On Sunday, 8 February 2026, the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) hosted a public lecture titled “Challenges of Mediation and Peacebuilding in an Age of Division: The War in Gaza, Ukraine, South Sudan, and Afghanistan." The lecture was delivered by Prof. Daisaku Higashi, Professor and Director of the Graduate Program of International Cooperation at Sophia University in Tokyo, and was moderated by Dr Seán Deely, Senior Fellow at CHS.
In his lecture, Prof. Higashi offered a rigorous analytical perspective that integrated theoretical reflection with extensive field-based experience in mediation and peacebuilding across contemporary conflict settings. He argued that the domestic legitimacy of governing authorities emerging from post-conflict arrangements constitutes a fundamental condition for the suitability of peace. To support his argument, Prof. Higashi outlined an explanatory model structured around four interrelated factors: (1) the role of the United Nations, (2) the inclusiveness of political processes, particularly with regard to reconciliation and the avoidance of exclusion, (3) the equitable distribution of resources. (4) and the degree of coercion or use of force. He demonstrated how the interaction of these factors shapes patterns of compliance or non-compliance by local actors with post-conflict political, security, and institutional arrangements, and how these dynamics ultimately reinforce or undermine internal state legitimacy.
Prof. Higashi applied this framework to a series of comparative case studies, including Gaza, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Ukraine. Through these cases, he critically examined the limitations of conventional, template-driven peace-building approaches and advocated for adaptive peace-building approaches that are responsive to local contexts and capable of balancing international norms with political realities on the ground.
The lecture also included a critical assessment of comprehensive economic sanctions, particularly in the Afghan context. Prof. Higashi cautioned that such measures often generate serious humanitarian and ethical contradictions that risk undermining their stated objectives, including civilian protection and behavioural change by governing authorities. He instead called for alternative approaches that prioritise stability and strengthen pathways toward self-reliance. In his discussion of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, he emphasised the centrality of ceasefires, the activation of multilateral mediation efforts, and the rejection of solutions imposed through military force. At the same time, he stressed the importance of upholding the foundational principles of international order, foremost among them state sovereignty and the right of people to self-determination.
In his closing remarks, he highlighted the increasingly significant role of Qatar and Japan as global facilitators capable of bringing diplomatic, humanitarian, and development tracks within adaptive peacebuilding frameworks, particularly in an international environment characterised by deepening polarisation and division.
The lecture attracted a diverse audience of academics, practitioners, and graduate students, and concluded with a discussion on the humanitarian impact of the war on Gaza, the conflicts in Ukraine and South Sudan, and the situation in Afghanistan.