Women's power brings peace in the Northeast Asia! <Northeast Asian Women's Peace Conference>

 

Women's power brings peace in the Northeast Asia! <Northeast Asian Women's Peace Conference>

'2008 Northeast Asian Women's Peace Conference' was held in Seoul and Kaesong between September 1 and 3, 2008,  in which women from 5 countries such as Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States participated. 

Major women society personages involved in women's and peace movement organizations from 3 Northeast Asian countries, the U.S.A. and Russia gathered together and agreed that the peace in the Korean Peninsula is directly linked to the peace in the Northeast and the world at the same time.

On September 1, 2008, a reception dinner was held under the theme entitled 'Night of Northeast Asian Women's Peace' and on the second day, September 2, theme presentations were made by countries and bull sessions were held by congresswoman and women's organization under the titles of 'Women talk about peace in the Northeast Asia' and 'direction of solidarity amongst international women for peace and unification in the Korean Peninsula.'

On September 2, in the opening ceremony, Lee Insik, Korean vice minister of women, Kerstin Greback, president of WILPF, Simiz Sumiko, former congresswoman belonging to the Japanese Socialist Party, and Rebedeva Nina Borisovna, a researcher of the Russian Science Academy Asian Institute, and Zen Hong, a coordinator of National NGO Publicity Department of China took part.  

In an afternoon bull session entitled 'Women talk about peace in the Northeast Asia' Zen Hong, a coordinator of National NGO Publicity Department of China highlighted the cooperation with UNIFEM,  the need for cultivating proper organizations and activists of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and  the importance of networks between NGOs in order to hold the six party conference hosted by civil organizations. 

Karen Rhie, secretary-general of NCNK stressed 'human exchanges are one of the most powerful devices for building peace and can be a basic unit for making common interest,' in the title of 'building peace in the Northeast Asia in the viewpoint of women from the U.S.A.'

She also mentioned that the exchanges can still be continued despite the political intrication, and that they can be seeds in future political processes.

On the other hand, participants from China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.A. had discussion prepared under the title of 'Women talk about peace in Northeast Asia.'

In the afternoon session, Jeong Hyunbaek, convention promotion committee chairwoman said "chances of women's participation and women's roles should be expanded in the peace-making process, and this is a process to implement the code of conduct declared in the Beijing International Women's Conference," in her presentation entitled 'the direction of international women's solidarity for peace-making in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.'

In addition, she stressed "Women should have chances for mutual communication through the Northeast Women's Peace Conference" and also suggested to regularize this conference and to make strong network.

In her presentation titled 'women's roles in peace-making process' Kerstin Greback, chairperson of WILPF underlined the main principle that 'peace has inseparable relations with gender equality and development' and mentioned that the effects on economic security and human stability should be considered to build peace in Northeast Asia. 

She emphasized "Women negotiators' participation in the 6 party talks is an important first step in bringing peace and security in Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia." and stressed "Sustainable peace can be made when women take part in negotiation and discussion processes."

On September 3, on the last day, participants visited Kaesong to hold closing ceremonies and adopted a joint statement as means of encouraging North Korea's participation.

In the political situation in which North Korea has decided to stop its nuclear disablement to justify the current situation in which the U.S.A. has deferred removing North Korea's position as a terror-supporting nation, extremely important are women's roles as reconcilers and peace-makers in building peace processes in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Participants agreed that peace in the Korean Peninsula is directly related to peace in the Northeast Asia and at the same time, peace in the Northeast Asia directly connected with world peace, and felt the necessity of solidarity to realize peace in the world. Voices of women across the world will put pressure on and accelerate peace processes in each country, and participants gave their words that this conference should be continued as constant and regular meetings, just not a one-time and formal conference.

* This article was produced by the Women Making Peace.

2008 Northeast Asian Women's Peace Conference

September 1-3, 2008

in Seoul & Kaesong,

Joint Statement of the Participants  

<Joint Statement>

We, women from around the world, have gathered today hoping to bring peace and stability to North East Asia and to contribute to a global culture  of non-violence. This conference was convened to bring together participants from each of the Six Party nations. We regret that women from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were not able to participate, and we hope that women from the DPRK will be able to join future gatherings.  

We welcome the diplomatic non-military approach of the Six Party Talks that has brought historic progress to resolving the nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula, while regretting the bilateral and regional issues that continue to delay the full implementation of the February 15th 2007 Agreement.  

We, women from each country, are concerned about the growing militarization in the region, and increased spending on military arms, and support the continuation of Six Party negotiations. However, we also note the striking under-representation of women participating in these negotiations.  In 2000, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325 recognizing the "important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building and stressing the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security."

We believe that women's interests, values and needs must be taken into account in order to achieve genuine peace that transcends national interests. Women's perspectives would contribute to integrating human security concerns into the peace process. Women must actively participate in the Six Party process as citizens, as members of NGOs, and as government officials in order to create a permanent infrastructure for stability and cooperation in the region.    

We urge all governments participating in the Six Party Talks to demonstrate their resolution to reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula and sustainable peace in Northeast Asia by:

1) Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 immediately.

2) Fully honoring commitments made in Six Party negotiations.

3) Working towards genuine reconciliation in Northeast Asia.

4) Responding to urgent humanitarian needs in the DPRK.

On this historic day, standing at the gateway to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), symbol of division and conflict in the region, we declare our resolve to work in solidarity to build upon and institutionalize a permanent women's network to promote peace in the Northeast Asian region.

September 3, 2008

Participants in the 2008 Northeast Asian Women's Peace Conference

Dorasan Station, Boarder between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea.