A Lecture and Music Gathering “For Children of Gaza” “ will be jointly held by
B03 “Trust and Peace Building in Conflict Affected Areas” with Public Lecture “Connecting Languages to Society and Culture: Intercultural Communication for Global Engagement” of College of Intercultural Communication, Rikkyo University.

An unprecedented humanitarian crisis has been unfolding in Gaza, Palestine, since last October. In this gathering, CCP Japan, an international NGO providing on-site support, will report on the current situation, sharing testimonies from people and children affected by the war. The organization will also present how it has been responding to and working in these circumstances. Additionally, two specialists in Middle Eastern studies will offer commentary on the Gaza conflict, referring to the historical background of Palestine. Through these reports and lectures, we hope to reflect on the Palestinian conflict and the global divisions exacerbated by the war in Gaza.
November 29 is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Now, the international community is being held accountable for having left the Palestinian issue unresolved for more than 77 years.
We will also have the opportunity to enjoy a musical performance by the group Rabi Sari, featuring Yuji Tsunemi, an oud player—a traditional Arabic instrument. This will allow us to reflect on Palestine, a sacred land for three religions, and consider how peaceful coexistence among diverse peoples might be achieved, especially when we approach the Christmas season.

Program:
13:00               Door Open
13:30-14:10　Opening Address
                          On-site report “Testimony of Gaza” (CCP Japan)
14:10-15:00　Lecture “The current situation of the Palestine conflict” (tentative)
                         Hiroyuki Suzuki (Project Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo)
                         Q & A
15:15-15:30　Break Time
15:30-16:20　Lecture “The world of 2024 and Palestine”
                         Keiko Sakai (Project Professor, Chiba University)
                         Q & A
16:50-17:20　Music Performance　
                         Musician Group “Rabi Sari”
                         Keiko Sakai (oud), Kei Wada (percussion), Taiko Matsumoto(vocal)
17:30　           Closing address

Venue: Room No.8101, Ikebukuro campus, Rikkyo University
              Maps & Directions | Rikkyo University

Language：Japanese
Style：In-person

Pre-registration：Required (150 persons, in order of registration）
　Registration form:　https://ccpjapan1123.peatix.com/

Lecturer ：
Keiko Sakai（Project Professor, Institute for Advanced Academic Research, Chiba University/ Dean, Center for Relational Studies on Global Crises, Chiba University）
Hiroyuki Suzuki（Project Associate Professor, the University of Tokyo Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (UTCMES) Sultan Qaboos Chair in Middle Eastern Studies）
　　　　　Yuji Tsunemi（Oudist）
　　　　　Kei Wada(Asian hand drummer, music composer）
　　　　　Taiko Matsumoto（Vocalist）
Contact：Masako Ishii（masang[at]rikkyo.ac.jp）

＜Lecturers’ Profile＞
Keiko Sakai
Project Professor at the Institute for Advanced Academic Research, Chiba University and Dean of the Center for Relational Studies on Global Crises, Chiba University. Her specializes in Middle Eastern Politics and Iraqi Politics. She served as the 21st Director of the Japan Association of International Relations. Her many published works include From Protest to Ballot Box (Co-editor, Centre for Relational Studies on Global Crises, Chiba University, 2021) and Iraq Since Invasion: People and Politics in a State of Conflict (Co-edited with Phillip Marfleet, Routledge, 2020).

Hiroyuki Suzuki
Project Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (UTCMES) Sultan Qaboos Chair in Middle Eastern Studies. After working as a JSPS post-doctoral Research Fellow (Japan Women’s University) and as a JSPS Overseas Research Fellow, he assumed his current position in September 2019. He is the author of The Mass Uprisings “Intifada”: Occupied Palestine 1967-1993 (University of Tokyo Press, 2020) and a joint editor of 60 Chapters to Know Palestine (Akashi Shoten, 2016).

Yuji Tsunemi
He is a pioneering oudist in East Asia. He studied the oud under masters such as Hamza el Din, the Sudanese oud player (passed away in 2006), and Ali Sriti, a leading oudist in the Arab world and professor at the National Conservatory of Music in Tunis (passed away in 2007). In Japan, he contributes to producing Japanese oud players. His work, including collaborations with Ryudo Uzaki, has influenced various art genres. He performs oud concerts throughout Japan, particularly at embassies in Tokyo. Additionally, he supervises Arab music for New Silkroad, a documentary series by NHK.

Kei Wada
With a unique musical style rooted in edo satokagura, he has gained international recognition for his performances. He has composed numerous pieces for plays and films, including works for renowned Japanese theater companies such as Shiki and Haiyuza.
In 1990, during his stay in Bali, he studied gamelan, a traditional form of ethnic music, and became captivated by the kendang, a two-headed drum. This led him to study under the esteemed I Wayang Gandra. Later, after collaborating with Yuji Tsunemi, he developed an interest in the req, an Arab percussion instrument, which he studied under Hani Pedar in Egypt. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists and successfully completed a concert tour with the group Rabi Sari in Europe, performing in Romania and Portugal in 2025. Additionally, in 2006, as part of the Japan Foundation’s Overseas Dispatch Program, he performed in a classical music concert alongside Egyptian musicians at the Arab Music Institute in Egypt, once again with Yuji Tsunemi.

Taiko Matsumoto
She won an award at a newcomer jazz vocal contest in 1986. After being exposed to various forms of ethnic music in 1990, she began engaging in cross-genre songwriting and composing music for a variety of styles, including Japanese nursery songs, folk music, Arab classical music, and original compositions. In 2009, she directed and supervised The Super Junior Chorus sponsored by the Saitama City Cultural Promotion Foundation, participated in a theatrical production of Pericles (by W. Shakespeare) in four European countries, and composed music for Anne with the Himawari Theater Company. That same year, she released her first CD with Luz Azul, a music group featuring the unique instrument sanukite. In 2010, she performed her Arabic compositions at UNESCO Hall in Beirut, Lebanon, alongside Yuji Tsunemi and Kei Wada. Since then, she has been a guest performer in various music tours, both domestically and internationally. Recently, her work in voice training has also been highly regarded.

Organisers:Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) “Trust and Peace Building in Conflict Affected Areas” (Principal Investigator: Masako Ishii, 20H05829), CCP Japan, College of Intercultural Communication Open Lectuire “‘Connecting’ Languages to Societies and Cultures: Intercultural Communication Engaging Head-on with the World”