About the Book
We are now observing a shift of the centre of gravity, or the “engines” of human activities, from the Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific. Industrial productions, political conflicts, and militarization in the Asia-Pacific draw global attentions. So are intellectual, academic activities. In the field of peace research theories and practices in this region have their own contributions. Gandhi’s legacies and inspirations in the fields of economic globalization, peace education, and constitution are as relevant and important as ever. The lessons of the disasters of 3/11 in Japan echo Gandhian concerns. Conflict transformations and reconciliations in the region such as ones between China and Japan pose a big challenge for us. Chapters of the present volume, authored by seasoned or spirited peace scholars in the Asia-Pacific, present new paradigms in peace research that nobody in the field can ignore.
Contents
1. Introduction: New Paradigms of Peace Research / Akihiko Kimijima
2. Teaching Peace Studies: Implications from Critical Security Studies / Francis Daehoon Lee
3. The Meaning of Fukushima for Humanity / Ikuro Anzai
4. The Criminality of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Energy: From Hiroshima to Fukushima / Kenji Urata
5. Swadeshi: Creative Alternative of Globalisation / Vidya Jain
6. Gandhi and the Idea of a Non-violent Constitution / Thomas Weber
7. The Educational Legacies of Mahatma Gandhi for Peace Education / John P. Synott
8. Dealing with Disasters: Natural and Man-made / Ravi P. Bhatia
9. Humour, Witnessing and Cyber Non-violent Action: Current Research on Innovative Tactical Non-violent Actions Against Tyranny, Ethnic Violence and Hatred / Chaiwat Satha-Anand, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, Jularat Damrongwithitham and Chanchai Chaisukkosol
10. The Transitional Approach between Wars to Peace in Sri Lanka: A Qualitative Conceptual GNH Review / Senthan Selvarajah
11. Sino-Japanese Reconciliation from a Peace Studies Perspective / Liu Cheng
12. Strait Talk: Activating Peace Potential in Youth-led Civil Society Dialogues Across the Taiwan Strait / Tatsushi Arai
About the Author / Editor
Akihiko Kimijima is Professor of Constitutional Law and Peace Studies in the Faculty of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. His research focuses on the relations between constitution and peace, the pacifism of the Japanese Constitution and global constitutionalism. He is Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Peace Research Association and a board member of the Peace Studies Association of Japan. Every year he nominates a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Vidya Jain is Professor of Political Science and Director, Centre for Gandhian Studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. She has held many important positions such as the Deputy Secretary General of APPRA (Asia Pacific Peace Research Association), member of Nonviolence Commission and Global Political Economic Commission of IPRA and the Non-killing Political Science Research Committee, Hawaii (USA). She has several research publications to her credit and has made presentations at many international forums. Her recent book, Peace, Nonviolence and Gandhian Concerns (Rawat Publications, Jaipur, 2011) was released in APPRA Summit, Kyoto, Japan, 2011.
