As North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and U.S President Donald Trump meet in Vietnam ahead for their second summit meeting, a global women-led campaign is demanding "a new era of peace." (Photo: @NobelWomen)
Feb 26, 2019
As President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un went head-to-head Wednesday for their second summit, an international coalition of anti-war women laid out a blueprint for "achieving lasting peace" on the Korean peninsula.
"We must ensure that our voices, our faces are heard; otherwise, we'll always cede ground to the patriarchs and to the militarists," said Christine Ahn, founder and executive director of Women Cross DMZ, who's on the ground in Hanoi for the summit. "We know that when women are involved in the peace process, not only does it lead to a peace agreement, but it leads to one that lasts."
Ahn's group is part of the global Korea Peace Now! campaign, which also brings together the Nobel Women's Initiativee, the Korean Women's Movement for Peace, and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). They issued their demands to the world leaders in a letter last week, and reiterated them in a Twitter thread on Wednesday:
\u201cFirst, declare an end to the Korean war and the beginning of a new era of peace 2/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cAlso, normalize relations by establishing liaison offices, lifting sanctions (which harm vulnerable North Koreans), and allowing reunions between Korean Americans and their families in North Korea 4/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cRead more about our demands here: https://t.co/G8JcR1yShi\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
Their sustained call comes a day after the introduction of a House resolution that calls for an end--after nearly seven decades--to the Korean war. It was sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and backed by 18 other Democratic lawmakers.
"Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war," Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, declared in media statement on Tuesday. "President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula."
For Trump, the meeting was also a chance to once again crack down on freedom of the press, drawing the ire of the White House Correspondents' Association.
Trump, as Politicoreported,
was hit with a spray of shouted questions on Wednesday evening in Vietnam, including one about his former fixer Michael Cohen's salacious testimony, as North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sat alongside him, chuckling and looking bemused at the media outburst.
Minutes later, the White House barred four American journalists from covering their next event.
"This summit provides an opportunity for the American presidency to display its strength by facing vigorous questioning from a free and independent news media, not telegraph weakness by retreating behind arbitrary last-minute restrictions on coverage," responded Olivier Knox, WHCA president.
Physicist and disarmament activist Zia Mian, meanwhile, welcomed the Wednesday Trump-Kim meeting as a sign of diplomacy between the two nations but stressed that "the larger issue we need to focus on is the fact that nuclear weapons are too important to be left to the whims of leaders like Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un."
"Having North Korea continue to commit to a diplomatic process going forward would be a good thing," Mian said. "But neither of these are going to solve the underlying problem," which is "the existence of nuclear weapons."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un went head-to-head Wednesday for their second summit, an international coalition of anti-war women laid out a blueprint for "achieving lasting peace" on the Korean peninsula.
"We must ensure that our voices, our faces are heard; otherwise, we'll always cede ground to the patriarchs and to the militarists," said Christine Ahn, founder and executive director of Women Cross DMZ, who's on the ground in Hanoi for the summit. "We know that when women are involved in the peace process, not only does it lead to a peace agreement, but it leads to one that lasts."
Ahn's group is part of the global Korea Peace Now! campaign, which also brings together the Nobel Women's Initiativee, the Korean Women's Movement for Peace, and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). They issued their demands to the world leaders in a letter last week, and reiterated them in a Twitter thread on Wednesday:
\u201cFirst, declare an end to the Korean war and the beginning of a new era of peace 2/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cAlso, normalize relations by establishing liaison offices, lifting sanctions (which harm vulnerable North Koreans), and allowing reunions between Korean Americans and their families in North Korea 4/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cRead more about our demands here: https://t.co/G8JcR1yShi\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
Their sustained call comes a day after the introduction of a House resolution that calls for an end--after nearly seven decades--to the Korean war. It was sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and backed by 18 other Democratic lawmakers.
"Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war," Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, declared in media statement on Tuesday. "President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula."
For Trump, the meeting was also a chance to once again crack down on freedom of the press, drawing the ire of the White House Correspondents' Association.
Trump, as Politicoreported,
was hit with a spray of shouted questions on Wednesday evening in Vietnam, including one about his former fixer Michael Cohen's salacious testimony, as North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sat alongside him, chuckling and looking bemused at the media outburst.
Minutes later, the White House barred four American journalists from covering their next event.
"This summit provides an opportunity for the American presidency to display its strength by facing vigorous questioning from a free and independent news media, not telegraph weakness by retreating behind arbitrary last-minute restrictions on coverage," responded Olivier Knox, WHCA president.
Physicist and disarmament activist Zia Mian, meanwhile, welcomed the Wednesday Trump-Kim meeting as a sign of diplomacy between the two nations but stressed that "the larger issue we need to focus on is the fact that nuclear weapons are too important to be left to the whims of leaders like Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un."
"Having North Korea continue to commit to a diplomatic process going forward would be a good thing," Mian said. "But neither of these are going to solve the underlying problem," which is "the existence of nuclear weapons."
As President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un went head-to-head Wednesday for their second summit, an international coalition of anti-war women laid out a blueprint for "achieving lasting peace" on the Korean peninsula.
"We must ensure that our voices, our faces are heard; otherwise, we'll always cede ground to the patriarchs and to the militarists," said Christine Ahn, founder and executive director of Women Cross DMZ, who's on the ground in Hanoi for the summit. "We know that when women are involved in the peace process, not only does it lead to a peace agreement, but it leads to one that lasts."
Ahn's group is part of the global Korea Peace Now! campaign, which also brings together the Nobel Women's Initiativee, the Korean Women's Movement for Peace, and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). They issued their demands to the world leaders in a letter last week, and reiterated them in a Twitter thread on Wednesday:
\u201cFirst, declare an end to the Korean war and the beginning of a new era of peace 2/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cAlso, normalize relations by establishing liaison offices, lifting sanctions (which harm vulnerable North Koreans), and allowing reunions between Korean Americans and their families in North Korea 4/\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
\u201cRead more about our demands here: https://t.co/G8JcR1yShi\u201d— Korea Peace Now! (@Korea Peace Now!) 1551241159
Their sustained call comes a day after the introduction of a House resolution that calls for an end--after nearly seven decades--to the Korean war. It was sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and backed by 18 other Democratic lawmakers.
"Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war," Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, declared in media statement on Tuesday. "President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula."
For Trump, the meeting was also a chance to once again crack down on freedom of the press, drawing the ire of the White House Correspondents' Association.
Trump, as Politicoreported,
was hit with a spray of shouted questions on Wednesday evening in Vietnam, including one about his former fixer Michael Cohen's salacious testimony, as North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sat alongside him, chuckling and looking bemused at the media outburst.
Minutes later, the White House barred four American journalists from covering their next event.
"This summit provides an opportunity for the American presidency to display its strength by facing vigorous questioning from a free and independent news media, not telegraph weakness by retreating behind arbitrary last-minute restrictions on coverage," responded Olivier Knox, WHCA president.
Physicist and disarmament activist Zia Mian, meanwhile, welcomed the Wednesday Trump-Kim meeting as a sign of diplomacy between the two nations but stressed that "the larger issue we need to focus on is the fact that nuclear weapons are too important to be left to the whims of leaders like Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un."
"Having North Korea continue to commit to a diplomatic process going forward would be a good thing," Mian said. "But neither of these are going to solve the underlying problem," which is "the existence of nuclear weapons."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.