How Canada can play its part in ushering peace in Korean peninsula

When the history books are written about the end to the conflict between North and South Korea, it’s clear that the leading voices will not be the ones in boardrooms or legislatures. It will come from the grassroots—the people who are living the day-to-day realities of this conflict. There was more evidence of this recently. The world watched as U.S. and Korean flags, peace banners, and hopes were flying high for an end to decades of war at the recent Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong-un. Expectations were high in the Korean peninsula, as it just finished a year marked by a reduction of tensions, unprecedented support for peace, and the prospect of an end to the threat of nuclear attacks. Unfortunately, two weeks later, the summit is widely being reported as a failure. A breakdown in talks saw the leaders walk away without declaring an end to the war or a much-anticipated peace agreement. This story overlooks the momentum building towards lasting Korean peace, driven not only by controversial world leaders, but a growing coalition of women’s peace organizations determined to achieve a lasting, sustainable peace. Peace would bring an end to Koreans suffering from war, the impact of harmful sanctions, and the separation of families. Three years before the North and South Korean leaders met in the notorious demilitarized zone, or DMZ, the piece of land separating the two countries with a "temporary" ceasefire, 30 women from around the world courageously came together to cross it. They hosted a peace symposium attended by hundreds of women and marched in the streets with thousands. Studies have shown that the participation of civil society groups, including women’s organizations, makes a peace agreement 36 per cent more likely to succeed. And when women participate in peace processes, the resulting agreements are 35 per cent more likely to last at least 15 years, according to the International Peace Institute. Canada participated in the Korean war, maintains strong ties with South Korea, and many Canadians are linked to both North and South Korea. Canada has built a reputation for supporting peace processes and acknowledging the importance of gender-based analysis in policy, and can play an active role in building a lasting peace. Any good relationship starts with clear communication. While Canada established diplomatic relations with North Korea 18 years ago, since 2010, engagement has turned from active to controlled. There has been basically no engagement outside of some verbal condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear-weapons testing. Canada should reactivate diplomatic relations by fully authorizing the Canadian ambassador in Seoul to represent Canada in North Korea, and accept the nominee for ambassador of North Korea to Canada. Canada continues to participate in sanctions, part of the U.S. approach of maximum pressure, a well-known, failed tactic that has garnered little political change from North Korea. It has had significant humanitarian consequences. Canadian sanctions have served to further harm women and children by limiting North Korea’s access to medicine and food. Canada should ease restrictions on humanitarian aid that can bring much needed relief. We are making progress. In February, alongside other civil society organizations, we supported a congressional resolution sponsored by 18 congressional Democrats, including prominent progressive representatives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and backed by former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter. The resolution calls on Congress to formally end U.S. participation in the Korean War and for the president to begin a process toward the signing of a peace agreement. It also calls on the Trump administration to do more to include women in the peace process, citing the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, which passed with bipartisan congressional support, and was signed into law by Trump. While we, like so many others will continue to hope that the Trump and Kim Jong-un will produce an end to the Korean war, we will not depend on it. We will continue to mobilize towards peace on the Korean peninsula, in the U.S. and advocate for allies like Canada to support a meaningful and effective peace process that includes women. Mimi Han is an executive board member of the National YWCA of Korea. Liz Bernstein is executive director of the Nobel Women's Initiative. The Hill Times

How Canada can play its part in ushering peace in Korean peninsula

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How Canada can play its part in ushering peace in Korean peninsula

Canada should reactivate diplomatic relations by fully authorizing the Canadian ambassador in Seoul to represent Canada in North Korea, and accept the nominee for ambassador of North Korea to Canada.

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