A Roundtable Meeting on Peace on the Korean Peninsula & Movement Strengthening Visit to Cambodia YMCA

Last Updated (Monday, 29 May 2023 16:55)

From May 23rd to 27th, 2023, GS Nam Boo-Won attended the Roundtable meeting on Peace on the Korean Peninsula in Siem Reap, Cambodia, followed by a movement visit. The meeting brought together peace practitioners and scholars from South Korea, the EU, China, the USA, the UN, and Japan and was organized by the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCA) under the leadership of Dr. Emma Leslie, the President. Building on past Korea meetings and dialogues in Cambodia, CPCS partnered with GPPAC (Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict) Northeast Asia to hold the Roundtable this year with the aim of fostering ongoing conversations that contribute to a strategy for enhanced collaborative efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

Over the course of two days, participants made presentations on their reflections and observations on local and regional trends and prospects in the Korean Peninsula, where tensions have recently increased. Facilitated discussions focused on developing a strategy for enhanced collaborative efforts among peace actors, addressing humanitarian needs in the DPRK, managing military rivalry in Asia, taking strategic steps for conflict prevention, and identifying critical factors, stakeholders, and strategic channels for intervention. All participants recognized the vital need for continued dialogue and networking among peace practitioners and organizations within the region and beyond for more impactful collaboration in the future. 

The last two days of the visit were dedicated to demonstrating APAY's solidarity with the YMCA and movement strengthening. GS Nam, NGS Kim Kyung-Min from Korea YMCA, and Acting GS Nimey Rin from Cambodia YMCA visited the YMCA Childcare and Learning Center, where the poorest of the poor live in Siem Reap. After visiting the center and a poor hut, NGS Kim promised to find a partner YMCA in Korea that could financially support the center and its valuable activities for children from the poorest areas in Siem Reap. GS Nam also had an in-depth discussion with Acting GS Nimey Rin and NGS Kim Kyung-Min on how to strengthen the Cambodia YMCA movement, particularly in the areas of governance, financial stability and sustainability, the YMCA’s presence in the community, and on how to multiply impacts in improving people's lives there.

By Nam Boo-Won
General Secretary, APAY

Yokohama YMCA organized a Prayer Meeting for Myanmar

A special prayer meeting for Myanmar was held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, hosted by the Yokohama YMCA International Committee. About 30 participants from Japan and abroad gathered for the online prayer meeting. 

More than three years have passed since the military coup d’état in Myanmar in February 2021, and the people of Myanmar are still in a difficult situation. We, Yokohama YMCA, have long been involved in exchange programs and medical support activities with the Myanmar YMCA, but we have been forced to suspend our activities there. Even though we cannot meet in person, we hold a prayer meeting for Myanmar annually in May to express our desire to always be with them. 

This time, we invited two Myanmar youths from Yokohama YMCA to speak about Myanmar. The youths gave the following message: "We hope that the people of Myanmar will have the peace, prosperity, and freedom they deserve, that the war in the country will end as soon as possible, and that a Just World will be realized in which human rights are not lost. Then, Ms. Khin Sangsan Aung, a pastor from Myanmar who lives in Japan, gave a message from Isaiah 43:19, "Let us not forget to hope amid difficulties, for God is with us". The message was very encouraging to us. Ms. Phyu Thin, President of Loikaw YMCA, also participated in the prayer meeting and reported that Loikaw YMCA had overcome many difficulties and has now been certified as a regional YMCA by the National Council YMCAs of Myanmar. 

The situation has become even more serious due to the severe damage caused by the cyclone in Rakhine State, Myanmar. 

Yokohama YMCA will always remember the people of Myanmar, pray for them, and continue to support them. 

By Global & Local Community Services
Yokohama YMCA

ICF Welcomes 14 Participants for the School of Peace 2023 in Nepal

Last Updated (Friday, 03 March 2023 16:29)

“The School of Peace aims at building a community of youths who will be enabled to commit themselves to promote peace and harmony in their respective communities.”

After a week of zoom classes and self-learning, the Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF), together with its collaborator, the Nepal Unites, was happy to welcome the School of Peace (SoP) participants at Bhaktapur Guesthouse in Bhaktapur, Nepal on Monday the 30th of January. Fourteen participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam arrived to spend the next 50 days together. The following day, the in-person SoP officially began with an Opening Ritual, including words of welcome from the owner of Bhaktapur Guesthouse, where the group will reside until the 25th of February. On the 25th the group will embark to experience a community immersion and move to the second venue at Ratna Giri Resort on March 1, where they will stay until the end of the in-person program on March 20th.

The participants learned about and discussed a range of different topics. In the beginning, the participants went through exercises in learning more about themselves, who are they, what they value, what makes them who they are, etc. This was done through the sharing of “Life Stories” that ICF Staff Baidido Saganding facilitated. It is important for the participants, as young peacebuilders, to know who they are and what they stand for before learning about others.

An important aspect of the SoP is the exploration of the major Asian religions and indigenous spirituality. Some religions and spiritualities were not familiar to some participants and they learned about these for the first time. Other religions or spiritualities were more familiar, especially to the participants who are adherents of such religions and spiritualities. But even then, their understanding of these religions was deepened. The different religions and spiritualities were covered either by in-house speakers like ICF Coordinator Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro on Judeo-Christian traditions or by visiting places of worship such as the White Monastery for a Dhamma talk. Beyond Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism, the participants also got the chance to learn more about Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Baha’i Faith, and Indigenous Spiritualties.

In addition to gaining knowledge about different religions and spiritualities, the SoP in Nepal already provided young peacebuilders with information on how to analyze a conflict and comprehend the peacebuilding frameworks from Galtung and Lederach. Furthermore, the SoP also focused on Human Rights, Children’s Rights, and Women’s Rights by exploring the UN Declarations and Conventions connected to these topics. A range of activities challenged the participants to recognize the situations in their countries and communities. Feminist theory and Ethics were introduced to provide the participants a lens for understanding the work for gender justice, the intersectionality of identities, including LGBTQI, and the connection of gender issues with the plunder of Mother Earth.

Another important issue that was discussed during the SoP was the Climate Crisis. Considering that all the participants come from countries that are highly affected by the consequences of climate change, this topic was much awaited by the participants.

SoP has four more weeks to go and there are many more topics to be covered and studied. ICF is looking forward to this upcoming time to spend learning together in Nepal.

Annika Denkmann
BftW Seconded Personnel

ICF Peace Institutes – Training of Trainers

Last Updated (Monday, 30 January 2023 16:02)

From October 26 to November 21, 2022, the Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF) successfully held a series of training trainers on conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and peace education at the YMCA International Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The training welcomed fifteen (15) participants nominated by members/partner organizations from different countries, namely, Myanmar (2), India (2), Vietnam (1), Laos (1), Bangladesh (1), Sri Lanka (1), Philippines (2), Indonesia (1), Timor Leste (1), Cambodia (1), Nepal (1) and Mongolia (1).

The 26-day training had 2 modules. The first was on conflict transformation and peacebuilding, and the second module was on peace education. Two experienced Nepalese trainers, Dr. Susan Risal and Hari B. Dhami led the sessions of the first module. In this training, the participants studied the definition of conflict, conflict analysis tools, and conflict transformation methods. The course content developed in a non-linear, practical, and learner-centered way blew their mind and brought them many unforgettable experiences. Most of the participants shared that the role-playing activity is one of the most interesting and memorable moments during sessions on the first module. In these sessions, they have experienced numerous characters in case studies that they can easily observe from their daily life and apply knowledge to handle these situations with effective solutions. After that, they could fully assimilate new information and open in-depth discussions relating to conflict and peace topics in their countries. Also, they had a valuable chance to facilitate a two-day workshop on conflict transformation for high school students from Chiang Mai International School. This was the first time for most of the participants had drawn ideas and prepared learning materials. These were done so that students who are not used to discussing the topic of conflict could explain and implement conflict transformation methods in actual situations. 

The second module of peace education was conducted by Ma’am Jo Villanueva from the Philippines. The module has given the participants an in-depth understanding of peace education and of peaceable teaching-learning processes and strategies that a peace educator should learn. After the training, participants became aware of the role as well as key characteristics of a peace educator. Sreymenh, a Cambodian participant shared that with the knowledge and skills gained from the training, she felt more confident and willing to conduct a training workshop on conflict transformation and peacebuilding in their communities. Jessi, a participant from Vietnam, shared her impressions on the module: “The participants were full of energy and excitement to approach such a huge topic “Peace” with an alternative way. Ma’am Jo highly integrated diverse learning activities into each session. Not only have we learned about issues relating to peace but also essential and practical skills a peace educator must have.” The module came to an end with a one-day workshop on peacebuilding for guest participants. In contrast to their desire, the participants had to conduct the workshop without any guests due to an unexpected situation. However, they conducted the practicum successfully and gained more experience in handling facilitation issues.

In addition to indoor learning, the participants spent their days off visiting famous tourist attractions in Chiang Mai and participating in extra-curricular activities with Thai locals. During the 26-day training, the participants lived in a truly peaceful environment where people were encouraged to raise their voices, listen to each other, and respect differences and personal privacy.

By: Giang Thu Đoàn (Jessi), Vietnam