Dear Ministers:
Warm greetings and Happy New Year from peacemakers from around the world.
We write to you as representatives of civil society organizations working on a broad range of issues, including peace, social justice, human rights, environment, and women’s rights.
We are writing to respectfully request your facilitation of 17 women peacemakers’ participation at the January 16, 2018 Ministerial Meeting on the Korean conflict held in Vancouver, Canada. Many of these women peacemakers represent civil society organizations from countries that fought in the Korean War; they have a responsibility and moral duty to help their governments formally end the 65-year old war diplomatically and peacefully.
The delegation of 17 women peacemakers gathered by Women Cross DMZ, Nobel Women’s Initiative, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, United Church of Canada, and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) represent the best of civil society with their broad and diverse expertise, which will be invaluable towards understanding and resolving the longstanding Korean conflict. Their collective wisdom and experience includes conflict resolution, mediation, disarmament, nuclear policy, environment, military operations, humanitarian aid, human rights, international legal frameworks, and economic development.