July 27, 2022 (Wednesday 12:00-1:00 PM JST)
About the Webinar
Climate change has elevated the levels of conflict over the use of natural resources in the world. Most studies consider the security risks and violent conflicts that accompany rapid environmental decline. However, there is a gap in the literature on efforts to assess the local sources of positive peace and environmental sustainability. This study focused on the case of the Lake Lanao watershed. It is the largest lake in Mindanao and the second largest lake in the Philippines. Document reviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions were conducted with key stakeholders to get a robust picture of the governance rules, resource uses, and tenure claims in the area. The environmental stress is evidenced in the cycles of water scarcity and floods that contribute to local and regional tensions. Nevertheless, there are interesting findings that show how community level practices promote peace and protect the environment. This suggests that a nuanced understanding of local mechanisms would be important in developing integrative models of positive peace and environmental sustainability.
About the Speakers
Guest Speaker: Dr. Francisco A. Magno is a Professor of Political Science and Development Studies at De La Salle University where he occupied various positions, including Director of the La Salle Institute of Governance, Director of the Social Development Research Center, and Chair of the Political Science Department. He finished his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii under an East-West Center Fellowship, and his BA and MA in Political Science from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He has conducted teaching and research in various universities, including Osaka University, Florida State University, Waseda University, Hiroshima University, University of Reading, University of Hawaii, University of the Philippines, and St. Scholastica’s College. His works have been published in journals such as Pacific Affairs, International Review of Public Administration, Asian International Studies Review, Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, Security Dialogue, Peace Review, Environmental History, Mountain Research and Development, Philippine Political Science Journal, and Philippine Studies.
Discussant: Dr. Srinjoy Bose is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, and Co-Chair of the UNSW ECAN Executive Committee. He does research on topics in Critical Peace/Security Studies including, political order and violence, international intervention, state formation, democratisation, warlord/rebel governance, and the political economy of statebuilding and peacebuilding in ‘fragile’ and deeply divided states and societies. His research has been funded by the European Union, UN Development Programme and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United States Institute of Peace, Australian Aid, and Facebook. In 2018 he joined the School of Social Sciences, UNSW. Previously, he was Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University.
Moderator: Dr. Dahlia Simangan is an Associate Professor at The IDEC Institute’s Center for Peaceful and Sustainable Futures and the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University. She is also a core member of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS). She is a former Kanagawa University JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (nominated by the United Nations University-Centre for Policy Research in Tokyo). Her research interest in peace and conflict studies includes topics on international peacebuilding, the United Nations peacekeeping operations, and International Relations in the Anthropocene.
About the NERPS Webinar Series
The Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS) at Hiroshima University in Japan is hosting a series of webinars on the relationship between peace and sustainability in the context of environmental, socio-political, economic, and technological transformations. This series is situated within the urgent need to deal with the implications of global change, including the COVID-19 pandemic, for peace and sustainability. The webinar sessions serve as a platform for rethinking and updating the current discourse on peace and sustainability amidst these global challenges and transformations. Leading experts will discuss the role of resources, digital technologies, migration, governance, and education in peacebuilding, conflict mitigation, humanitarian aid, and capacity-building, among other components that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainability Development Goals, particularly that of Goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Check out our previous webinars here.