Human Security Series Lectures 2010

(this schedule is under reservation and subject to change)

MEARC Seminar

"Japan Bans Cluster Munitions – The Role of Civil Society"

Abstract

On December 3rd 2008, 107 countries signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions. With 30 countries having ratified it by February 2010, including Japan, the CCM becomes binding international law on August 1st.

Like the 1997 Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Landmines, the CCM was reached through a political process initiated and driven by the concerted action of transnational civil society and a core group of states. The so-called Oslo Process grew out of the conviction of these transnational activists that cluster munitions cause unacceptable harm to humans; outweighing any argument of military utility. This logic shifts the referent of security from the state to the individual, from national to human security. Outside the formal UN framework of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, but with UN support, the Oslo Process succeeded in establishing a new norm against cluster munitions in international law.

State-centric approaches cannot account for the salient role of transnational civil society actors. From a constructivist perspective, I examine how a Japanese NGO as part of transnational civil society pressured the Japanese government to ratify a cluster munitions ban. Tracing the ‘life cycle’ of the cluster munitions norm, I highlight that the Japanese political elite prioritized national defence over human security throughout the process. The full realization of human security as part of Japan’s foreign policy thus relies on the sedulous efforts of civil society.

Melanie Wacker is Doctoral Fellow in the DFG research training group “Risk and East Asia” at the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany). She earned her Master’s degree in Japanese Studies at the University of Leiden in 2009. Based on field work in Japan in cooperation with Sophia University, in her Master thesis she analyzes Japan’s behavior at the Oslo Process to ban cluster munitions 2008 in the light of Japan’s human security policy with particular attention to the role of Japanese NGOs. Her research interests comprise Japan’s security policy, human security, transnational civil society activism and normative change in international relations. She can be reached at Melanie.wacker@stud.uni-due.de

Speaker: Melanie Wacker M.A.
Title: "Japan Bans Cluster Munitions – The Role of Civil Society"
Date: Tuesday, March 16th 2010
Time: 15.15 - 17.00
Venue: Small Auditorium, Academy Building, Rapenburg 73 Leiden

Click here (PDF format) for a map showing the locations of buildings in Leiden.

Exhibition

The Future via Anime

an Exhibition of Stills from Famous Japanese Anime

The future via Anime is an exhibition of stills from famous Japanese animations from TOEI, such as Cyborg 009, Galaxy Express 999, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, but also more recent work like Digimon. Guided by these stills, the exhibit focuses on TOEI’s contribution to Science Fiction, and in particular the way in which the company, its artists, writers and directors, have shaped the future of space travel. The exhibition will last until August 31st 2010. We like to thank TOEI for making the stills available to us.

The former libraries of the Institute for Sinology and the Centre for Japanese and Korean Studies together make the new East Asian Library. By offering these collections in one library instead of on more locations, we can provide you with a better service. You could already use the East Asian Library which we marked earlier with a small opening event. Now that the renovation of the silent area is finished, we would like to bring the start of the East Asian Library to your attention with this festive gathering.

Date: November 30th, 2009 - August 31st, 2010
Venue:   Room 130 (Silent Area of the East Asian Library), Arsenaal Building

Our thanks go to Asiascape.net, Toei Animation and Leiden University Library for making this exhibition possible.

Click here (PDF format) for a map showing the locations of buildings in Leiden.