Collection of links: messages with Korean translations (see here)
As in 2012, 2013, many international peace activist friends have thankfully sent us solidarity messages. (click for 2012 messages and 2013 messages) The below is the collection of each message. The Columban JPIC has been willing to initiate a petition for solidarity with Gangjeong (click here). Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space (space4peace.org) and Angie Zelter (tridentploughshares.org), 2012 Nobel Peace Award nominee, have sent us video messages and they were screened in our Aug. 2 cultural event, the end of our march program. Some early messages were put in our march literature that was distributed to the march participants today. Some messages were put in excerpts in our July-August newsletter (click here, page 5) and will be put in our Peace Center to remind people here of your friendship and solidarity.
Thanks so much Eun-young Lydia Park to translate many messages. Thanks so much, all the international friends who sent us messages, again.
Angie Zelter(UK) and Bruce Gagnon (US)
Sherrin (Australia)
Keep fighting the good fight. Though i can’t march by your side my thoughts and prayers are with you every step. Much love Sherrin
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Bayan (New Patriotic Alliance – Philippines) and Ban the Bases (Philippines)
Dear Friends in Gangjeong Warm greetings from Bayan ( New Patriotic Alliance – Philippines) and Ban the Bases! Attached are photos of our solidarity action for the Gangjeon 2014 March for Peace and Life. We carried paper placards that made the following calls: Save Jeju Island! Ban the [ROK]US Naval Base Now! Resist US Militarism and War!Ban the US Bases Now! Stop [ROK]US Naval Base in Jeju! We wish success to the Gangjeon March for Peace and Life on July 29 – August 02.Long Live International Solidarity! Yours Sincerely, Rita Baua, International Solidarity Officer Boyette Jurcales, Coordinator, Ban the Bases
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
HOBAK & friends/diasporic Koreans in the Bay area (United States)
stay strong, gangjeong! we stand in solidarity with you, and others around the world struggling for self-determination! 투쟁! sending love, hobak & friends/diasporic koreans in the bay area
–> See the Korean translation, here. 
KEEP (Korea Education & Exposure Program)-ROK 2014 (United States)
We, the KEEP-ROK 2014 delegation, stand in solidarity with the people of Gangjeong in the struggle for peace and justice. 해군기지결사반대! 생명평화강정마을! As Koreans in diaspora living in the US, we absolutely object and denounce the naval base construction, the extreme militarization of the Asia Pacific, and the immense violence perpetrated by US imperialism. Your strength and fierce resistance is deeply inspiring, and our spirits are with you on the Peace March! Love & Solidarity, KEEP-ROK 2014.
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
Jack and Felice Cohen-Joppa (The Nuclear Resister, United States )
To our friends who so steadfastly oppose the construction of a naval base on the Island of Peace: With every step of your peace walk, our thoughts are with you. Every day when you sit in the road at the entrance gate, our thoughts are with you. During each act of conscience and resistance, many of us – near and far – stand in solidarity with you. Every day we remember and are thankful for the activists who are in a prison cell. Your persistence and faithfulness is an inspiration to so many around the world. Our struggle for a peaceful and disarmed world is one struggle! Jack and Felice Cohen-Joppa, The Nuclear Resister, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Paul Schneiss (Germany)
Dear friends, i am traveling… [..] Today sleeping all day. Bu never forget Gangjeong. Wherever I go I talk about Gangjeong. My experience of Gangjeong. And your experience as I know. And the Gangjeong peoples life and hopes and decidedness and courage… Peace does not come by itself, we have to fight for it (fight and peace?!). So please send me pictures and stories from the march. I will put those on our Homepage.[..] Peace be with you, Paul Paul Schneiss, Heideberg, Germany
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Christine Ahn (United States)
My dear villagers Greetings from Washington, D.C. Where I am just leaving a historic march and rally at the White House on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Korean War armistice. Hundreds of Koreans from the us and South Korea along with their American allies marched to urge president Obama to end the Korean War and to sign a peace treaty. At the rally in front of the White House I challenged Obama’s notion that the Korean War was a victory. How are 10 million families separated victory? How is the militarization of korea a victory? How is the repression of democracy on both sides of the Dmz a victory? There were over 50 youth there and I told them seeing their faces gave me great hope, that we need them to carry the torch for peace so that like me who learned from my elders they can help educate my two year old jeju whom I named after the fierce resistance against the naval base. From Washington, D.C. To honolulu hawaii coast to coast across the United States the people are moved and inspired by your courage and belief in a different future, a peaceful future that isn’t militarized. Thank you for risking your whole lives for peace. May justice rain down on you soon. With love Christine Ahn, Executive Director of the Korea Policy Institute, co-founder of the National Campaign to End the Korean War
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Koohan Paik ( Hawai’i)
There are so many heroes in Gangjeong, that it is difficult to count them all. By “hero,” I mean a person with great courage and strength who makes unlimited sacrifices for the good of all humanity. One such hero is Father Mun Kyu-hyun. During last year’s march, he was asked by the film director Oliver Stone why he crossed the DMZ to North Korea, even though he knew that it would result in long-term imprisonment. Father Mun grinned bashfully and tilted his head. Then he explained, “That is the road to peace.”
The Grand March for Peace and Life is another road to peace. Every summer, people come from all over Korea and even the world, to join the Jeju Islanders in this weeklong march. The parade of yellow-shirted men and women, boys and girls, never fails to inspire all onlookers. They are inspired because they are seeing something rare in our world — a vision of real democracy. Korea is so lucky to have Jeju Island, and all the brave, strong, beautiful heroes who will never stop fighting to save her. Thank you, Gangjeong, for inspiring me, too. Koohan Paik, Hawai’i
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Sato, M. (Japan)
Seeing the current insanity towards ordinary people in Gaza and Uklaine, struggles in Gnagjeong remind us of the conscience and the sensibility of human beings. As we citizens here are powerless, Japan is being arbitrarily and fundamentally changed, from defensive to offensive. One predictable consequence to that might emerge on the Korean Peninsula. The tragic horrible history must not be repeated. In our hearts, we would walk for peace and young lives. We would stand by those courageous local citizens in Gangjeong.
–> See the Korean translation, here.
The Sea of Okinawa
Mariko (Japan)
Yufuin (Japan)
Matsuno, Kiyoko (Japan)
I wish I could join the Walk, but it might be too hot for me.
In the near future I would like to visit Gangjeong again.
We, me and my friends in Osaka, always remember you and
think of you.
Your work for peace encourages us to keep fighting against
militarism in Japan.
Only peace can make the world peaceful, not weapons.
Thank you for all the work you, Gangjeong people, do for peace.
Best wishes,
Kiyoko Matsuno, Japan
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
Lindis Percy ( UK)
MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO THE GRAND MARCH FOR LIFE AND PEACE 2014
Sent by Lindis Percy – Coordinator on behalf of the CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB) www.caab.org.uk also on Facebook and Twitter
We send you greetings, solidarity and love as you march for life and peace. We will be with you in spirit – every step of the way!
We are so inspired and impressed by your persistence and resistance – peaceful and steadfast. You shine a light in a very dark and troubled world. Along the way many people will have had their minds and hearts opened by you as to what the US military are doing on the beautiful island of Jeju.
Your flag flies at the Tuesday weekly demonstration when we gather at the American base – NSA/NRO Menwith Hill. PEACE friends.
With much love
Lindis
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
‘Your flag is with us every Tuesday pm opposite the main entrance to NSA/NRO Menwith Hill – crucially connected to the US Missile Defense System.’
‘We have been at the gates of NSA/NRO Menwith Hill every Tuesday pm (except 4!) for 14 years. The number of people who come varies very much. This night there were just 3 of us….but we were there! It is very hard in the UK to get more. We are concerned with the presence of the US Visiting Forces and their Agencies here and world wide. That is why we are in solidarity with you in your struggle.’
Kelly, Kathy (United States)
Dear Friends,
From here in Kabul, we’re grateful to catch courage from you. Wars and threats of increasing violence afflict Afghanistan, and so we are all the more grateful for your insistence that we can nonviolently resist the war makers. Thank you for your vibrant, creative and tenacious witness. Your commitment to peaceful seas inspires us here in landlocked Afghanistan as we share in your dreams and your efforts to be guided by your visions of a better world.
Sincerely,
Kathy Kelly
co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
Hakim with the Afghan Peace Volunteers (Afghanistan)
“No Naval Base!”
Your yellow banner of protest adorns the wall of our library in the Borderfree Community Centre of Non-violence in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The Afghan Peace Volunteers seek to emulate your beautiful community’s resilience in resisting the global military industrial complex.
With you, we wish to sing against the militarization of Mother Nature and our common spaces, and dance with you for a world without war.
When you walk, know that you’re strengthening us across all borders.
Thanks for showing us that even if we were the defenseless underwater soft coral not seen by the world, we can remain soft, we can insist on being colorful, and we can link hands to enrich a part of the vast, untamable sea.
With love and peace from Afghanistan,
Hakim with the Afghan Peace Volunteers
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition Pax Christi Australia, and MSC Justice & Peace Centre (Australian Province)
To all those taking part in the 2014 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace, we send a message of solidarity and hope.
Unable to be with you in body, we stand with you in heart and mind, and thank you for the opportunity to do so.
We condemn the cultural and environmental damage that Gangjeong is suffering at the hands of the ROK and US navies, and the injustices being imposed on its people, especially activists.
Your bravery, creativity and determination not to be silenced are sources for strength and inspiration for peace activists throughout the world.
We share your goal of preserving Jeju’s status as the world’s Island of Peace.
We share your goal of bringing to an end the construction of the naval base within you precious waters.
We share your dream of a region whose constituent nations pursue peace together through disarmament, mutual respect, cooperation and dedication to non-violence and justice.
We share your passion for peace.
AUSTRALIAN ANTI-BASES CAMPAIGN COALITION
PAX CHRISTI AUSTRALIA (Fr. Claude Mostowik)
MISSIONARIES of the SACRED HEART JUSTICE & PEACE CENTRE (AUSTRALIAN PROVINCE)
–> See the Korean translation, here.
The Liem Family (United States)
Gangjeong villagers and internationalists: your eight years of struggle and sacrifice against the interests of the South Korean and U.S. military/industrial complex are an inspiration to peace and earth-loving people everywhere.Your unbreakable will and spirit, not Korea’s corporate prestige, technological achievements or K-Pop, are the nation’s true gifts to the world.
In solidarity for people’s justice on the Island of Peace,
The Liem Family (Joan, Ramsay, Deann and Paul)
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Kyle Kajihiro, Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice and the DMZ-Hawaiʻi / Aloha ʻĀina network
Aloha dear friends in Jeju!
From Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice and the DMZ-Hawaiʻi / Aloha ʻĀina network, warm greetings and solidarity!
Congratulations on the commencement of your 2014 Grand March for Life and Peace! Thank you for your tireless efforts. As you begin your march, the U.S. military and the militaries of twenty-two other countries continue their RIMPAC military exercises in our islands, an example of the unbearable costs and consequences of endless war.
Do not believe the lie that mili-tourism has been good for Hawaiʻi. While some people reap the benefits of the military-industrial complex, most local residents and the environment pay a very high price: environmental destruction, displacement from the land, rising costs of living, sexual violence, and accidents. You walk for all the people of the world who dream and struggle for peace and justice. Peace for Jeju! Peace for the world!
In solidarity
Kyle Kajihiro
–> See the Korean translation, here.
Columbans and friends in Chile
Columbans and friends in Chile support the campaign against the building of the naval base in Gangjeong,Jeju! They are in solidarity with you this week as you walk for the life and peace of the beautiful island of Jeju! This is the message I was asked to convey to you below! The link below to the protest letter handed in at the Embassy in Santiago is in Spanish! ‘This morning, a group of representatives of the columban family in Chile (Lay missionaries, co-workers, friends of Saint Columban and Columban Youth) presented a letter in solidarity with the people of Jeju Island to the embassy of Korea asking the government to stop the construction of the naval base in Jeju, all this in the context of the celebration of “2014 Gangjeong Grand March for Life and Peace” you can see the report in Our website, here. or in our facebook, here. Cesar Correa Valenzuela Justice Peace & Integrity Of Creation Co-ordinator Society of St. Columban. Chile Familia columbana entrega carta a embajada de Corea por situacion en la isla de Jeju. #columbanos Puedes revisar la carta en
–> See the Korean translation and more images, here.
Yuichi Kamoshita(Japan) : An impression on joining march after it
Since I started to think about a Peace in my life, Korea, China, and Taiwan as well as Asian counties
where were invaded by Japanese imperial army and corporations are often in my mind. As our grand
or great-grand parents helped to invade these countries. I always have some pain in my deep heart.
The millions people of Korea lost their lives and livelihood.
Also, millions of Chinese, Germany, Russian, Japanese and more countries.
There are no borders that all civilians are victims and people still suffer from that war.
We still have difficult relationships between countries.
And this issue is always played on the political games which disturb a mutual understanding between
civilians.
In order to avoid this brain washing, we civilians need to avoid the mass-medias who are sponsored by the government and big corporations or powers.
The importance of international solidarity in grass roots level is now getting higher.
Communicating and sharing the experiences by visiting each other would be a very helpful to lift up
our awareness of understanding other life styles which a fact of all societies are depend on the natural environment and human culture from ancestors.
I joined the Grand March 2014 in Jeju. I had mainly 3 reasons to walk this island.
1, Of course, to express against naval base,but also offering a prayer for the victims of 4·3 and victims of Japanese colonization.
2, to feel Jeju, to understand the way of life. the great nature gives a life to the people of this island.
3, to meet and communicate with people of Korea and international friends.
And as I understood that this is a most front line of the peace action.
By visiting Gangjeong village and joining the movement, I was inspired by the leadership of religious
people, and a presence of international team. also a lot of young people take a part of this movement
which I couldn’t see in Okinawa’s movement.
It is my hope that more religious people stand up and dedicate their lives to the peace and social
activities.
Now Okinawa’s struggle is facing a turning point. a construction of expounding the Camp Schwab at
Henoko now started. at the same time Takae (Yanbaru forest)
Jungle warfare training center(U.S marine corp.) has been expounding the helipads by cutting down the forest life.
I consider that people of Okinawa need more international solidarity now.
Humbly,I ask people of Korea to come to stay in Okinawa for support and encourage the movement.
I also would start working for inter-island solidarity.
Kamsa Hamnida.
–>See the Korean Translation, here
Photo by Jeong Doryeong
