נייווז זענען אויס פֿאַר יענע וואס אַרויסרופן מיליטאַריזאַטיאָן פון די קאָרעיִש פּענינסולאַ

דורך אַן רייט

Photo of Women Cross DMZ walk in Pyongyang, North Korea at the Monument of Reunification  (Photo by Niana Liu)

ווען מיר אנגעהויבן אונדזער פּרויעקט "וואָמען קרייז די דמז,” we knew the landmines in the DMZ would be nothing compared to the explosions of anger, vitriol and hate from those who oppose any contact with North Korea. Some U.S. and South Korean government officials, academics, media talking heads and paid bloggers would have their knives out for any group that dared challenge the dangerous status quo on the Korean peninsula.  No surprise that the knives have been attempting to slice away at the remarkable worldwide publicity our trip to both North and South Korea created.

די לעצטע רעפטל און ביינדלעך אַרטיקל, "ווי צפון קארעע ס מאַרטשערז פֿאַר שלום געווארן יונגערמאַן טראַוועלערז,”  by Thor Halvorssen and Alex Gladstein of the “Human Rights Foundation,” was published July 7, 2015 in פרעמד פּאָליטיק . Halvorssen and the “Human Rights Foundation” are ריפּאָרטאַדלי associated with an Islamophobic and anti-LGBT agenda.

די ציל פון די מחברים מיינט צו זיין צו אָנשרעקן קיין גרופּע וואָס אַרבעט פֿאַר שלום און ויסגלייַך אין קארעע דורך ניצן די אַרויסגעבן פון צפון קאָרעיִש מענטשנרעכט ווייאַליישאַנז צו יבערשרעקן גרופּעס פון קאָנטאַקט מיט צפון קארעע. פֿאַר די דיטראַקטערז, שלום און ויסגלייַך אין פאַרשידן טיילן פון דער וועלט קען מיינען אַז זיי וועלן זיין אויס פון ישוז און דזשאָבס, ווייַל זייער פרנסה איז גאַנץ עפשער געמאכט פון אַנדערקאַטינג פרווון צו האַלטן קריגעריש און געפערלעך ישוז.

In the lengthy article, their fixation on virtually every word, written or spoken, made by members of the delegation, centered on two themes: the only possible result of visiting North Korea is to give legitimacy to the government, and if you don’t hammer the North Korean government on human rights issues on your first visit, you have lost all credibility. It seems apparent that the authors have never been involved in the delicate art of diplomacy. As a diplomat in the State Department for 16 years, I learned that if your goal is to foster dialogue you must first build some level of familiarity and trust before you can go on to difficult issues.

Of course, Halvorssen and Gladstein’s commentary is not unique. In every international challenge, whether it deals with Iran, Cuba or North Korea, a cottage industry of writers emerges to make their fame and fortune on a confrontational approach to the governments. Some of the “think tanks” and organizations they represent are bankrolled by a handful of ideological billionaires or corporations in the weapons industry that benefit from fueling the status quo, continued sanctions, and a military approach to problems that only have political solutions.

From the beginning our mission was clear: to bring international attention to the unresolved issues created 70 years ago by the division of Korea in 1945 by the United States and Russia. We call for all parties to implement the agreements agreed to 63 years ago in the July 27, 1953 Armistice. We firmly believe that the unresolved Korean conflict gives all governments in the region, including Japan, China and Russia, justification to further militarize and prepare for war, diverting funds for schools, hospitals, and the welfare of the people and the environment.  Of course, this justification also is used by U.S. policy makers in their latest strategy, the U.S. “pivot” to Asia and the Pacific.  We call for an end to that very profitable war footing, which is why the knives are out for us.

אָן אַ צווייפל, צפון און דרום קאָרעאַנס האָבן פיל צו באַשליסן אין דעם פּראָצעס פון ויסגלייַך און טאָמער עווענטואַל ריונאַפאַקיישאַן, אַרייַנגערעכנט עקאָנאָמיש, פּאָליטיש, יאָדער ישוז, מענטשנרעכט און פילע, פילע אנדערע.

אונדזער מיסיע איז געווען ניט צו מאַכנ די ינטער-קאָרעיִש ישוז זיך אָבער צו ברענגען אינטערנאַציאָנאַלע ופמערקזאַמקייט צו די אַנריזאַלווד אינטערנאַציאָנאַלע conflict that is very dangerous for us all and to encourage dialogue to begin again, particularly among the United States, North Korea, and South Korea.

That’s why our group went to both North and South Korea. That’s why we called for reunification of families and women’s leadership in peace building. That’s why we walked in North Korea and South Korea—and crossed the DMZ—calling for an end of the state of war on the Korean peninsula with a peace treaty to finally end the 63-year old Korean War.

און דערפֿאַר וועלן מיר בלייבן פאַרקנאַסט ניט קיין ענין וואָס די פּאָנדיטן שרייבן, ווײַל צום סוף, אויב גרופּעס ווי אונדזערע שטופּן נישט אויף שלום, זענען אונדזערע רעגירונגען פּראָנע צו גיין אין מלחמה.

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Ann Wright served 29 years in the US Army/Army Reserves and retired as a Colonel.  She also served as a U.S. diplomat in US Embassies in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan and Mongolia.  She resigned from the US government in March 2003 in opposition to President Bush’s war on Iraq.  In her letter of resignation, she mentioned her concerns about the Bush administration’s refusal to engage/dialogue with North Korea to resolve issues of concern.