【Close】Book Launch Seminar “Adaptive Peacebuilding: A New Approach to Sustaining Peace in the 21st Century”

These days, the risk of violent conflict has only increased, and it is more challenging to prevent and resolve it. Such risks as climate change, natural disasters, and infectious diseases cause negative impacts on armed conflict and increase the number of refugees and internally displaced persons. Against this backdrop, the United Nations launched the "Sustaining Peace" agenda, presenting a new narrative and approach focused on a long-term comprehensive vision to development, humanitarian assistance, and inlusive peacebuilding activities.

Based on this background, a research project undertaken by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, led to the publication of an open-access book entitled Adaptive Peacebuilding: A New Approach to Sustaining Peace in the 21st Century. One of the objectives of this edited volume was to assess the potential of adaptive approaches as a viable approach to peacebuilding and sustaining peace in current societies experiencing conflict. To do so, the book explores adaptive approaches to conflicts occurred in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. In addition, this book also explores the peacebuilding approaches of the United Nations, and two major countries in the Asian region – Japan and China – through case studies.

In this seminar, the book editor will present findings from the book, followed by a panel discussion with peacebuilding experts and a Q&A session with the floor. With a discussion of adaptive peacebuilding approaches at its core, the seminar will be an opportunity to consider pathways and challenges to sustaining peace in the 21st century.

16:00-16:05 Opening Remarks
Yoichi Mine, Executive Director, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

16:05-16:25 Book overview and theory of adaptive peacebuilding
Cedric de Coning, Research Professor in the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and Development at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)

16:25-16:45 The case study of the Mozambiquan conflict and the editor’s perspective
Rui Saraiva, Lecturer, Miyazaki International University, former Research Fellow of JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

16:45-17:05 The case study of the Syrian conflict and implications for international cooperation
Ako Muto, Specially Appointed Research Fellow, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

17:05-17:25 Panel Discussion "Adaptive Peacebuilding: Possibilities in Theory and Practice”
Panelists:
Ryutaro Murotani, Senior Director, Office of Peacebuilding, Governance and Peacebuilding Department, JICA
Yuichi Kubota, Associate Professor, Nihon University

17:25-18:00 Q&A

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (Mr. Oboshi)
E-mail：ditas-rsunit@jica.go.jp　

This event has ended.