THE KUKMIN DAILY

Relational Peacebuilding Initiatives, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, announced on February 12 that it will hold an international meeting this June 18 in Geneva towards a shared vision of the future Korean peninsula. With North-South Korean relations in dialogue mode on the occasion of the “2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics,” this move by civilian activists engaged with the Korean peninsula peace issue is worthy of attention.

Dr. Michael Schluter, executive director of the organization, said, “We want to start discussions on the future of the Korean peninsula, by bringing together international experts from the civilian sector, of course from South Korea and North Korea, and from China, Russia, Japan, the U.S., Switzerland and other countries, toward the establishment of Korean peace.” He explained, “Starting with a first meeting on food and farming problems, we expect to deal with 15 urgent areas of North-South concern, taking them up in sequence during the year, and focusing on health and medical care, resources and energy, education, economy, etc., over a five-year period…The discussions will help North Korea and South Korea to work together in setting up their desired vision of the reunified Korean peninsula, while building mutual trust.”

Dr. Schluter and his organization’s political director, Dr. Jeremy Ive, visited Korea recently to carry out preliminary consultations in preparation for the Geneva meeting. Their contributions through Relational Peacebuilding Initiatives have brought amazing fruits, such as facilitating the eradication of racial discrimination in South Africa, and helping end the civil war in Sudan.

Recently they opened a Korean-language sub-site on their homepage (relationalpeacebuilding.org), titled “Building Peace For the Shared Future of the Korean Peninsula,” and providing information on their planned activities and a related fundraising program. Lee Yeong-gil, president of Kumi University in Uganda, who is assisting the visitors in Korea, said, “Different from other international meetings, this one is approaching the Korean peninsula peace issue with a Gospel-based mind…Through this process, I expect that North Korea and South Korea will restore relations and go on to build a common South-North vision of the future based on Biblical values.”

Reporter Narae Kim (narae@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Image captured from relationalpeacebuilding.org


Original Article in Korean:
한반도 미래 위한 국제회의 6월 스위스 제네바서 열려: 국제단체 ‘관계지향적 평화촉진계획’… 북측에도 참여 요청