Recently, we are witnessing more cases where wars, coup d'états and authoritarian administrations are destroying people’s peaceful lives and depriving people not only of the opportunities to pursue great possibilities in life but even their lives themselves. Furthermore, with competition among great powers becoming intense, it is increasingly important for many developing countries to establish a diplomatic environment that is not at the mercy of great powers.
Aware of such circumstances, this research cluster considers what kind of conditions in both domestic and international politics, as well as social mechanisms, allow every person to enjoy human security regardless of one’s country of residence. For instance, we look at norms and institutions, including liberal democracy and the rule of law, which are seen as universal values common to all humankind. Although it is an urgent task to reverse the global trend of liberal-democratic recession, it is important to bear in mind that universal values that are inflexibly defined carry the risk of being used by great powers as a weapon to attack other countries. Also, we will explore what kind of bilateral relationships developing countries are trying to build with great powers such as China, to secure their development and peace, in the face of intensifying great power competition.
