Theory of International Interdependence III

The course will be in 4th period and 5th period on Thursday in 4th quarter, except for the first course (The first course is only 4th period). 1)“Introduction”: Explaining the schedules of the courses, text books, and evaluation. The students will also watch the TV documentary, NHK Special, “Why did we go to the war: Dialogues of former enemies and leaders in the Vietnam War”, which the instructor produced in 1998. 2)“Challenges of Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2024.” The instructor will share the basic theories of peacebuilding that he presented in his books. Then, the instructor shared his experience and research on Afghanistan peacebuilding as the first case, including his field research in 2008, as well as his working experience as UN team leader for reconciliation and reintegration in UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) from 2009 to the end of 2010. The instructor was also dispatched to Afghanistan as Senior Peacebuilding Consultant of UNDP in 2023. He will share these experiences as well as his policy engagement with the government of Japan and UN on supporting suffering people in Afghanistan. 3)“Challenges of Mediation and Peacebuilding in South Sudan from 2011 to 2024.” The instructor will share his own field research which he has been conducting since 2016; the instructor was assigned by Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan to visit South Sudan in 2019, 2023, and 2024 to make some intellectual contributions to its peacebuilding in South Sudan. 4)“Difficulties and Challenges of Ending the War in Ukraine.” The instructor published the latest Japanese book, “How Can We end the War in Ukraine: Limit and Potential of Mediation” in 2023, and shared his ideas in numerous places in the world, including Harvard University (where he served as a visiting scholar from Sep 2023 to Feb 2024), City University of New York, UN Headquarters, and Flecher School in Tufts University in the United States. The instructor will share these experiences and his policy proposals on how to end the war in Ukraine. 5)Challenges of Peacebuilding in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The instructor will share his engagement with mediation and peacebuilding in Iraq, including his TV documentary, “Rebuilding Iraq: Challenges of the UN” which received the silver medal from UN Correspondents Association in New York in 2004, recognizing the best program on UN in 2004. The instructor will also share his accumulated research on Iraq, Syria, and Yemen as he was assigned by Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Iraq in 2018 and 2019 to make some intellectual contribution to Iraq. 6)Challenges of Conflict Resolution in Palestine and Israel. The instructor has an experience to produce the TV documentary on peace negotiation between Palestine and Israel, which was aired in 2002, focusing on the two state solution by these two entities. The instructor was also requested by UNDP to make official comments on several reports on the current conflicts in Gaza, starting from October 2023. He will share his experiences and his policy proposals on how to create sustainable peace in the Middle East, including the conflict between Palestine and Israel. 7)“Conclusion: How can Japan play a role in ending the multiple wars in the age of the division?” The instructor will make a conclusive presentation on the thesis of this course, including successful case of peacebuilding in East Timor.

The instructor will make presentations for each course first. Then, he will have Q and A with students. The instructor sometime may request the students to have group discussions on some specific topics during the courses. 講師がまず、それぞれの授業において、各テーマについての講義を行います。その後、学生との質疑応答を行って、問題解決に向けた方策を一緒に探っていきます。場合によっては、学生同士のグループデイスカッションを１０分程度してもらい、それぞれ発表もしてもらう場合もあります。

The instructor will check the attendance record, which is about 40 % of the evaluation. The instructor will ask the students to write a short report which will be submitted in the final course. The report will be about 60 % of the evaluation. 出席を取ります。出席点は全体の約４０％です。最後の授業時に、レポートの提出を求める予定です。こちらが、全体の約６０％です。

Daisaku Higashi, “Challenges of Constructing Legitimacy in Peacebuilding: Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, and East Timor” (Routledge 2015). It can be accessed by Komaba Library. Daisaku Higashi, “Inclusivity in Mediation and Peacebuilding: UN, Neighboring States, and Global Powers” (Edward Elgar 2022.) It will be accessed by Komaba Library.

Daisaku Higashi, “Humanitarian Crisis after the Collapse of the Afghan Government and Japan's Role” (Japan Institute of International Affairs, 2022.) The paper can be accessed by https://www.jiia.or.jp/***** Daisaku Higashi, “Preventing Global War: How to End the Ukraine War without Escalation” (Japan Institute of International Affairs, 2022). The paper can be accessed by https://www.jiia.or.jp/*****

The instructor will explain the detail of the courses and how to prepare for each course in the first course. 最初の授業時に、詳しい授業の内容や、予習等について説明します。

You may see the link above to know my CV, books, and articles. 上のリンクで講師の経歴や本、論文などが分かります。