Call to Action – Flood the White House with the following message-

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on winning the Nobel Peace Prize! It is certainly a call to action for real change.

Receiving the award, you said, “We must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years,” and that effort must include ending the lingering, costly Korean War.

I hope you will begin direct negotiations with North Korea soon so that a peace treaty could be signed to end the Korean War formally, which is the key to realizing a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula.

Respectfully yours,

xxxx

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You can email the White House by going to – www.whitehouse.gov/contact or send a letter to-

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Time to Engage North Korea is Now

Coalition members from across the country came together for a national strategy meeting from September 17 through 18 in Washington D.C. We met with policy experts and legislators to discuss U.S. policy in Korea.

We met with Frank Jannuzi, senior advisor to Senator Kerry and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who believes there is a genuine desire on the part of both the United States and North Korea to renew dialogue.  “Engagement does not equal appeasement,” he said, “Recognizing North Korea means opening the door to peaceful resolution and denuclearization.”

This sentiment was echoed by many others, including General Robert Gard of the Center for Arms Control & Non-proliferation, Richard Harper, Legislative Assistant to Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, and Christina Tsafoulias, Legislative Assistant to Congressman Mike Capuano of Massachusetts.

Internship experience @ Nodutdol

Walking into a room of progressive, passionate, down to earth women of all ages was what made the internship at Nodutdol a great experience. Their stories and energy were what pulled the internship together. Working together and building relationships the best part of the internship. These are friendships that I hope will continue into the future as well. Of course the delicious community meals and outings were like the frosting on top. The study sessions were definitely what I loved about Wednesdays.

How it went down on July 25

Chrstine Ahn (KPI) and Professor Henry Em (NYU)

On July 25, 2009 Nodutdol and Veterans for Peace hosted “Unlearn War: Proliferate Peace” at the Solidarity Center in Manhattan. The event showcased individuals directly and indirectly involved with the Peace Treaty Campaign including speakers Christine Ahn (Korea Policy Institute), Thomas Kennedy (Veterans for Peace) and Reverend Meeil Lee (Korean American National Coordinating Committee); and musical performers Korean Pungmul, Taiyo Na and Joe from Brown Rice Family.

“Unlearn War: Proliferate Peace” was New York’s Peace Treaty event commemorating the July 27, 1953 armistice signing in Korea. The armistice only paused military warfare on the peninsula and there were no other reconciliatory efforts in the aftermath of the Korean War. Nodutdol and Veterans for Peace sought to raise public awareness for the necessity of a Peace Treaty and putting an end to the Korean War.

THANK YOU…Gracias…Gam-Sah

Thank you to everyone who came out to the July 25 Peace treaty to End the Korean War Event!

Special shout-out to Jerry (biggest Nodutdol fan and supporter)

Thank you to the Nodutdol family and all volunteers who came out to help. This event was amazing, and it would not have been possible without you all.

Special thanks to:

Christine Ahn

Joe and Pungmul Family

Taiyo Na

Thomas Kennedy

Reverend Meeil Kim

Let’s keep pressuring our communities, government for peace in Korea! Fighting!

Peace As a Way of Being (from Uncovering my roots)

Then, came El Salvador. During spring break I had the exciting opportunity and privilege to go to El Salvador, a country rich of history, yet often forgotten as an essential place in Central America. Some of the greatest revolutionaries and people like Archbishop Oscar Romero and Roque Dalton came from this tiny country. I knew that it was going to be an intense 10 day trip; there was a lot to discern, deconstruct, and learn about my own perspectives and political thinking.

Monday July 27- Take Action for Korea Peace!

On July 27, 1953 the United States signed an Armistice agreement to temporarily halt the Korean War, which claimed 4 million lives and divided 10 million families. All foreign troops were to leave Korea and a permanent peace treaty negotiated. Yet, despite the wishes of the Korean people in both the South and North for peace and reconciliation, no peace treaty has been signed and war could erupt at any moment. The United States, which authored the division of Korea, still has 28,500 troops in South Korea, and holds the key to peace.

President Obama has declared that “When we fail to pursue peace it stays beyond our grasp forever.” We have to hold him to a new vision for peace and hope in Korea.

On Monday July 27-

1. Call the White House at 202 456 1111 and tell President Obama to end the Korean War, set up diplomatic relations and secure a peace treaty in Korea

2. Leave a comment at http://www.whitehouse.gov

3. Contact Secretary of State Clinton at 202 647 4000

4. Contact Sen. John Kerry, Chair of Senate Foreign Relations at 202 224 2742

5. Go to http://www.endthekoreanwar.org and sign on to the Petition to End the War

Fore more info-
http://www.endthekoreanwar.org

Dreaming of One Korea…

And the Universe said,

“Let there be one Korea”

And it was so.

One fine Sunday afternoon, Hyein Lee and Grace Park were walking along Manhattan’s Highpoint line on the West side, and spotted a cloud shaped in the peninsula of Korea.

Photo taken by Hyein Lee

2 days until the big event! GET HYPE!

The National Campaign to End the Korean War

Uncovering my Roots in the Asian Diaspora

Growing up in a pretty diverse town in the suburbs of North Jersey, my racial identity and the way I defined myself was always changing. One thing that did not change, however, was the fact that I hated being “Asian” and the fact that I couldn’t even tell people that I was Korean because most people couldn’t even find Korea on the map, or they would ask, which side I was from.