Dear Editor:
For many of us the Korean peninsula was just another conflict in a distant and poorly understood country; now the Korean conflict is coming to Vancouver.
On Jan. 16, foreign ministers from 20 nations, representing those engaged in the ongoing conflict with North Korea, gather in Vancouver to discuss security and stability on the Korean Peninsula. As well as the official government delegates, an international delegation of women representing feminist peace movements from Asia, Europe and North America will convene in Vancouver to ensure that civil-society perspectives are included in the official talks. They are included because women of the world demanded a seat at the table in peace negotiations and they achieved the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which requires nations to include women in peace-building efforts, and Canada is a signatory.
The objective of the women’s peace delegation is to urge the foreign ministers to prepare the table for a diplomatic peace process that moves away from war and increased militarization, towards peace, reconciliation, and genuine security.
Through the Vancouver Women’s Forum and other actions, the women delegates and civil society will remind government leaders of overwhelming global public opinion that favours a peaceful diplomatic resolution as the only option on the table for resolving the Korean crisis.
“The human, social and ecological costs of the unresolved 65-year Korean War must be stopped. Our delegation of women will recommend steps that can ensure a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. The outcome of the official summit must support the recent breakthroughs in inter-Korean rapprochement, not derail it.” – Ellen Judd, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace and organizer for Vancouver Forum for Peace in Korea
Elsie Dean, Burnaby
