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of coercive power in the form of police, military, etc. To date, the debate has mostly been about (3) and (4), but peacebuild-ing will not work without a broad-based participation of the people in nation-building, regardless of ethnicity, tribe, or re-ligion. Based on the outcomes of multiple inquiries I have car-ried out as a researcher, I am convinced that this is the case.”Serving from 2012 as a Minister-Counsellor in the Perma-nent Mission of Japan to the UN, he strove to add language to a UN General Assembly resolution addressing peace settle-ment, that emphasized the importance of an inclusive process at the stage of peace agreement implementation. Such word-ing was included in the 2014 UN General Assembly resolution on mediation, and has now gained international consensus.“In reality however, things are not going well,” cautions Higashi. “Political exclusion is occurring, armed conflict is re-emerging, and security is deteriorating. For the past three years I have been visiting Iraq, the countries around South Sudan, and Syria, to carry out survey research with conflict-ing parties in order to answer the question, ‘Why is political exclusion taking place?’” In 2018, in a seminar held at the International Peace In-stitute in New York City, Higashi presented a keynote speech titled “The Importance of Inclusivity in Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace” to an audience that included senior UN officials. “Investigating the reasons behind po-litical exclusion, and creating mechanisms to pre-vent it, takes a long time,” he considers. “I hope to further deepen the research on this in future.”In parallel with this research, since his appoint-ment at Sophia University in April 2016, Higashi has conducted an ongoing series of seminars enti-tled “Human Security and Peacebuilding.” These sessions are open to the public, but students who attend five seminars then submit a research report on a topic of their choice are eligible for credit. For this initiative, 2017 saw Higashi re-ceive an award for good practice on the basis of positive student feedback.The professor also played a central role in inviting both UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the 73rd UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés to speak at Sophia. Their willingness to do so surely reflects the strong standing he has established with the UN and other international organiza-tions.“‘Human security’ is a policy concept that the Japanese government has taken leadership on globally, but it remains underutilized,” rues Hi-gashi. “It is, however, a principle that is vital if we are to resolve problems that are impossible for a single country alone to tackle, such as the conflicts and envi-ronmental issues in the modern world.”Secretary-General Guterres similarly emphasized the im-portance of the concept on his recent visit to Sophia, notes the professor. In his special lecture “Global Challenges: The Role of Human Security,” the Secretary-General suggested that Japanese diplomacy should expand its activities, based around the pillar of human security.“What I have felt through my work in peacebuilding,” shares Higashi, “is that there are high hopes out there for Japan to fulfil a role of facilitator, or promoter of dialogue.” The country’s support for reconciliation in Afghanistan is a good example, he contends. “Thanks to our postwar status as a ‘nation of peace,’ and continued overseas aid program, there is very little resistance to Japan taking the lead in creating a space where opposing forces can communicate.” Such a forum, he elaborates, where opinions can be freely exchanged in the search for effective solutions, may be ben-eficial not only for peacebuilding, but in all manner of fields including public health and the environment. Towards this, Higashi concludes on an optimistic note: “I hope that Japanese students, over the course of their univer-sity years, will amass the kind of experiences that will enable them to take on the role of global facilitators.”Human Security and Peacebuilding1. As a UN Political Affairs Ofcer (Team Leader for Reconciliation & Reintegration) in 2010, Higashi exchanges opinions on settlements with elders of Afghanistan. 2. Field survey in Afghanistan, 2008. 3. In 2010, as a UN Political Affairs Ofcer, following a meeting with the governor of (then) Daikunday prov-ince and a local settlement. 4. Presenting at the International Peace Institute in New York, June 2018, as the rst Japanese to appear as main speaker. 5. Meeting with Vice President Malik of Iraq in Bagh-dad, February 2018. 6. With South Sudanese refugees at a refugee camp in Uganda, March 2018.13524615Research