American Friends Service Committee – 2018-06-11 19:05:58
https://www.afsc.org/action/tell-trump-and-congress-pursue-humanitarian-engagement-north-korea
ACTION ALERT: The US-North Korea Summit
American Friends Service Committee
President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are scheduled to take part in a historic summit. The meeting could be a significant step to deescalate tensions between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) and lay foundations for diplomacy.
This meeting isn’t just about nuclear arms. It’s about ending the Korean War, which was never officially ended. Here are three ways you can show your support for peace on the Korean peninsula today.
1. Tell President Trump to address humanitarian issues during the summit.
Addressing humanitarian issues offers ways for the US and the DPRK to work together and build trust on the long road toward peace. The summit should include discussions on easing restrictions on US humanitarian work in the DPRK, repatriating the remains of US service members left in the DPRK after the Korean War, and reuniting Korean and Korean-American families.
2. Share the message of “Peace on the Korean Peninsula” on Facebook
3. Learn more about efforts to build peace on the Korean peninsula.
Visit our website to learn more about opportunities for cooperation between the US and the DPRK, resources on how to talk about North Korea, and more.
In peace,
Daniel Jasper, AFSC Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator
ACTION ALERT: Tell Trump and Congress:
Pursue Humanitarian Engagement with North Korea
The historic meeting between President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un could serve as a critical step on the long road toward peace on the Korean peninsula.
Addressing humanitarian concerns could help transform this conflict. The summit should include discussions on issues like reuniting Korean and Korean-American families, repatriating the remains of US servicemembers left in the DPRK after the Korean War, and easing restrictions on US humanitarian work in the DPRK. These are all opportunities for the US to work together and build trust with North Korea.
Send a letter to President Trump and Congress, and urge them to pursue humanitarian engagement between North Korea and the United States during the summit.
Letter to Donald Trump
Your summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un presents a unique and historic opportunity to build foundations for peaceful relations between our countries. That’s why, as a concerned constituent and supporter of the American Friends Service Committee, I urge you to pursue plans for humanitarian engagement between North Korea and the US.
Humanitarian issues that could be used to build foundations for successful negotiations include:
* Improving humanitarian exemptions in sanctions regulations and easing travel restrictions for aid workers. The UN has warned that 60,000 North Korean children are in danger of starvation due to sanctions.
* Repatriating the remains of US service members left in the DPRK after the Korean War.
* Reuniting Korean and Korean-American families.
Beginning people-to-people exchange programs, such as the International Visitor Leadership Program, with North Korean participants.
Letter to Elected Representatives
As your constituent and a supporter of the American Friends Service Committee, I’m writing to ask that you publicly support diplomacy and ongoing dialogue between the United States and North Korea. This summit presents a unique and historic opportunity for President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un to open dialogue where progress is possible — and keep those communication channels open.
I also urge you to support discussions on humanitarian channels between the US and North Korea during the summit. The UN has warned that 60,000 North Korean children are in danger of starvation due to sanctions. These issues represent obligations on the part of the US government to improving humanitarian exemptions in sanctions regulations and ease travel restrictions for aid workers.
Other US humanitarian obligations include 1) repatriating the remains of US service members left in North Korea after the Korean War, 2) reuniting Korean and Korean-American families, and 3) beginning people-to-people exchange programs, such as the International Visitor Leadership Program, with North Korean participants.
In addition, these issues offer opportunities that could be used to build foundations for successful negotiations around issues such as nuclear disarmament. It is vitally important for Congress and the administration to support the summit and productive discussions on humanitarian channels.
Engaging North Korea
American Friends Service Center
Download our New Report, “Engaging North Korea”
Engaging North Korea, Vol. I: Building toward dialogue with US government-sponsored people-to-people exchange programs
Engaging North Korea, Vol. II: Recommendations from AFSC’s 65 years of engagement on the Korean Peninsula
Engaging North Korea Vol. III: A toolkit for protecting humanitarian channels amid “maximum pressure.”
This AFSC report documents some of the problems that US NGO humanitarian work in the DPRK is facing under the Trump administration. We also highlight areas where action by US policymakers to improve regulations could decrease the chances of humanitarian disaster and increase the chances of success for high-level dialogue.
