Course description
In contemporary society, the security field has become diffused and segmented. The traditional concept of national security, which relies on military power, continues to have a significant influence today. On the other hand, the world, especially after the end of the Cold War, faces diverse global crises and threats. As a result, a common security concept for humanity that transcends national borders is called for.
The concept of "human security," which is becoming more important in the 1990s, emphasizes individual human rights. However, where national sovereignty is strong in Asia, it tends to be avoided as a concept with the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. On the other hand, the concept of "non-traditional security" is a security concept that can be shared with the concept of "human security." It targets the non-military sphere, and it looks forward to peacebuilding in Asia.
Currently, the international community faces common crises and threats such as conflicts, terrorism, refugees and migrants, natural disasters, poverty, food, infectious diseases, and climate change. In this lecture, we will examine the efforts of three categories of actors, namely, the United Nations, UN agencies, and regional organizations; governments, aid agencies, and military forces, and civil society and NGOs, to address these common crises and threats that transcend national borders. I will analyze and discuss the prospects for "Asian peacebuilding" based on an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary approach.
I introduce the contents of courses. First of all, I will confirm the meaning of the three security concepts. Traditional security relies on military power as a precondition for international security cooperation. Next, "human security" is based on individual human rights and widely accepted in Japan and other Western societies. And finally, "non-traditional security" covers non-military areas and is accepted by Asian countries with strong national sovereignty.
After understanding three security concepts, we will discuss concrete issues related to each security concept because international community faces new types of crises and threats in addition to traditional security. In concrete, we will discuss the following topics of “Globalization and the Problem of Poverty”, “International Peace Cooperation,” “Humanitarian Assistance by the UN, UN agencies and Regional organization,” “Japanese Official Development Assistance for International Contribution,” “The Role and Challenges from Civil Society and NGO,” “The Role of Corporation Social Responsibility,” “The Sustainable Development Goals for International Cooperation.”
And furthermore, “The Relations between Economic Development and Global Environmental Protection,” “International Cooperation from a Gender Perspective,” “Peacebuilding and Institution Building in Post-Conflict Societies,” “National Reconciliation and Elections in Post-Conflict Societies,” “Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development,” “The Role of Good Governance led by UN agencies,” “Responsibility to Protect against Humanitarian Intervention,” “Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Issues from a Human Security Perspectives.” Finally, we summarize the topic of “Asian Peacebuilding from the Perspective of ‘Creating Peace’.

＊The class will consist of a one-hour lecture, followed by a 30-minute group discussion. In the second half of the lecture, students are expected to give individual presentation related to the lecture.

Learning outcomes of the course
In this course, students will understand the significance and differences of "three securities" as well as the efforts among various actors to resolve the pressing issues they face in the areas of peace, human rights, development, and the environment, which are global public goods. In addition, students will understand that the major actors in today's international society are not only states, but are responding with global governance, which is based on international cooperation and international collaboration among diverse actors, including international NGOs.

Teaching and evaluation methods
Evaluation: Participation in each class (20%), Group presentations and Individual Presentation (50%), final report (30%)

Bibliography
Mitsuru Yamada & Miki Honda eds., Complex Emergencies and Humanitarian Response, Union Press, 2018. (e-Book)
Peking University-Waseda University Joint Research Initiative ed., Understanding Regional Dynamics in Asia-Pacific, Waseda University Press, 2022.
Roland Paris, At War’s End: Building Peace After Civil Conflict, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Oliver P. Richmond, A Post-Liberal Peace, Routledge, 2011.

Last updated: February 29, 2024