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"This book could not be more timely or important. Professor Higashi courageously takes on the tough challenges of how to try to resolve key conflicts in a starkly divided world and build sustainable post-conflict peace. While he advocates for the primacy of respecting the core principles of sovereignty and self-determination, he does so in pragmatic way. This means adapting those principles flexibly and grounded in deep situational knowledge, which is what Dr. Higashi has accumulated with his impressive research of the conflicts and nation and peace building efforts in Ukraine, South Sudan and Afghanistan. His nuanced conclusions seek to sidestep some of the current roadblocks in each of these cases and bear close hearing. What package of elements regarding territorial disputes, war crimes, and a post-conflict security framework are the most promising to end the war in Ukraine? What are the advantages and disadvantages of seeking to resolve conflict by establishing a democratic regime and engage in peacebuilding with a non-democratic government? Read Higashis deeply informed book to find out.
- Richard Price, Director of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Faculty of Arts, Professor, Department of Political Science, Certified Coach for UBC Coaching Services, The University of British Columbia
This important book weaves together international relations theory and diplomatic perspectives from the trenches of the worst war-torn settings to offer practical guidance for achieving peace. In a compelling narrative, the book advances the need for pragmatic and adaptive peacebuilding. Higashi argues that national sovereignty and stability must sometimes take precedence, even when this requires deferring goals such as democratization or accountability for war crimes. His analysis of the conflicts in Ukraine, South Sudan, and Afghanistan highlights critical turning points in negotiations where alternative choices could have produced better outcomes. A must-read for scholars and practitioners alike, the book offers a clear-eyed path toward more effective peacebuilding.
- Christina L. Davis, Edwin O. Reischauer Professor, Harvard University; author of Discriminatory Clubs: The Geopolitics of Membership in International Organizations
In Mediation and Peacebuilding in an Age of Division, Professor Higashi provides careful, critical analysis and constructive suggestions that draw on his extensive experience and interactions with leaders of various stripes engaged in some of the most intractable conflicts of the time. His reflections will be of real value to practitioners and to scholars alike who seek to understand such conflicts and look for pathways towards peace."
- Alistair Edgar, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of the School of International Policy & Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs(BSIA), Wilfrid Laurier University
