Amid mounting political economical regional tensions around the world, easing conflict by cooperating on international exchange among local governments, cities and international organization especially Global Peace Cities and seeking for the way of expanding Peace to the world by sharing the cases of Global Peace Cities at the Session.
The following are excerpts from the final report of the Jeju Forum 2018.
Chair/Moderator KANG Kun-Hyung Professor, Jeju National University
Keynote Speaker WON Heeryong Governor, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
Speaker/Discussant
Thomas SCHNEIDER Director, Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center
Akitoshi NAKAMURA Director, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Enrique LAHMANN Global Director, IUCN
● Won Hee-ryong Establishment of a Peace Vision for Northeast Asia Through the Alliance of Peace Cities: Jeju Island has made strenuous efforts beyond the region¬al and national levels to build peace in Northeast Asia. Local governments and nongovernmental or¬ganizations can contribute to peace as much as states do. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has succeeded in making the Trea¬ty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) adopted by the UN last year and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its role in the adoption of the long-pending TPNW. Given this civil society coalition, the city which has a potential role in build¬ing peace can be as powerful and important an actor as the central government. If exchanges between cit¬ies and among citizens are promoted, it can ease the conflicts between states and improve their relations. By strengthening solidarity and cooperation with peace cities around the world through urban diplo¬macy, the city can revitalize its infinite potential and will open the door to unprecedented peace. Jeju aims to build a “World Peace Cities Solidarity” with other peace cities through its municipal diplomacy as well as spreading the peace culture more vigorously with peace cities around the world. Municipal diploma¬cy can contribute to peace in a more effective way. Friendly cooperation between cities can improve the relationship between countries. Jeju will strengthen its solidarity with other cities aspiring for peace. As the consecutive summit meetings between the two Koreas and the U.S. and North Korea eased the preceding 70 years of tension on the Korean penin¬sula, Jeju will actively pursue municipal diplomacy to settle peace here at this opportune moment. Jeju will also strengthen solidarity and cooperation with North Korean cities to promote peace. North Korean cities are important partners and collaborators in the municipal diplomacy to promote peace. As Jeju has maintained amicable ties and built trust with the North through the inter-Korean exchange project that donated mandarin oranges to the North for 12 years starting with an initial campaign in 1999, it will help Jeju to take joint action with North Korean cities for peace. For peace on Earth, the cities should strive to safeguard peace together by solidifying the intercity alliance. To practice peace with the alliance, it is necessary to overcome various differences in na¬tionality, culture and tradition, and share awareness through uninterrupted dialogue. Jeju will spare no effort to continue dialogue and cooperation in the long journey towards peace.
● Thomas SCHNEIDER Peace Culture of Tolerance and Di¬alogue: It is said that they opened the new era of peace culture of tolerance and dialogue when the Westpha¬lian Peace Treaty, which ended the religious war in 1648, was concluded in the West Osnabrück city of West Germany. During the Second World War, 80 percent of the city of Osnabrück was destroyed, and more than 15,000 British soldiers and their families have lived there for 40 years since 1945. These his¬torical experiences have promoted dialogue between past enemies and understanding of each other. Like many other cities in Europe, the city of Osnabrück has a “twin city” relationship with other cities of France, England and the Netherlands. These twin cities ap-point ambassadors who serve as main actors in the citizenry-led exchanges and dialogues. Osnabrück has sought to establish its image as “a city of peace” since the early 1980s, and in 1998, it celebrated the 350th anniversary of the Westphalian Peace Treaty on a grand scale. These activities are taking place in a bottom-up rather than top-down manner. The city of Osnabrück is populated by a people of more than 160 nationalities and is home to various religions. They believe that the real politics cannot bring global peace. But the people are preparing blueprints for another type of communities. They focus on interreligious dialogue on an international and a national level. In recognition of Germany’s historical responsibility, they make effort to put an end to the prejudices espe¬cially against Muslims and Islamic culture through dialogue and education. The German writer Erich Maria Remarque is cited as one of the pillars of the peace spirit of Osnabrück for his activities commit¬ted to peace. Remarque resisted adamantly to the oppressive political and cultural attempts to diminish civil rights and the value of freedom and civilization, and to other barbaric practices. Remarque pointed out in his works that individuals are responsible for their action and its consequences. He insisted that the responsibility cannot be shifted to other organizations such as churches and political parties, or movements or ideologies. In this vein, Remarque’s thoughts have become a blueprint after which individuals should perform their roles in war, crisis and immigration, as well as establish the value of humanism. The city of Osnabrück, where Remarque grew up, has a long tradition of religious tolerance and dialogue, and his conviction and assertions can serve as an ideal basis upon which public and private organizations promote peace. The city of Osnabrück has broadened the scope of its twin city activities around the world by tapping into Remarque’s concept of peace. A small city with a small budget and a population of only 160,000 will not be an important agent in global politics. However, the city was content with its public image as a city of peace and has delivered trustworthy and respectable messages to the world. These messages address the conflicts of the contemporary world, which have no precedent in the historical events in Germany or Europe and remain beyond the scope of the Westphalian Peace Treaty. As a city of peace, Osnabrück is promoting the value of independence, tolerance and humor as well as engaging in activities for peace.
● Akitoshi NAKAMURA The Peace Vision of Nagasaki City: An atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki at 11:02 am on Aug. 9, 1945. In a flash, the city became heaps of ashes, 74,000 people died, and 75,000 people were wounded. Based on this experience, Nagasaki City aims to achieve six goals of peace building. The first is to let the actual risks of nuclear weapons be known around the world. Testimonies of atomic bomb victims are available at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. The second is to discuss peace in terms of human security. It is important to visit the site where the atomic bomb was dropped and see what happened to people under the mushroom cloud, and it is nec¬essary to discuss peace in terms of human security aspects. The third is to suggest a move forward for nuclear disarmament. For the advancement of disar¬mament, we support the “Nuclear Free Zone in North¬east Asia.” The fourth is to expand the peace network jointly with the Mayors for Peace, the National Coun¬cil of Local Authorities and the Nagasaki Peace Cor¬respondent. The fifth is to manifest the goals of peace building. The Nagasaki Peace Declaration is read to the public on the anniversary of the atomic bombing on Aug. 9 every year. The sixth is to produce human resources to build peace. To encourage youths to join the movement to abolish nuclear weapons, the city launched the Nagasaki Youth Delegation. The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize was given to the non-governmen¬tal organization, ICAN, which voiced the following quote: “Our individual voices for peace, though weak they might be, can bring about worldwide changes, if we make concerted efforts in firm resolution.”
● Enrique LAHMANN Peace and Nature Preservation Should Go Hand in Hand: Costa Rica, known as a country of peace, abolished the death penalty in the 19th century and decided not to have an army in 1948. Costa Rica established the UN Peace Uni¬versity 40 years ago and a peace park to conserve tropical nature 10 years ago. The Peace Cities have the following characteristics in common. They are the municipalities that have the experience of ending wars with peace treaties research institutes which have made outstanding research achievements for peacekeeping and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prizes. There are also war-ruined cities striving for peace and those with historical figures who advo¬cated peace. Cities with an important peace institute are known as peace cities for their international conferences on peace or famous research institutes and peace training institutions. Also, there are cities that have become peace cities by realizing peace in a multi-polarized society with various religions and by preserving important peace-related documents. I want to add another dimension here. It is peace with nature. In this context, I would like to ask you to take note of the World Environmental Hub, launched jointly by Jeju Island and the International for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN) under the leadership of Governor Won Hee-ryong and with the technical support of IUCN. The World Environmental Hub initiative will play a crucial role in protecting the ecosystem and pro¬moting sustainable development of cities and local governments. As measures to address the problems of urbanization, the initiative suggests nature-based solutions and investments in nature, demonstrat¬ing to the local governments that such measures promote economic prosperity, social welfare and peace. Nature-based solutions enable sustainable development. IUCN is well aware that many deci¬sions affecting biodiversity are being made at the lo¬cal-government level. It supports and encourages the efforts of the municipalities to restore what Earth’s environment provides. To restore and preserve the global environment, government, private businesses and the scientific community must work together. Our goal is to make the usefulness of this solution known around the world.
Policy Implications
• It is difficult for central governments to cooperate with one another, but it is easy to forge cooperative ties between local gov¬ernments and among civil societies. So, the cooperation between peace cities and civil societies will contribute to world peace.
• Local governments, business enterprises and academic circles should make concerted efforts to solve urbanization problems in an environmentally friendly manner.
• The German writer Erich Maria Remarque’s thoughts on peace are cited as one of the peace spirits of Osnabrück. Jeju Island is advised to refine its peace spirit.
• To encourage youths to join the peace movement, Nagasaki City instituted the Nagasaki Youth Delegation. Jeju Island should consider the introduction of a similar system to let youths participate in the Island of World Peace activities.
• It is necessary to expand human exchanges among local govern¬ments with less political import and among peace cities, in par¬ticular, to spread peace culture through international exchanges.
• Peace cities should protect bio-diversity by coupling the ef¬forts to conserve the environment with their peace initiative.
• Local governments, business enterprises and academic circles should make concerted efforts to solve urbanization problems in an environmentally friendly manner.
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