ALPHA Education: Legal/Historical Research into WWII in Asia (2 positions)

Area of Law: Human Rights Law -- International Law -- Labour Law -- Criminal Law -- Treaty Law 

ALPHA Education is a non-profit, registered charitable organization in Canada that promotes a critical-historical inquiry of World War II in Asia. Their mission is to foster understanding and humanity, in the interest of furthering the values of justice, peace, and reconciliation for victims of the past, survivors, and for those who shape the historical narratives of the present and future. To learn more about ALPHA Education, check out their website here: https://www.alphaeducation.org/

This research project will support the ongoing development of ALPHA Education and its WongAvery Asia Pacific Peace Museum. In particular, the research will be on justice and other legal issues arising from WWII in Asia and its post-war years. The output of the project could take different formats proposed by the PBSC student volunteer, such as a research memo, infographic, or video essay. The ultimate goal is for the deliverable to be published on ALPHA's website or used in other projects. 

PBSC students may choose from the following list of topics for their research or propose a topic that is not listed here, with approval of ALPHA Education staff and PBSC National. The list of topics are:

  • Post war trials: Batavia War Crimes Trials; Philippines War Crimes Commission; Yokohama War Crimes Trials
  • Lawsuits: Prisoners of War; Biological and Chemical Warfare; Massacre Lawsuits; Textbooks Lawsuits in Japan
  • Treaties and Agreements: San Francisco Peace Treaty (1951); Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea (1965); Japan-South Korea Comfort Women Agreement (2015)
  • Others: Different legal interpretations of Article 9 of Japan's Constitution; Present-day motions and resolutions regarding Japanese military sexual slavery

Time Commitment

Students are expected to volunteer 3-5 hours per week. The student is welcome at the ALPHA office for regular weekly shifts; however, if they need tow work elsewhere (e.g. to access materials from a law library, or other legal resources such as Lexis Nexus), other arrangements can be made. 

Required Training

In addition to the PBSC mandatory training, ALPHA will provide a general introduction to ALPHA Education, its mandate, and current projects (such as the Asia Pacific Peace Museum) at the first meeting. This will also serve as an opportunity for the team to get to know each other. At this meeting, ALPHA Education staff will also provide students a broad overview of WWII Asia. Following this meeting, students will be invited to the learning management system Canvas to read more on various topics from WWII in Asia; this will give students the historical background to conduct research. 

Number of Students and Prerequisites

  • How many students? 
    • 2-4 student volunteers (students may be working with students from Lincoln Alexander School of Law)
  • Can first year law students volunteer?
    • First year students are encouraged to apply!
  • Should you be bilingual? 
    • No, however knowledge of East Asian languages is an asset. 
  • Any other expectations for this project? ​​
    • Students should have an interest in history, international law, human rights, and an interest in World War II history is an asset. Students interested in pursuing academia are encouraged to apply. Observance of deadlines and excellent writing skills are also an asset.