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On Wednesday, October 23, the Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia (PACSC Asia) held its opening ceremony and International Symposium from 9am to 4pm in the Multi-Complex Building, 5th floor of the Incheon Global Campus. The PACSC Asia is co-directed by Assistant Professors of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dr. Roland Wilson and Dr. Borislava Manojlovic. This January, the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR), which is in the Arlington campus, granted permission to run the PACSC Asia. With this symposium, PACSC Asia held their official opening ceremony.
The International Symposium titled “The Korean Peninsula and the Vision of Peace: From Division to Coexistence” was sponsored by the UniKorea Foundation, the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), and the Korea Association of Military Studies. The symposium is part of the 2019-2020 PACSC Asia’s 2nd annual Global Conflict Resolution Series: “Pursuing the Path for Successful Social Integration of a Divided People.” Distinguished guests and speakers included officials from the United States, European Union, OSCE (The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), as well as the federal, provincial and city governments, the Ministry of Defense, and leading universities both in Korea and abroad, were invited to the International Symposium to deliver their ideas.
The theme of the morning session was “lessons learned from the North Korean Diaspora and potential roles of local actors.” At the beginning of the session, Commissioner Euy-whan Kim from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Right Commission delivered a keynote speech. Dr. Borislava presented about lessons from the Problem-Solving Workshop, which was also held by PACSC Asia as part of their project from September 27 to 29, with former North Korean Diaspora to discuss effective ways of North and South Korea’s co-existence. Following this, three speakers talked about the importance of history and education, how to overcome culture, language, and identity differences and how to deal with business and economic development issues before integration in a panel discussion. They emphasized the importance of understanding social system of North Korea and characteristics of North Koreans.
The afternoon session dealt with “lessons learned and the roles of international organizations and other actors.” Following the keynote speech by Dr. Tara O from the Corean-American Studies, practitioners and scholars dealt with lessons from Germany’s Integration process and how the relationship between local and international organization and social systems, such as military and law, should work for peaceful and successful integration.
Through this symposium, citizens, students, practitioners and scholars from South Korea and around the world shared practical ideas on North and South Korea’s co-existance. Dr. Wilson stated that “this symposium helps work on these issues long-term, and provides opportunities for students to interact with scholars, practitioners, and those who are most affected by conflict.” This symposium was a meaningful first step for achieving peaceful and successful reunification of the Korean peninsula.
Written by Yuhyun Sihn|Staff Writer
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