#98, peace is the most powerful deterrent of all
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Secretary of Defense James Mattis
H.R. McMaster, National Security Council
April 26, 2017
Dear President Trump:
We are women leaders from over 40 countries, including the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and many from nations that fought in the Korean War. We are from academia, business, civil society and the military, and represent a diversity of ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and political views. We are united by our belief that diplomacy is the only way to resolve the nuclear crisis and threat of war now facing the Korean peninsula.
On July 27, 1953, leaders from the United States, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and China signed the Armistice Agreement to halt the Korean War. They promised to re-convene within three months to replace the ceasefire with a binding peace agreement. This never occurred and an entrenched state of war has ever since defined inter-Korean and U.S.-D.P.R.K. relations. This war must end.
Korea is the only nation to remain divided as a result of WWII. For three generations, millions of families have been separated by the world’s most militarized border. We urge you to do the following to avert war in Korea and bring about a long-desired peace on the peninsula:
1. Negotiate a freeze of North Korea’s nuclear and long-range ballistic program in exchange for a U.S. security guarantee that would include suspending U.S.-South Korea military exercises.
2. Initiate a peace process with North Korea, South Korea and China to replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a binding peace treaty to end the Korean War. Women must be significantly represented in the peace process in accordance with the spirit of UNSCR 1325.
3. Support citizen diplomacy to heal the legacies of the Korean War by establishing a liaison office in Washington and Pyongyang to facilitate retrieval of U.S. Korean War servicemen’s remains and Korean-American family reunions.
Since 1950, the Korean peninsula has been threatened with nuclear weapons, missile tests, and military exercises that have only served to make 75 million Korean people less secure. In the United States and on both sides of the Korean De-Militarized Zone, the absence of a binding peace accord fuels fear and economic deprivation caused by diverting public resources in preparation for war, including deploying the controversial THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. This endless militarization must stop.
Peace is the most powerful deterrent of all. We urge you to take steps now to help formally end the Korean War with a peace treaty. Doing so would lead to greater peace and security for the Korean peninsula and region and halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We look to you to accomplish what successive U.S. Presidents have failed to do for seven decades: establish peace on the Korean peninsula.
Sincerely Yours,
1. Abigail Disney, USA, Filmmaker and Philanthropist
2. Aimee Alison, USA, President Democracy in Color
3. Aiyoung Choi, USA, Steering Committee Member, Women Cross DMZ
4. Alana Price, USA, Editor of Truthout
5. Alice Slater, USA, Coordinating Committee Member, World Beyond War
6. Alice Walker, USA, Author and Activist
7. Alicia Garza, USA, National Domestic Workers Alliance and Black Lives Matter
8. Amina Mama, Nigeria/USA, Professor, University of California, Davis
9. Amira Ali, Ethiopia, Author and Activist
10. Ana Oliveira, USA, Philanthropist
11. Anasuya Sengupta, India, Feminist author and activist, co-founder Whose Voices?
12. Angela Chung, USA, Attorney and Human Rights Activist
13. Angela Davis, USA, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
http://www.womencrossdmz.org P.O. Box 4025, San Francisco, CA 94140-0250info@womencrossdmz.org
14. Ani DiFranco, USA, Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Multi-instrumentalist & Businesswoman
15. Annabel Park, USA, Filmmaker
16. Ann Frisch, USA, Professor Emerita University of Wisconsin Rotary Club of White Bear Lake, 5960
17. Anne Delaney, USA, Artist and Philanthropist
18. Anuradha Mittal, USA, Executive Director, Oakland Institute
19. Ann Patterson, Northern Ireland, Peace People
20. Ann Wright, USA, Retired US Army Colonel & Diplomat
21. Anne Beldo, Norway, Lawyer and Partner of Hegg & Co. Law Firm
22. Annette Groth, Germany, Member of Bundestag
23. Annie Isabel Fukushima, USA, Professor, University of Utah
24. Audrey McLaughlin, Canada, Former President, Socialist International Women
25. Becky Rafter, USA, Executive Director, Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)
26. Betty Burkes, USA, Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
27. Betty Reardon, USA, Founding Director of the International Institute on Peace Education
28. Bridget Burns, Co-Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
29. Brinton Lykes, USA, Professor, Boston College
30. Caitlin Kee, USA, Attorney, Thomson-Reuters
31. Carrie Menkel-Meadow, USA, Chancellor’s Professor of Law, University of California Irvine Law School
32. Catherine Christie, Canada, United Church Canada
33. Catherine Hoffman, USA, Coordinator, Cambridge Restorative Justice Working Group
34. Carter McKenzie, USA, Springfield-Eugene Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice
35. Charlotte Wiktorsson, Sweden, Swedish Physicians Against War
36. Christine Ahn, USA, International Coordinator, Women Cross DMZ
37. Christine Cordero, USA, Center for Story-based Strategy
38. Chung-Wha Hong, USA, Executive Director, Grassroots International
39. Cindy Wiesner, USA, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance National Coordinator
40. Clare Bayard, USA, Catalyst Project
41. Coleen Baik, USA, Twitter @Design Alumna
42. Cora Weiss, USA, President, Hague Appeal for Peace
43. Corazon Valdez Fabros, Philippines, Co-Vice President, International Peace Bureau
44. Cynda Collins Arsenault, USA, Philanthropist, Secure World Foundation
45. Cynthia Enloe, USA, Professor, Clark University
46. Darakshan Raja, USA, Executive Director, Washington Peace Center
47. Deann Borshay Liem, USA, Filmmaker
48. Don Mee Choi, USA, Poet & Translator, International Women’s Network Against Militarism
49. Dorchen A. Leidholdt, USA, Attorney, Professor, Feminist
50. Dorothy Ogle, USA, National Council of Churches
51. Dorothy J. Solinger, USA, Professor Emerita, University of California, Irvine
52. Ekaterina Zagladina, Russia, Permanent Secretariat, Nobel Peace Summit
53. Elaine H. Kim, USA, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
54. Eleana J. Kim, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine
55. Eleanor Blomstrom, Co-Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
56. Ellen Carol DuBois, Professor, History and Gender Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
57. Ellen-Rae Cachola, USA, Women’s Voices Women Speak
58. Emilia Castro, Canada, Co-Representative of Intl. Committee, Americas Region, World March of Women
59. Eunice How, USA, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, Seattle chapter
60. Eve Ensler, USA, Playwright
61. Ewa Eriksson Fortier, Sweden, Humanitarian Aid Worker
62. Faye Leone, USA, Writer and Editor, International Institute for Sustainable Development
63. Fenna ten Berge, Netherlands, Director of Muslims for Progressive Values
64. Fiona Dove, Netherlands, Executive Director, Transnational Institute
65. Fragkiska Megaloudi, Greece, Journalist
66. Frances Kissling, USA, University of Pennsylvania; former President, Catholics for Choice
67. Francisca de Haan, Netherlands, Professor, Central European University
68. Gabriela Zapata Alvarez, Mexico, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor
69. Gay Dillingham, USA, Filmmaker, Former Advisor to Governor Bill Richardson
70. Gayle Wells, USA, Business owner
http://www.womencrossdmz.org P.O. Box 4025, San Francisco, CA 94140-0250info@womencrossdmz.org
71. Glenda Paige, USA, Secretary, Governing Council, Center for Global Nonkilling
72. Gloria Steinem, USA, Writer and Activist, Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee
73. Grace Cho, USA, Professor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York
74. Gwen Kim, USA, Ohana Koa, Nuclear Free and Independent Hawaii
75. Gwyn Kirk, USA, Women for Genuine Security
76. Haeyoung Yoon, USA, human rights lawyer
77. Hazel Smith, United Kingdom, Professor, University of Central Lancashire
78. Helen Caldicott, Australia, Founding President of Physicians for Social Responsibility
79. Helena Wong, USA, U.S. National Organizer, World March of Women
80. Hope A. Cristobal, Guam, Former Senator
81. Hye-Jung Park, USA, Filmmaker, Community Media Activist
82. Hyaeweol Choi, Australia, Professor, Australian National University
83. Hyunju Bae, Republic of Korea, Central and Executive Committee, World Council of Churches
84. Ingeborg Breines, Norway, Co-President, International Peace Bureau; former Director UNESCO
85. Isabella Sargsyan, Armenia, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly
86. Isabelle Geukens, Netherlands, Executive Director, Women Peacemakers Program
87. Jaana Rehnstrom, Finland, President, KOTA Alliance
88. Jackie Cabasso, USA, U.S. Mayors for Peace
89. Jacquelyn Wells, USA, Women Cross DMZ
90. Jacqui True, Australia, Professor, Monash University
91. Jane Chung-Do, Professor, University of Hawaii Manoa
92. Jane Jin Kaisen, Denmark, Artist and Filmmaker
93. Janis Alton, Canada, Co-Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
94. Jasmine Galace, Philippines, The Center for Peace Education, Miriam College
95. Jean Chung, Republic of Korea/USA, Founder, Action for One Korea
96. Jennifer Kwon-Dobbs, USA, Professor, St. Olaf College
97. Ji-yeon Yuh, USA, Associate Professor of History, Northwestern University
98. Joanne Yoon Fukumoto, USA, Trinity United Methodist Church
99. Jodie Evans, USA, Co-founder, Code Pink
100. Joy Dunsheath, New Zealand, President, United Nations Association New Zealand
…. (and more)
International Women’s Organizations
Church Women United
CODE PINK
International Women’s Network Against Militarism
MADRE
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, UK Section
North Korean Women’s Organization
Korea Socialist Women’s Union
South Korean Women’s and Peace Organizations
1. Women Making Peace (평화여성회)
2. Korea Women’s Association United (한국여성단체연합/7개 지부, 30개 회원단체)
3. Korean Association of Women Theologians (한국여신학자협의회)
4. The Council of Churches in Korea, Women’s Committee (한국기독교교회협의회 여성위원회)
5. The Association of Major Superiors of Women Religious in Korea (한국천주교여자수도회 장상연합회)
http://www.womencrossdmz.org P.O. Box 4025, San Francisco, CA 94140-0250info@womencrossdmz.org
6. The Righteous People for Korean Unification (새로운 백년을 여는 통일의병)
7. The Gongju Women Human Rights Center (공주 여성인권)
8. The World Council of Churches (세계교회협의회)
9. The Christian Network for Peace and Unification (평화와통일을위한기독인연대)
10. beyondit (너머서)
11. Okedongmu Children in Korea (어린이 어깨동무)
12. Women History Forum (여성역사포럼)
13. Peace Mother (평화어머니회)
14. Kyunggi Women’s Association United (경기여성연합)
15. Kyunggi Goyang-Paju Women Link (경기 고양파주 민우회)
16. Kyunggi Women’s Network (경기여성네트워크)
17. The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (한국정신대문제대책협의회)
18. Korea Women’s Political Solidarity (여세연)
19. Korean Sharing Movement (우리민족서로돕기운동)
20. People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (참여연대)
21. Iftopia (문화세상 이프토피아)
22. Ewha Women’s Alumni Meeting for Democracy (이화민주동우회)
23. Kyunggi Jinbo Women United (경기여성자주연대)
24. Kyunggi Council of Women (경기여성단체협의회)
25. Chungchung-namdo Education Center for Equality (충청남도 성평등교육문화센타)
26. 21st Century Seoul Women’s Union (21세기 서울여성회)
27. Common Nourishing and Education (공동육아와 공동체 교육)
28. Ecumenical Youth Network (에큐메니칼 청년 네트워크)
29. Women Ministers Association of Presbyterian Churches Korea (대한예수교장로회 전국여교역자연합회)
30. Women Ministers’ Association of Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea
(한국기독교장로회여교역자협의회)
31. Korea Association Methodist Women in Ministry (기독교대한감리회 여교역자회)
32. Korea Methodist Women’s Leadership Institute (감리교여성지도력개발원)
33. Korea Church Women United (한국교회여성연합회)
34. Duraebang (두레방)
35. Sunlit Sisters’ Center (햇살사회복지회)
36. United for Women’s Rights Against US Military Bases’ Crime (기지촌여성인권연대)
37. United Voice for the Eradication of Prostitution: Hansori (성매매근절을위한 한소리회)
See More:
- Open Letter to Trump Administration, Women Cross DMZ
- Women Cross DMZ: Women Cross DMZ is an organization led by women working globally for peace in Korea. In May 2015, on the 70th anniversary of the division of Korea, Women Cross DMZ led a historic women’s peace walk across the De-Militarized Zone from North to South Korea to draw global attention to the urgent need to end the Korean War with a peace treaty, reunite divided families, and ensure women’s leadership in peacebuilding. Representing 15 countries, our 30-member international delegation walked with 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the DMZ.
- Our mission is to: 1.) Promote women’s leadership in the peacebuilding process in Korea; 2.) Raise awareness about the urgent need for peace in Korea; and 3.) Expand and deepen relationships with women leaders and organizations in South Korea, North Korea, and around the world.
- Church Women United
- CODE PINK
- International Women’s Network Against Militarism
- MADRE
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, UK Section
To see a poetic response to this hardtruth:
The Beauty of WierdosSee Alex Juhasz respond in Podcast form to hardtruth #98:
"Black Lives Matter: African American History is Real - Peace is the Most Powerful Deterrent of All"
