Foreign Minister Taro Aso proposed a training program Tuesday for peace-building activities in Asia.
Aso, who is running in next month's Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, said he hopes to introduce the program on a trial basis in the next fiscal year, to "foster human resource development for peace-building," especially for people who dare to work in dangerous areas.
The proposal, though, has yet to be discussed by the government, he said in a keynote speech during a seminar at U.N. University in Tokyo.
Aso said he envisions programs ranging from short-term training courses to curricula through which a full academic degree could be earned in the future, and instructors would be recruited from schools in Sweden and Canada that train peace-building specialists.