Japan Press Weekly

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2024 November 13 - 19 [PEACE]

Peace activists at int’l symposium discuss need to promote greater solidarity among peace movements in the world

As part of the 2024 Japan Peace Conference, an international symposium took place online on November 16 to discuss the need to develop international solidarity among peace movements.

Speaking from South Korea, Oh Me-jeong of the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) pointed out that a move made by South Korea and the United States toward the enhancement of their extended deterrence cooperation and bilateral alliance has brought about a boomerang effect of motivating North Korea to beef up its nuclear capability and seek the restoration and strengthening of its ties with Russia. She said that in order to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to push the South Korean government to withdraw from the extended deterrence cooperation and military alliance with the U.S.

A Filipino activist, Walden Bello, co-chair of the Bangkok-based progressive research and advocacy institute, Focus on the Global South, talked about projected impacts from Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election on Global South’s countries. He said that great opportunities for real change always go hand in hand with great risks.

Japan Peace Committee Executive Director Kawada Tadaaki said that to promote solidarity in the international peace movement is important to counter the U.S. attempt to intensify its military alliances on a world scale.

From the U.S., Joseph Gerson, the president of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, expressed concern that it is highly likely that Trump will reinforce his power in a dictatorial manner, and appealed for international support and solidarity with activists in American peace movements.