandinavian Journal of History. ISSN 0346-8755. doi: 10.1080/03468755.2021.1876757. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article explores the political interplay between Norway’s national oil company Statoil and its government during a period when a truly global debate over climate emerged. The article sheds light on how the climate issue concerned the relationship between a Nordic state and its most important state-controlled enterprise, and exposes how Statoil responded to increasing calls for decarbonization while being privileged in climate policy-making processes. Furthermore, the article explores the origin and shortcomings of the puzzling argument about Norway’s ‘environment-friendly’ oil and gas, and discusses how this argument helped enable Statoil and the rest of the industry to continue with business as usual despite growing social demands for the oil industry to step up its climate efforts.
Nissen, Ada & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2021). Lite land, stor vilje. Norges internasjonale fredsengasjement. In Pharo, Helge Øystein; Engh, Sunniva; Bjerga, Kjell Inge; Hatlehol, Gunnar D. & Offerdal, Kristine (Ed.), Historiker, strateg og brobygger. Festskrift til Rolf Tamnes 70 år. Pax Forlag. ISSN 9788253042534. p. 241–258. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2021). An Oil Company as a Force for Good? How Statoil Put Norway’s Identity as a “Champion of Ideals” to the Test. Culture Unbound. Journal of Current Cultural Research. 13(1), p. 16–40. doi: 10.3384/cu.3366. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This article explores how Norway’s quest for moral authority to be recognized as a “champion of ideals” came under strain in the 1990s when the Norwegian state’s oil company (Statoil) expanded its operations in- and outside Norwegian borders. While we know a lot about Scandinavia’s international activism after the end of the Cold War, we know less about Scandinavian business’ responses to this policy. Neither do we know much about business’ potential impact on this policy. The aim of this article is therefore to begin address this issue by examining Statoil’s response to some of Norway’s moral and ethical aspirations in the post-Cold War global arena. Particular attention is paid to the tension between Norway’s ambition to be an early mover for sustainable development and a human rights advocate, and Statoil’s approach to environmental problems and human rights violations. As such, the article explores the role of state-owned enterprises in profit-making and global expansion during a formative decade when economy became an increasingly important determinant of Norwegian foreign relations, and ethical and moral objectives with roots in earlier decades were revitalized through an unprecedented number of international initiatives.
Nissen, Ada (2021). A Historical View on the Nordic “Peace Brand” Norway and Sweden: Partners and Competitors in Peace. In Puyvallée, Antoine de Bengy & Bjørkdahl, Kristian (Ed.), Do-Gooders at the End of Aid: Scandinavian Humanitarianism in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 9781108772129. p. 80–100. doi: 10.1017/9781108772129.005. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This chapter goes back in history to explore the roots of Norway and Sweden’s postulated peace traditions and some key features of the two states’ mediation efforts during and after the Cold War. With particular attention paid to Norway’s attempt to take national ownership of the peace nation narrative in the 1990s and the 2000s, the chapter discusses why Sweden and Norway both found peacemaking an attractive tool for national image building, and demonstrates how the quest for a peace nation identity sparked competition and friction between the two states. The chapter uses examples from Guatemala, the Middle East and Sri Lanka to illustrate the possibilities and limitations of Nordic mediation, and argues that although the mediation successes have been relatively few, the peace nation narrative is hard to challenge since its overarching telos is to be the good, spread the good, and fulfill the good.
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2018). Troublesome Peace Making: How American Views on Terrorism Affected Norwegian Mediation in Sri Lanka, 2000-2009. Diplomacy & Statecraft. ISSN 0959-2296. 29(3), p. 522–542. doi: 10.1080/09592296.2018.1491450. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Weak mediators normally need to borrow leverage from more powerful players to provide efficient mediation. This situation requires strong co-operation between the weak mediator and more powerful actors or coalitions involved in a peace process. But what if this co-operation fails? This analysis demonstrates how lack of productive co-operation with the United States negatively affected Norway’s 9-year-long attempt to mediate in the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam between 2000 and 2009. More specifically, it explores how the United States views on terrorism in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 limited Norway’s room for diplomatic manoeuvre. Based on a unique set of classified sources from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and interviews with key actors, the analysis demonstrates how diverging perceptions of a conflict can make mediation painfully challenging.
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2017). ”La firma no es la paz” norske bidrag til fred i Guatemala og Colombia. In Marsteintredet, Leiv (Eds.), Norge i Latin-Amerika: Forbindelser og forestillinger. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202548483. p. 189–219. doi: 10.23865/noasp.27. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2016). Sri Lanka: Den ensomme megleren. In Fixdal, Mona Christine (Eds.), Fredsmegling i teori og praksis. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202515782. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2016). Guatemala: Fra norsk-initiert dialog til FN-ledet prosess. In Fixdal, Mona Christine (Eds.), Fredsmegling i teori og praksis. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202515782. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2015). Weak Third Parties and Ripening: Revisiting Norwegian Interventions in Guatemala and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. International Negotiation: A Journal of Theory and Practice. ISSN 1382-340X. 20(3), p. 389–413. doi: 10.1163/15718069-12341314. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). Guatemala, Latinamerikanske løsninger. Latin-Amerikaboken2012. Latinamerikagruppene og Solidaritet forlag. ISSN 9788291916286. p. 230–233. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

Engh, Sunniva & Nissen, Ada (2026). Assessing Afghanistan: Norway. Full text in Research Archive
Reinertsen, Maria Berg; Nissen, Ada; Lie, Einar & Asheim, Henrik (2026). Oljefondet: Har Norge et omdømmeproblem? - Det humanistiske fakultet. doi: https:/www.hf.uio.no/om/aktuelt/arrangementer/makt/oljefondet-har-norge-et-omdommeproblem.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Vi ser på oss selv som en kraft for det gode. Men kan en stor olje- og gassprodusent være en troverdig klimaleder? Og er det greit at vi tjener oss styrtrike på krig?
Dingsøyr, Brage Arctander & Nissen, Ada (2026). Norsk fredsarbeid på 90-tallet: Penger i plastposer, kanefart og karaoke | Klassekampen. [Journal]. Klassekampen. doi: https:/klassekampen.no/artikkel/2026-03-13/penger-i-plastposer-ulvepels-og-karaoke. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Forsker Ada Nissen beskriver norsk fredsarbeid som spontant og persondrevet.
Nissen, Ada (2026). (+) Det er ikke riktig at fredsarbeid ikke er blitt evaluert. doi: https:/www.morgenbladet.no/ideer/det-er-ikke-riktig-at-fredsarbeid-ikke-er-blitt-evaluert/10230540. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Problemet er heller at forskningsfunn er blitt møtt med massiv kritikk og påstander om forskernes manglende forståelse.
Henmo, Jonas; Åsnes, Aleksander & Nissen, Ada (2026). Nobelkomiteen har vært heldige. [Journal]. Klassekampen. doi: https:/klassekampen.no/artikkel/2026-01-09/nobelkomiteen-har-vaert-heldige. Full text in Research Archive
Time, Jon Kåre & Nissen, Ada (2026). Nobelkomiteen må ha ant at dette kunne bli utfallet. [Journal]. Morgenbladet. doi: https:/www.morgenbladet.no/samfunn/nobelkomiteen-ma-ha-ant-at-dette-kunne-bli-utfallet/10137743?signedInSuccess=true. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2025). Lansering av ny stortingsmelding om fred og konfliktløsning. Meld. St. 30 (2024–2025). Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Utenriksdepartementet. Lansering av ny stortingsmelding om fred og konfliktløsning. Meld. St. 30 (2024–2025). Nobels Fredssenter
Nissen, Ada (2024). Nordmenn som fredens apostler? Norsk freds- og forsoningspolitikk etter den kalde krigen. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). Fortellinger fra en klimavennlig oljenasjon - forkortet essayversjon. Salongen – nettidsskrift for filosofi og idéhistorie. ISSN 2703-7053. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
https://www.salongen.no/essay/arr/forurensning/idehistorie/204690
Nissen, Ada (2024). Norge som fredsnasjon? Norsk freds- og forsoningspolitikk etter den kalde krigen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
- Hvorfor har Norge satser Norge på fredsmedling? - Hvem er det som har tatt initiativene til de ulike prosessene? - Hva slags strategier har man fulgt? - Hva har vært resultatene av innsatsen? - Hva skal egentlig til for å lage en fredsavtale?
Lund, Ellen Cathrine; Nissen, Ada & Sæther, Eivind (2024). Panelsamtale - Hvordan formidle historie? Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). Hva er greia med norsk fredsmegling? Historien om en utenrikspolitisk strategi på 1-2-3. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada & Köhne, Gunnar (2024). Oslo – Hauptstadt der Friedensdiplomatie. [Radio]. Deutschlandfunk. Full text in Research Archive
Våge, Martha & Nissen, Ada (2024). Ekko. [Radio]. NRK P2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Den umoderne freden Vi trenger flere våpen for å få fred, sier de, og vi ruster opp militæret over hele verden. Klimaet lider, folk lider og ungdommene våre har mista trua. Er det ingen som har trua på fred lenger?
Nissen, Ada (2024). From oil nation to wind power nation? A historical analysis of Norway's turn to offshore wind power. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). Klimavenn og oljenasjon? En historie om det morderne Norge. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). Offshore Wind Power Development in the Norwegian Oil Industry, 1997 - 2024. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2024). Nordmenn som fredens apostler: Norsk freds- og forsoningspolitikk etter den kalde krigen. - Dobbeltforelesning med Halvard Leira (NUPI). Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada; Engh, Sunniva & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2024). Norge som fredsnasjon og krigsmakt. Full text in Research Archive
NRK, P2 & Nissen, Ada (2023). KOMPASS, P2 SERIE: ISRAEL-PALESTINA-KONFLIKTEN Episode 1: Korleis forhandla om fred? Episode 2: Hemmeleg fredsmegling i villmarka. [Radio]. NRK P2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
https://radio.nrk.no/serie/kompass/sesong/202311/DMTL36418723 https://radio.nrk.no/serie/kompass/sesong/202311/DMTL36418923
Nissen, Ada; Waage, Hilde Henriksen & Engh, Sunniva (2023). Selektiv lesning om fredsdiplomati. Full text in Research Archive
Sylte, Turid & Nissen, Ada (2023). Exxon kjente godt til klimafaren - og det gjorde norsk oljebransje også. [Journal]. Vårt Land. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada & Jensehaugen, Jørgen (2023). Mektig støttespiller, ikke avmektig kritiker. p. 26–27. Full text in Research Archive
Gjersø, Jonas Fossli & Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2023). Political Advantage, Political Risk: The Nascent Stage of Statoil’s International Expansion, 1978-1999. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada; Engh, Sunniva & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2023). Hvor er de kritiske spørsmålene til norske diplomaters fremstilling av seg selv? Full text in Research Archive
Bergesen, Eirk; Ludvigsen, Elin; Nissen, Ada & Nylander, Dag (2022). Fredsmegling er «risky business». [TV]. TV2. doi: https:/play.tv2.no/serier/norske-tilstander-yk9s8jdp/sesong-2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Noen ganger må man ty til norsk laks og cubansk rom for å løse opp fastlåste fredsforhandlinger. Det forteller en av Norges mest erfarne forhandlere, Dag Nylander. Historiker Ada Nissen sier at Norge har lært mye som fredsmegler gjennom 30 år.
Nissen, Ada & Waage, Hilde Henriksen (2021). Fredsmeglingens fallgruver. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2019). Norsk fredsdiplomati for dummies. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2019). Draumekanalen. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2019). Draumekanalen - bakgrunnsartikkel. Bakteppet. Repertoarmagasin for Det Norske Teatret. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2017). Nu kör vi! Sveriges feministiske utenrikspolitikk møter Donald Trump. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2016). Folkets dom venter - Hva skjer hvis colombianerne forkaster fredsavtalen? Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2016). Mer som Norge Skal Sverige bruke sin plass i FNs sikkerhetsråd til å bli mer som Norge? Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2016). Mannen uten minne Kan man kontakte Donald Trump for å slippe å stå til ansvar for krigsforbrytelser? Full text in Research Archive Show summary
https://www.morgenbladet.no/aktuelt/2016/12/23/mannen-uten-minne/
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2016). PeaceOut podcast: Fredsprosessen i Colombia. [Radio]. Peace Out Podcast . Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2016). To End a Civil War. Internasjonal Politikk. ISSN 0020-577X. 74(3). Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada (2014). Dialogen må opprettholdes. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2014). Bare i New York? Manifest tidsskrift. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2013). It's the economy, stupid. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth & Svenbalrud, Hallvard Kvale (2012). Typisk norsk å skape fred? Dagsavisen. ISSN 1503-2892. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). En general vender tilbake. Etter Lemkin: Tidsskrift for studier av folkemord og politisk massevold. ISSN 1891-084X. 4(1), p. 23–36. Full text in Research Archive
nrk, Dagsnytt atten; Radøy, Sverre Tom & Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). NRK Dagsnytt 18, 05.09.2012 Norsk fredsarbeid i Columbia. [Radio]. Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
Land, Vårt Land Vårt; Fonn, Geir Ove & Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). Norge på fredsstien igjen. [Journal]. Vårt Land. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). Diplomatiske krumspring. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2012). Kulturdiplomatene. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth & Håskoll-Haugen, Anne (2011). For konge og fedreland. Bistandsaktuelt. ISSN 1501-0201. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2010). Fredsnasjonen Norge. In Loge, Julia Steen (Eds.), Gull og Grønne Skoger: Norske Interesser i Latin-Amerika. Solidaritet Forlag. ISSN 9788291916262. p. 80–85. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth & Busterud, Ingrid O. (2010). Fredstale i krigstid. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2010). Guatemala. In Loge, Julia Steen (Eds.), Gull og Grønne Skoger: Norske Interesser i Latin-Amerika. Solidaritet Forlag. ISSN 9788291916262. p. 224–227. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2015). The Peace Architects. Norwegian Peace Diplomacy since 1989. University of Oslo, Faculty of Humanities. Full text in Research Archive
Sørbø, Gunnar Martin; Goodhand, Jonathan; Klem, Bart; Nissen, Ada & Selbervik, Hilde Beate (2011). Pawns of Peace: Evaluation of Norwegian peace efforts in Sri Lanka, 1997-2009 | Norad.no. Direktoratet for utviklingshjelp - NORAD. doi: https:/www.norad.no/publikasjoner/2011/pawns-of-peace-evaluation-of-norwegian-peace-efforts-in-sri-lanka-1997-2009/. Full text in Research Archive
Nissen, Ada Elisabeth (2010). Et historisk bidrag? : norsk fredsdiplomati i Guatemala 1989-1997. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
I perioden 1989 til 1997 var Norge engasjert som tilrettelegger under fredsprosessen i Guatemala. Engasjementet var det første i en lang rekke fredsprosesser hvor Norge kom til å spille aktive roller. I tillegg representerte det en konkretisering av en ny kurs i norsk utenrikspolitikk etter den kalde krigens slutt. Da det bipolare spenningsforholdet mellom USA og Sovjetunionen opphørte, samtidig som Norge valgte å bli værende utenfor EU, oppstod det et vakuum i norsk utenrikspolitikk. Norge ble nødt til å finne en ny måte å gjøre seg bemerket på internasjonalt. Raskt falt valget på en utvidelse av den tradisjonelle bistandspolitikken. Fred, demokrati og menneskerettigheter seilte opp som Norges nye eksportvarer. Norske politiker, humanitærarbeidere, medier og til dels forskere, var med på å målbære ideen om Norge som en humanitær stormakt. Da fredsprosessen i Guatemala begynte for alvor i 1990 hadde det mellomamerikanske landet vært plaget av borgerkrig i 30 år. Skiftende militærregjeringer på høyresiden hadde væt i kontinuerlig konflikt med marxistisk-inspirerte geriljagrupper på venstresiden. Krigen hadde variert i intensitet, men hadde sin mest blodige periode på begynnelsen av 1980-tallet. Mellom 1981 og 1982 ble nærmere 200 000 mennesker drept, 40 000 ”forsvant”, 400 landsbyer ble jevnet med jorda, minst 100 000 guatemalanere flyktet til Mexico, og en million ble flyktninger i eget land. Hvordan kunne Norge som befant seg på andre siden av Atlanterhavet, og som tradisjonelt hadde svært få forbindelser i Guatemala, bidra til å løse konflikten? Norges engasjement for fred i Guatemala var ikke selvsagt. Latin-Amerika har vært en del av verden der norske interesser tradisjonelt har vært svært få. Men Norge hadde flere frivillige organisasjoner stasjonert i Guatemala. Spesielt var Kirkens Nødhjelp sentral. Etter å ha bidratt med nødhjelpsarbeid i forbindelse med et jordskjelv i 1976, hadde organisasjonen gått over til å drive mer generelt bistandsarbeid. Sammen med Det lutherske verdensforbundet, som mellom 1985 og 1994 var ledet av den norske generalsekretæren Gunnar Stålsett, tok Kirkens Nødhjelp initiativ til fredsforhandlinger. Norske myndigheter sikret prosjektet økonomisk ryggdekning. Formen det norske engasjementet i Guatemala tok, med tett samarbeid mellom UD og Kirkens Nødhjelp, og med pågående enkeltpersoner som drivkrefter, var i følge Utenriksdepartementet selve nøkkelen til norsk fredsmeglingssuksess. Det er denne type organisering som etter 1989 har gitt navn og form til den såkalte norske modellen for fred – et tett samarbeid mellom staten, private organisasjoner og sentrale forskningsinstitutter. Det finnes imidlertid en rekke begrensinger for små stater som engasjerer seg i konfliktløsningsprosesser. I alle konflikter finnes det i større og mindre grad preget av asymmetriske maktforhold. Det vil si at styrkeforholdet mellom de stridende partene er skjevt, gjennomslagskraften er ulik. Små stater som opptrer som tredjeparter i fredsprosesser har som regel relativt få virkningsfulle press- og lokkemidler tilgjengelig, og blir derfor karakterisert som svake meglere. Når en megler er svak vil det ofte være slik at den sterkeste parten i konflikten får sette agendaen for både forhandlinger og avtalene som kommer ut av dem. Dette skyldes at det er vanskelig for den svake megleren å presse den sterkeste parten til å innta holdninger den ikke ønsker å innta. I Guatemala var det asymmetriske maktforholdet mellom forhandlingspartene, regjeringen og geriljaen, tydelig. Norge ønsket å tilgodese begge parter, og å sørge for at regjeringen, som var den sterkeste parten, ikke trakk seg fra forhandlingene. Dette medførte at det politiske handlingsrommet til de norske aktørene ble innskrenket. I en rekke tilfeller valgte Norge å la sin rolle som kritiker av menneskerettighetsbrudd vike for rollen som brobygger eller kontaktformidler. Gjennomgangen av Norges rolle under fredsprosessen i Guatemala viser hvordan realpolitikk kan få forrang for idealpolitikk, og berører samtidig den mer generelle og uopphørlige debatten om fred versus rettferdighet.

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Published Apr. 17, 2012 3:08 PM - Last modified Aug. 19, 2025 3:52 PM

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