Today, the YWCA Korea is embarking on a new century, once again walking the path of women’s peace pilgrimage. Since our 95th anniversary, we have undertaken pilgrimages to the pain-ridden lands of the Korean Peninsula, including Halla Mountain and Jeju, Jiri Mountain and Gwangju, Taebaek Mountain and Sabuk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our pilgrimage, confirming support and solidarity through solitary walks.
Over the past six years, over 1,000 participants, including 585 peace pilgrims, have decided to become pilgrims toward reunification. They have shared sisterhood and a vision for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, embracing diverse groups such as North Koreans, ethnic Koreans living in China, ethnic Koreans living in Russia, and oversea Koreans. Through women’s peace pilgrimage, we experienced a time of grace for reflection, realizing that a life dedicated to walking towards God’s calling and purpose is true pilgrimage.
However, today, the world is filled with war and conflict. The Russia-Ukraine invasion has created a crisis of a new Cold War, endangering the Korean Peninsula as well. Despite continuous efforts by domestic and global civil societies to end the 70-year-old Korean War and achieve peace, the doors between North and South are closing, and distrust and hatred are growing. In a world rampant with invasion, terror, colonial rule, oppression, division, and hatred, women from each country must join forces to create harmonious peace in their respective regions.
We believe that peace arrives when we build a proper relationship with God. Simultaneously, we recognize that establishing righteous relationships within the surrounding nature and people associated with us is the purpose of our existence. Peace is not a static state but a journey towards breaking down walls of injustice and advancing towards justice. We, as pilgrims, walk beyond the boundaries of home, hometown, and country, following the life of Jesus without settling for the status quo. Knowing that peace cannot exist where there is no justice, we will strive towards justice in our pursuit of peace.
Now, we declare our commitment to continue as peace pilgrims in our daily lives, taking steps towards justice, peace, and life. We hereby declare:
- 1. We strongly oppose all forms of war worldwide, including on the Korean Peninsula, and actively work towards ending war and establishing regional peace.
- 1. We yearn for reconciliation and reunification of North and South Korea, extending our hands to women in both regions and worldwide and expanding the movement around the world with the Korean Peninsula as the axis of peace.
- 1. We respect the peaceful values of everyday lives and strive to create a culture of diversity and equality for the realization of a democratic community on a unified Korean Peninsula.
