[5th Plenary Committee Meeting] “A Summary of Activities in FY 2011 and Further Proposals for the Fiscal Year 2012” (March 29, 2012)

Date: March 29, 2012
Venue: Inamori Foundation Memorial Bldg. (Inamori Center), Middle-sized Meeting Room (Room No. 332), Kyoto University

Program

10:00-10:30 Business Meeting

10:30-12:30 Motoji Matsuda (Kyoto University) / Eisei Kurimoto (Osaka University)
Report of“The 1st International Forum: Conflict Resolution and Coexistence through Reassessment and Utilization of “African Potentials”” in Nairobi and Summary of the Discussion

13:10-14:10:
Shinichi Takeuchi (JICA Research Institute)
Report on the Activity of Research Unit on Politics and International Relations

Motoki Takahashi (Kobe University)
Report on the Activity of Research Unit on Economy and Development

Gen Yamakoshi (Kyoto University)
Report on the Activity of Research Unit on Livelihood and Environment

Motoji Matsuda (Kyoto University)
Report on the Activity of Research Unit on Culture and Society

14:10-14:30
Itaru Ohta (Kyoto University)
Further Proposals for the Fiscal Year 2012

Report Overview

1. Motoji Matsuda and Eisei Kurimoto reported on the proceedings and results of the Forum on African Conflicts and Coexistence, held 2-4 Dec. 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya:
First and foremost, this forum was significant in that it confirmed the idea that, “Conflicts are to be resolved through the utilization of the African potentials.” This idea was unanimously recognized and reestablished as the starting point to all conflict resolution among the participating African researchers and activists.
Second, the forum devoted much discussion on how to tackle the difficulties inhibiting the practical application of the African potentials. The African participants evaluated the forum highly, as it elucidated the major issues on conflict and coexistence. The feedback to the organizers was that the issues brought to fore in this forum should be revisited in the ensuing forums of the following fiscal years, as well as that some core participants should be reinvited to the forums and remain in the overall project to ensure meaningful continuity in the research.

2. Each [organizer /overseer /facilitator] of the 4 units (the Politics and International Relations Unit, the Economy and Development Unit, the Livelihood and Environment Unit, and the Culture and Society Unit) announced their progress report. (Shinichi Takeuchi substituted for Mitsugi Endo who was unable to attend.) The Project Leader, Itaru Ota, made further proposals for the fiscal year 2012 to each unit on the major issues to be emphasized. (Reporter: Toru Sagawa.)