On War
War as an Instrument of Policy and as a Form of Conflict Resolution
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gerardo M. Acay
There is a set of concepts, war and peace, conflict and cooperation, whose pairwise analyses are implied by both historical and conceptual inquiries. The latter refers to a philosophical elucidation of the meaning of statements whose function is to describe a given phenomenon; while the former identifies the events and conditions with which these statements are construed to be descriptions of what in fact did or did not happen. This is what is suggested by analytical and historical aspects of any problem being studied. Thus, the study and analyses of this set of concepts have puzzled thinkers, writers, teachers, students, etc. Moreover, they have attempted to reduce the complexities of international conflict, war and peace, etc. to some orderly structure as well as to develop a theory that will enable us to explain, to understand, a uniquely human phenomenon. This study shall use as a paradigm the classic work, "on War" by the eighteenth century Austrian military strategist and philosopher of war, Carl von Clausewitz.
10,000 Cries for Justice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Don M Tow
The “10,000 Cries for Justice” project provides an important digital archive of historical letters written about atrocities inflicted by the Japanese military on the Chinese population during the WWII period. This digital archive documenting the first-hand experience of the victims provides powerful evidence of what actually happened during this period. It provides a useful tool to learn from history. Through this insight and understanding, new genuine friendships between Japanese and Chinese people can be established and serve as a model for other countries.
