The 2nd study meeting

Arakaki's report

Arakaki:

First, I will report on the networking mission that I pursued when I visited the United States. I met Mr.a of A university. During our brainstorming session I received an ideal proposal for the gathering together of from 20 to 30 young leaders from developing countries and giving them general training at A university and specific training at Nagoya University. An exchange of each university’s role is acceptable. I received a positive impression from them regarding their cooperation in this program because our study is also a useful project for them.

I met Mr. b of B (one of the major national NGOs). This NGO has a staff specifically assigned to peace building studies. This means that they will take their time when tackling a peace building study. Because of this, it is necessary for us to cooperate with such a study team. As our basic stance, we would receive and analyze their project as a case study. We would then propose ideas about what should be done next to improve it.

When I visited the head office of the UNDP, I stated "We would love to cooperate with you if you work on the frontier issues, for instance 'mediation' or 'culture and conflict'".

My next report is about JICA. After changing to an independent administrative agency, the main projects of JICA will become "reconstruction" and they will expand their support for peace building. A new support room specifically for peace building will be set up. However, I got the impression that the work of the support room for peace building might become analysis work, such as, evaluation and investigation, cultivation of issues and data analysis, not the actual implementation and management of peace building projects. Moreover, I think they would like to fully tackle the securing of human resources. Internally, the staff member working on governance has the possibility of becoming a potential specialist in peace building. Another staff member is a person working abroad, for instance, a person who has experience with the JPO or Japan Overseas Cooperation. There are various ideas relating to cooperation, so we will cooperate with them in any way that will be mutually profitable.

It was my impression that they, especially A and JICA, are very interested in our study. I think that we will be able to cooperate with them only after first firmly deciding what the aim of our study group is. The future direction of our study group is important.

Exchange of opinions related to the report

Sato:

I met Mr. c who had been the head of the evaluation and management room in JICA. According to him, JICA seems to move towards the evaluation stage of planning. I think JICA is interested in the area of evaluation of the peace building issue.

Arakaki:

We should consider what merit our study group can gain from cooperation with JICA. It is necessary to build cooperation with them through a small project first.

Sato:

Does the CCDI have some relationship with JICA relating to East Timor?

Sugimoto:

It mainly cooperates with the JICA Chubu center in support of East Timor.

Kodama:

What is the budget and the number of staff members for the peace building support room?

Arakaki:

It is my understanding that these are not yet decided.

Nakanishi:

Shouldn’t we first decide what we are going to do?
After this is completed, it is desirable to decide with which part of our work and with which organization we will cooperate.

Arakaki:

At the same time, work to involve various organizations for one year might be necessary.

* * *

Sato:

I heard that Mr. d of the United States office of JICA might report on the results of his Iraq investigation at our research meeting. I hope the discussion of the Iraqi problem will become a chance for forming a project by inviting him from Washington in October.

Ohira:

I know a capable person, Mr. e, who is working on peace building in Bosnia. A lecture from him might be good.

Sato:

Then, is it good to think about an event that invites Mr. d in October if we have enough budgets?
Everyone: Approved.

Sato:

About relations with A, we propose that A will cooperate with us by writing some parts when we publish a book like the Iwanami course. I would like to use the associate researcher post of Nagoya University for 3-4 months as an exchange of researchers. I am now inquiring whether somebody can be recommended. One idea toward this end is that we ask the person to prepare for the program or that we open like summer school during his stay. We can also utilize this approach as the next step.

Arakaki:

From the viewpoint of research, it might be possible to get feedback from the analysis of the data through discussion and simulation in the work. Can we open like a summer school and stay within the budget?
Sato: Of course, it is difficult within the budget of our group study. It is necessary to submit a proposal to JICA and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Arakaki:

One of A’s projects makes a point of practical study and seems to work with us in the same way.
Kodama: As a direction of study, one approach is to study specific areas, but this might be very difficult. Another approach is in the direction of methodology and this approach seems to be able to achieve better results than the previous one. If we think in terms of a practical direction, I think it is a little bit difficult because very hard work is needed to respond to what the United States expects. If it is methodology, training of the nonviolence principle might be one example.

Sato:

Certainly, the United States tends to value practical work, but it is not necessary to stick to the American way, even if we cooperate with them. However, because there is a possibility that only following the direction of methodology will end in fancy, we should avoid it.

Futamura:

Is the cooperation with A University based on individuals or organizations?

Arakaki:

Most cases are based on individuals. Of course, the based on organizations is possible. But in this case, watching the situation regarding cooperation will be based on observing individuals.

Kodama's report

Kodama:

I would like to report on the inspection of the Netherlands. I participated in the project "The role of civil society and NGO in conflict prevention". The contents of the project had specific relations with very practical problems and will also relate to our study group very well. The project will hold an international conference in the United Nations in 2005. It will also hold a regional conferences leading up to this final conference. The purpose of this approach is to create a network of NGOs for both research and practical applications. A lot of NGOs have joined in and the United Nations has participated also. We conduct research regarding "What can we do concretely?" and "What kind of network can we build?"

In the next phase of the schedule, they hope to open a regional conference of NGOs in Northeast Asia next year. A conference in Japan or South Korea or in both Japan and South Korea may be held. Whether we invite North Korea or not will become a big problem. We need to think about this problem quickly because it will be held next year. I think that one way to tackle the problem is by involving JICA, if possible, as the base of this conference. This conference is very suitable to the content of our study group and should be very effective in furthering along our project.

Some NGOs are teaching nonviolence principles in Palestine. We might be able to cooperate with them. Nonviolence training is not so familiar in Japan, but I think a training activity like this might be also interesting in the sense of a practical application.

Exchange of opinions related to the report

Sato:

Recently members of "The bereaved family group of Israel and Palestine" visited Hiroshima and investigated how the Japanese had overcome abhorrence to the United States.

Kodama:

If the training is about the nonviolence principle and peace movements, it may be easy to work on it in Japan.

By the way, the conference of the IPRA will take place from July 5 to 10 in Shupron, Hungary next year. I hope to hold a meeting on this theme there. It would be welcomed if someone from this study group could participate in the meeting and report as much as possible to the group.

Area study

Nakanishi:

My impression is that the subject of how we make the general framework of our study group should be our first priority.

It is important to aim toward methodology. On the other hand, it is doubtful under current conditions how much we can implement the proposal put out by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. We submitted in our proposal an approach a little more like area studies. For instance, I think group research is one way. Of course, simultaneous research is acceptable.

Kodama:

We wrote emphatically about development to make the proposal noticeable. However, I think the study of development is difficult because the specialties of the main members of our study group are conflict solution and reconstruction. We need to think about in which area we will treat development. Treatment of development in reconstruction is easy. Because development is a very wide concept, we should limit it to some degree. Because the members of our group are limited, we should consider covering area studies and methodology at the same time.

Sato:

I think methodology is better rather than area studies in the end. Naturally, universal methodology does not exist. Knowing the characteristics in each area makes it possible to propose individual solutions.
Concerning area study, we will start to work on various regions this year and will narrow them to desirable regions after next year. Those regions where Japan can offer ODA are desirable. We can make practical suggestions regarding the Japanese ODA. If we do that, I think methodology might be better as a final decision.

Kodama:

If we are practical in our choice of regions, we will have to narrow them to 3-4 regions. Naturally, Yugoslavia and the Middle East will be included. I would like to study Northeast Asia, but the possibility for research there is less. A researcher from South Korea has come to C University. It might be good to ask him to give a lecture because he is a specialist on North Korea. Other regions are India and Pakistan.

Arakaki:

If we need more regions, it is possible to add them later.

Kodama:

Anyway, all regions cannot be covered. Africa is difficult.

Nakanishi:

When carrying on area studies, if we do not decide upon a common viewpoint and theme in advance, the study might get out of hand.

Futamura:

I have a proposal. The Central American dispute occurred in the 1980's. The United Nations committed to mediate and solved it. Afterwards, the reconstruction plan is advancing. I have an acquaintance who is a specialist at D University. If he can give a lecture about the mediation process during the conflict and the reconstruction process afterwards to us, it may be useful. Especially since the situation in Colombia is still ongoing now, I think it may be helpful.

Sato:

In my opinion, each area study does not need to be systematic and it is enough that make a case study. Based on the case study, we can search for a methodology. Concerning a target area for the case study, whether we have enough resources or not becomes a key point from the beginning. Asking for assistance from A is one way to supply the lack of resources. First of all, we need to decide what our four-year goal is and then to think of a road map to reach that goal.

Futamura:

Doing a case study for each region is needed. Stopping with an isolated study that has no relationship with the other regions is not so meaningful. Therefore, we need to analyze and compare examples of resolved conflicts in order to research whether or not there is a similarity within conflicts and peace building in each region. It is necessary to put such an aspect in the final results.

Results form

Sato:

Please give me some practical comments on my idea about the results form. My idea is to publish a total of seven reference books. It might be good if we ask other people not from our study group to participate as research and writing collaborators.

Kodama:

Making decisions like this in advance is effective.

Sato:

We should decide who would be the leading editor for each volume. About the regions, we may write in each volume or only in one volume.

Nakanishi:

I think if we put various concepts of peace building in the title of each volume, it may give the impression that this is a new study. For instance, "Establishment of democratization".

Sato:

Since we do not have enough time left now, we can not discuss it in depth at this time. I will collect our thoughts next time we meet. Holding an event like a conference of NGOs is one of the results too.

Kodama:

In that case, we will basically become a mediator, not an organizer.

Sato:

If we can involve the participants from such an event, it will be good.

Contact persons

Ohira:

Regarding a candidate organization for national cooperation, Arakaki has recommended in his reports that we ask the Tokyo office of the UNDPT to cooperate with us. If you agree with this idea, I may ask Mr. f.

Sato:

Then, we leave Ohira to contact the UNDP. Arakaki and I will contact with A and JICA. We ask Nakanishi to contact Kokumonken? When I go to Geneva next, I will visit the head office of the UNHCR. We ask Otsubo to contact the World Bank. We ask Mr. Kodama and the CCDI to contact the NGOs.

The proceedings and homepage

Yamamoto:

We update our homepage twice a month. We also update it whenever we have a study meeting.
The proceedings are the main contents. This is also translated into English. We ask the CCDI to record the proceedings.

* Sugimoto and Hayakawa of CCDI explain the idea of the homepage.

Kodama:

Is it more important to translate the results form into English?

Nakanishi:

The English translation does not need to be the same as the Japanese. For the English translation of the proceedings, a short version is acceptable.

Yamamoto:

Besides, we are planning to make a database. I would like to make the database for document retrieval. If the database is enhanced, access to it will increase.

Schedule for next time

The 3rd study meeting for peace building
15:00-17:00, September 19 (Friday),
Member meeting
17:00-19:00
Open study meeting