This Year of the Rabbit, let’s work together for Korea peace
February 1, 2023
Posted in: Newsletters
Dear Friend,
Happy Year of the Rabbit!
This year is especially significant for the Korea peace movement, as July 27 will mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which halted but did not permanently end the Korean War. Millions of people continue to be impacted by this unresolved war, including families of veterans still seeking closure, separated families in the United States and Korea, and North Koreans suffering from sanctions and isolation. It’s long past time that we realize lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
That’s why Women Cross DMZ is planning various in-person and virtual events this summer across the country. We’re also organizing another Korea Peace Advocacy Week in early June with our partners. We hope you’ll get involved, and will share details in the coming months.
Upcoming Events:
We’re excited to announce two Crossings screenings in the Pacific Northwest this month. On Friday, February 24, at 6 PM PST, Crossings will screen at Art House cinema in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon. Filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem and Women Cross DMZ Executive Director Christine Ahn will be in attendance. Additionally, there will be a virtual screening available from February 25, 12:00 AM, to February 26, 11:59 PM PST. The virtual screening will only be available to those in Oregon with a ticket purchase, with a 24-hour watch window upon unlock. Tickets can be purchased here.
Crossings will also screen on Saturday, February 25, at 1:30 PM PST at the Northwest Film Forum, as part of the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, followed by a Q&A with Christine and Deann. Those in Washington can also watch the film virtually from February 27 to March 5. Tickets can be purchased here.
Other updates:
We are pleased to announce that Representatives Cori Bush [D-MO] and John Sarbanes [D-MD] became co-sponsors of H.R. 3446, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 45.
In December, Christine Ahn, Founder and Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ, was awarded the 2022 Peace Summit Medal for Social Activism at the 18th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Pyeongchang. News of the award was covered by The Star-Advertiser, Yahoo! News, and Hawai`i Public Radio.
Christine Ahn also delivered her powerful speech, “Scars of War,” at the 18th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. Click on the video below to watch.
Amidst worrisome news that South Korea has plans to pursue a nuclear weapons program, Christine Ahn told In Depth News that “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement, and the threat of a nuclear war should compel the leaders of the two Koreas, the United States, and China to replace it with a peace agreement.”
Also in the news, NK News published an op-ed by Colleen Moore, Advocacy Director of Women Cross DMZ, titled “By his own measures, Biden’s North Korea policy has been a failure.” Moore writes that despite increased military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, changing the trajectory on the Korean Peninsula is possible, “but will require prioritizing genuine human security over militarized security. The U.S. must be willing to take the first step, by scaling back joint drills, endorsing a peace agreement and other de-escalatory measures, to realize a cooperative approach.”
Finally, please join us in welcoming Women Cross DMZ’s new team member, Beka Yang! Beka is a Brown University graduate who since 2018, has been involved in efforts to respond to state violence through the AMOR Network, a group that organizes community support and campaigns to shut down local detention centers. Learning about U.S. imperialism in Korea and her own family history motivated her to become involved in the movement for Korea peace. In 2021, she participated in Women Cross DMZ’s Feminist Korea Peace Fellowship and has since been part of the campaign to lift the U.S. travel ban to North Korea. Welcome to the team, Beka!
