The Japan Society for International Development 2024 Spring Conference

B2 Ouka Yoshida

On 15 June 2024, The Japan Society For International Development was held at Utsunomiya University. We, the Fujii Seminar, played a part in the management. On the day, sessions were held on different development-related themes, and many researchers gave presentations. After all the sessions were over, a plenary session was held in the hall. The work of the Centre for Multicultural Public Sphere at Utsunomiya University was explained, and as part of this, International Peace and Human Rights / Humanitarian Law Study Group was also presented. It was entitled ' Interactive Teaching for International Human Resource Development: Theory and Practice of International Humanitarian Law'. After Professor Fujii's explanation, the seniors of the Fujii Seminar, Mr. Kakeru Kikuchi, Ms. Yukari Hagiya, Mr. Atila Nasier, Ms. Ayaka Sakakibara, and Ms. Reona Fukuhara, gave their presentations. This article explains the plenary.

Professor Fujii introduced the study group's activities and talked about its philosophy. He explained, "I want to differentiate themselves by showing experiences and results that cannot be obtained by paying money." I visited Ethiopia in March this year and visited organizations such as the AU and UN. This experience allowed me to reconfirm my own goals and interests. Listening to the professor's philosophy strengthened my desire to study in the Fujii Seminar.

This was followed by student presentations by Mr. Kikuchi, Ms. Hagiya, Mr. Atilla, Ms. Sakakibara, and Ms. Fukuhara. They spoke mainly about self-introduction, university studies, and future career development.

First, Mr. Kikuchi explained his internship at Save the Children Japan. He learns about international law, attends lectures by experts, and then uses and experiences what they learn through his internship. He explained that this experience led him to growth.

Ms. Hagiya shared her experiences through IHL competitions and the internship at UNHCR. She spoke about how " The usual is no longer the usual" in conflict. She spoke of her desire to build a career on the global stage through her studies in international law.

Mr. Attila explained his reflections and sense of crisis during university life in relation to his career development. He said that he had been introverted in his studies at university, but through Professor Fujii's classes and seminars, he decided to pursue a career in international cooperation boldly.

Ms. Sakakibara spoke about her experience in international humanitarian law competitions and the importance of comprehensive learning. She is working as a researcher in the Embassy of Japan in Angola and belongs to an economic department, which is different from her field of interest. She explained the importance of paying attention to a variety of news to understand the situation of one country, even if it is not about the field she is interested in.

Ms. Fukuhara shared her experience in international law, including the UIPJ activities and participating in Moot Court competitions, as well as her experience as an intern at international organizations and researcher of the Mission of Japan to the African Union. She explained that these experiences enabled her to develop her ability to negotiate with flexibility, research and analysis skills. As for her future career, she concluded by saying that she would like to become a practitioner who can build a "bridge between theory and practice (in the field)".

Through the Fujii Seminar plenary, I have developed an even greater admiration for seniors. Having seniors nearby who are my target in this way makes me feel every day that I have been able to enter an excellent seminar. This feeling has become even stronger through this plenary.

I have also reaffirmed my determination to build a career in international cooperation. Listening to the seniors' presentations, I was able to think concretely about how experiences through the Fujii seminar will be meaningful in building my career. I am also firmly determined to further my knowledge of international humanitarian law through various activities and to use this knowledge in practice to contribute to the international field in the future.

Thoughts on Participating in the 17th Research Conference of the Japan Association of Global Governance

M2 Kakeru KIKUCHI

The 17th Research Conference of the Japan Association of Global Governance, held on May 11 and 12, 2024, at the Ibaraki Campus of Ritsumeikan University, marked a significant milestone in my academic journey. Alongside my seminar members, Reona Fukuhara and Miyu Nishimura, I presented a poster at the conference. This was not just another research conference for me, but a platform where I took my first step into the world of academic presentations. The experience was a testament to the challenges and joys of research, leaving me with a profound sense of accomplishment.

We researched and created a poster titled "Consideration of the African Union's Role as a Norm Entrepreneur-Through a Case Study on Efforts of Transitional Justice in Ethiopia." Even though the African Union (AU) is a regional organization with 55 African countries and regions as its members, it has yet to address Africa's problems proactively due to various restrictions. However, in Ethiopia, which has experienced conflict in recent years, transitional justice (efforts to bring peace to post-conflict societies) has seen the AU become increasingly involved, unlike in the past. Thus, the study aimed to explore new possibilities for the AU by showing that it functions as an entrepreneur to generate new norms for transitional justice.

Poster and participating members

Since our senior students had presented at the Japan Association of Global Governance in the past and we had heard that the theoretical framework in research was necessary, we decided to address normative entrepreneurs as the analytical framework for our study. 'Norms' is a complicated concept for me, and I remember needing help reading and understanding previous studies. In our research, we also used Ethiopia as a case study of how the AU has intervened in the country. This process also troubled us because we had to analyze each event as a line rather than a point. During the research, many things did not go well, and the days seemed long, but looking back, I have the impression that the day of the presentation arrived in the blink of an eye.

On the day of the presentation, I was left feeling a little regretful about what I could have done more, but I was able to enjoy the presentation. The professors, who have expertise in similar fields, asked many insightful questions that were difficult to answer, but I was able to learn a lot from them. On the other hand, some did not know much about AU. I carefully explained the background of the issue to them and was pleased when they became interested in it. Listening to other students' presentations was also very stimulating for me. I enjoyed the space where each student was enthusiastic about his or her field of interest and discussed it with each other. I am grateful to Professor Fujii for his guidance and to all the seminar members for their advice and frank questions during my research. I would like to thank them.

Finally, although this is an entirely different story from my research since the Research Conference was held in Osaka, I went to Kyoto on my way home. I visited the Kyoto Botanical Garden, which I have wanted to visit for a long time. I have loved aquariums since childhood, but I have recently been interested in botanical gardens, and the vivid greenery and colorful flowers have healed me. The Kyoto Botanical Garden has a large viewing greenhouse, and some websites rank it first in Japan's most famous botanical gardens. Only a few people living in the Kanto region choose to visit the botanical garden when they go to the Kansai region, yet I enjoyed it very much!

Kyoto Botanical Garden's viewing greenhouse

2-year experience in Ethiopia

M2 Reona FUKUHARA

Between March 2022 and March 2024, I worked as a researcher at the Mission of Japan to the African Union in Ethiopia for two years. In this article, I would like to share my experiences during those two years.

     The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). In order to build up a diplomatic relationship with the AU, Japan established the Mission of Japan to the AU in 2018. The Mission’s primary focus is on partnerships with the AU, such as TICAD, and gathering the latest information on peace and security, as well as economic issues in Africa. Although the AU is guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”, there is always a question on what integrated Africa is and how they are making one voice in this continent.

    In order to deepen my understanding of the AU, with guidance from my colleagues, I collected information on current hot topics in Africa and the AU. As I was in charge of human rights, peace, and security, I sometimes attended a diplomatic conference and briefing on women/youth, peace, and security organized by the AU. Through participating in those meetings, I could grasp the current situation, and other diplomas who attended a meeting kindly shared what African Member States were doing at the forum of the AU. By doing so, I was able to get the latest information before the official press release, and it helped HQ to decide on an action to take as soon as possible. 

(at the AU Main Hall)

Not only did I acquire job experience, but I also had the chance to spend personal time with my colleagues and friends. As Ethiopia was in a period of reconstruction after the conflict in the North area, many Japanese companies and JICA launched their businesses and projects in Ethiopia. Thanks to this, I was able to meet many people with different career backgrounds. It enabled me to expand my perspective on my career and perspective.

I also enjoyed traveling around the continent and visited five African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, and Seychelles. South Africa is one of my favorite countries to visit. I highly recommend visiting Table Mountain, one of the most iconic landmarks in South Africa and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cape Town.

(View from top of the mountain)

This experience made my perspective broader and made me more mature. Although there were many things that I could not achieve, it is going to be my next goal in my career. I would like to sincerely thank my colleagues, friends, and professors who supported me a lot, either from Japan or Ethiopia. Amsegnalew (Thank you)!