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News Archive |
LAST UPDATE
July 11, 2005
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| February 4, 2005 |
Civil Society’s Action Agenda to Prevent Violent Conflict |
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| GPPAC Northeast Asian conference participants, United Nations University Tokyo |
Civil Society – the “other superpower” on the rise in Northeast Asia
Over 50 conflict prevention actors including NGO activists and specialists from Northeast Asia met recently in Tokyo to discuss and conclude recommendations for the United Nations, government and civil society towards the creation of a regional mechanism for peace, compiled in the final document known as the Northeast Asia Regional Action Agenda (downloadable pdf 328KB), which also includes an annexed report on Korean NGO activities (downloadable pdf 576KB). Usually an area limited to state actors, the participants addressed peace and security matters as part of the Northeast Asian Conference on the Role of Civil Society in the Prevention of Violent Conflict, adopting a series of recommendations for action in the following areas:
- Building a regional system for peaceful coexistence through disarmament and demilitarization
- Promoting humanitarian assistance and development assistance
- Building a society that recognizes justice, human rights and diversity
- Realizing a sustainable economy and economic justice
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| Paul van Tongeren, GPPAC International Secretariat and Kathy Matsui, Tokyo Focal Point |
Under the framework of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), the Tokyo Conference from February 1 – 4, 2005 was co-organized by Peace Boat together and the GPPAC Northeast Asia regional steering group, and supported by the United Nations University (UNU), the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP). |
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| Delegates from Seoul, Taipei and Ulaanbaatar (L to R) |
Conference delegates came from as far a field as Ulaanbaatar, Vladivostok, Taipei, Beijing and Seoul – as well as eight other cities in the region. The gathering was especially meaningful for bringing together neighbouring peoples and promoting cross-border cooperation and understanding in a region of the world that still experiences fractured and often tense internal relations. Delegates represented 51 organizations including, for example, the Asia Peace and History Education Network; the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament; the Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia and the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan. |
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| Shim Young Hee, Women Making Peace and Enkhsaikhan J., Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia, shake hands |
The fragile security situation in Northeast Asia: the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula; moves to revise Japan’s war-renouncing constitution; the Cross-Straits issue; numerous territorial disputes; and a generalized lack of confidence and cooperation within the region, has prompted civil society actors to recognize that they are the ones who can and should initiate positive social and political change, and that peace and security issues are too important to be left exclusively to governments. The GPPAC process in Northeast Asia is one such promising and concrete development. |
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| Chyungly Lee of Taipei, sitting side by side with delegates from Beijing |
Over the past 12 months, the Northeast Asian programme of cross-border networking, research and advocacy has been gaining momentum and culminated with the recent February meetings that included a two day working conference; multi-stakeholder roundtable discussion with governmental and UN representatives; a press conference; and a public symposium. Adoption of the Action Agenda is testament to the common spirit of Northeast Asian civil society to work together for peace and security. Moreover, the conference provided stimulus for everyone involved to deepen their commitment to building a culture of prevention and work together in the future at a regional level. The GPPAC Northeast Asia network is now turning its attention to promoting the ideas set out in the Action Agenda at the local level as well as at the international level, in preparation for the GPPAC global conference at UN Headquarters in New York, July 19 – 21, 2005. |
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| Vadim Gaponenko from Vladivostok is welcomed to the Peace Boat volunteer center |
The following 10 Guiding Principles for the Prevention of Violent Conflict in Northeast Asia have been agreed to by GPPAC Northeast Asia:
- Respect for the peaceful resolution of conflict
- Creating a cooperative security system through denuclearization and demilitarization of the region
- Ensuring local ownership and human security in creating a regional mechanism for peace
- Promoting peaceful engagement to areas of conflict and potential danger
- Importance of gender justice in conflict prevention
- Establishing institutions for conflict prevention based on recognition of justice, human rights and diversity
- Promoting a culture of peace and culture of prevention
- Building sustainable regional economies
- Promoting new partnerships among civil society, governments, regional organizations and the UN for conflict prevention
- Capacity building of civil society for conflict prevention
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Participating individuals and organizations
Seoul
- SHIM Young Hee, Women Making Peace, Hanyang University
- JUNG Gyung Lan, Women Making Peace
- LEE Jae Young, Women Making Peace, Korean Anabaptist Center
- KIM Do Hye, Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice
- YANG Mi Kang, Asia Peace and History Education Network
- PARK Jung Eun, Peoples' Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
- LEE Jeong Yun, Korean Sharing Movement
- PARK Hee Eun, World Christian Frontiers
- AHN Kyeong A, Korea Peace Forum
- LEE Su Hyo, Center for Peace Museum
- LEE Jong Mu, Korean Sharing Movement
- LEE Tae Ho, Peoples' Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
- LEE Jeom Ho, Korean Council for Reconciliation & Cooperation
- AHN Jeong Ae, Peace Women
- YI Ki Ho, Korea Peace Forum
Beijing
- HUANG Haoming, China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO)
- WANG Ming, NGO Research Center, Tsinghua University
- BU Ping, Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS)
- NIU Qiang, Chinese People's Association for Peace & Disarmament
- LI Shuang Wu, Chinese People's Association for Peace & Disarmament
- WEN De Sheng, Chinese Association for International Understanding
- ZHU Feng Lian, Chinese Association for International Understanding
Shanghai
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ZHAO Huasheng, Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies, Center for Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies, Fudan University
Hong Kong
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David KO, Hong Kong Coalition for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia; Action Committee for Defending the Diao Yu Islands
Taipei
- LIN Chen Jeng (Dennis), Peace Time Foundation of Taiwan
- Philip YANG, Taiwan Security Research Center, Nation Taiwan University
- WANG Chun-Ling (Jessica), Awakening Foundation
- CHEN Hung-Ju (Marx), Alliance for Peace Homeland
- LEE Chyungly, Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University
Vladivostok
- Vadim GAPONENKO, International Research Centre, Maritime State University
- Michael RUCHKIN, Future of the Pacific (youth NGO)
- Sergei PROKOPENKO, Regional Centre For Social and Economic Research, Sakhalin State University
Ulaanbaatar
- ENKHSAIKHAN Jargalsaikhan, Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia
- GANBAT Damba, Academy of Political Education
- ADYASUREN Tsokhio, Environmental Education and Research Institute (ECO-ASIA)
- GAN-ULZII Adyasuren, Environmental Education and Research Institute (ECO-ASIA)
Tokyo
- KIMIJIMA Akihiko, Nonviolent Peaceforce Japan, Ritsumeikan University
- MUSHAKOJI Kinhide, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism
- Kathy MATSUI, Global Campaign for Peace Education Japan, Seisen University
Nagoya
- KODAMA Katsuya, International Peace Research Association, Mie University
- SATO Yasunobu, Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University
International & Regional Organizations
- Gus MICLAT, Initiatives for International Dialogue GPPAC Southeast Asia Regional Initiator
- Paul VAN TONGEREN, European Centre for Conflict Prevention
- GPPAC International Secretariat
Local Hosting Committee
- KIM Boong Ang
- Izutaro MANAGI
- NOMIYA Daishiro
- SASAMOTO Jun
- SEIGEL Michael
- SUSUMU Ishida
- SUZUKI Atsushi
- TADA Tohru
- TAKADA Ken
- TSUCHIDA Yayoi
- WATANABE Mina
Regional Secretariat (Peace Boat)
- YOSHIOKA Tatsuya, International Steering Group
- KAWASAKI Akira
- Jasna BASTIC
- CHO Jin Hye
- WATANABE Rika
- Johanna STRATTON
- Rika WATANABE
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