SDGs and Peace Studies

Students will learn about past and current peacetimes and wars. Maintaining peaceful international order will provide the foundation for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is the most critical issue of international relations. Students will gain basic knowledge by reading foundational literature about past and current peacetimes and wars, as well as the SDGs. Finally,they will summarize this literature into reports and discuss them. Each session requires students to prepare a little before participating in practical discussion. The television reports on wars in Ukraine that we see are shocking, but it may be difficult to comprehend them as problems that affect us directly. The current situation is that we have few opportunities to think about what we can do to build a peaceful society or put these actions into practice. Students will participate in external learning through visits to facilities that exhibit Japan’s experiences of war and activities with NGOs that support people in current war zones and government bodies that promote peace education (Matsumoto City, Matsumoto Youth Peace Network). Through these activities, they will learn about what they can do now.

peace research, global issues, international relations, dispute, refugee, modern history, environment, SDGs, group work

1. Orientation: How to learn about war and peace; the current state of “peace and the SDGs” and the associated issues

2. Learning from Japan’s experience of war: Why did Japan engage in war? (literature reading and discussion 1)

3. Learning from Japan’s experience of war: Why did Japan engage in war? (literature reading and discussion 2)

4. Learning and passing on the lessons of war: Visiting Shinshu facilities (planned visit to Matsushiro, Mugonkan) *Planned to take place on a Saturday

5. Learning and passing on the lessons of war: Presentations and discussion 1

6. Learning and passing on the lessons of war: Presentations and discussion 2

7. War and peace today (War in Ukraine): Lecture, literature reading, discussion

8. War and peace today (Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq): Lecture, literature reading, discussion

9. War and peace today (The nuclear question): Lecture, literature reading, discussion

10. Attempts to build peace: NGOs’ attempts to support people in disputes (lecture by external lecturer)

11. Attempts to build peace and Japan’s role: Lecture, literature reading, discussion

12. Japan’s security policy: Lecture, literature reading, discussion

13. The SDGs and peace (summary): Lecture, literature reading, discussion

14. What is needed to build a peaceful society?: Presentations and discussion 1

15. What is needed to build a peaceful society?: Presentations and discussion 2

*Topics may be adjusted at participants’ request. The topics may be reordered.

Syllabus (Japanese site only)