Keynote Speech Delivered by Won Heeryong, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
The Jeju Special Self-governing Province is called the Island of World Peace. In 2005, the Korean government designated it as such.
Jeju Island has to date pushed various projects to create, establish and expand peace. The Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, marking its 12th anniversary this year, is one of the projects that started with the Island of World Peace designation.
I think we should look back at why the government designated Jeju Island as the Island of World Peace. The reason was that at that time the government wished to develop this island into a venue for discussions on peace in Northeast Asia, as well as a buffer zone to prevent and solve international disputes and conflicts.
Given this purpose, the Island of World Peace should continue to make efforts to contribute to peace in Northeast Asia and the world, in addition to the Korean peninsula. I think this resonates with the theme of this session.
Identifying Roles of Local Governments in Expanding Peace: Peace is the goal and ideal of world citizens
A happy life is impossible without peace. Peace has forever been the ideal and goal of mankind throughout the world.
However, it is doubtful if we have peace enough to make us happy in real life. The lack of peace is all around us. North Korean nuclear missiles pose threats to us. Dust, water pollution, poverty, discrimination, disorder and injustice are breaking peace apart. Nevertheless, peace must be the ultimate ideal and goal of the human race.
The world now seems to be going the other way around. The U.S. stressed its “America First” policy after the inauguration of President Donald Trump in an unprecedentedly stronger tone. Chinese President Xi Jinping also makes adventurous moves after securing a tight grip on power amid the rise of China as superpower. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, too, adopts bold posture toward economic and foreign affairs. President Vladimir Putin of Russia continues to make efforts to secure a stronger position in global society in an apparent move to regain superpower status.
It seems that the world is reverting to the arena of competition from the Cold War era. Protectionism and hegemony by world powers are rearing their heads. The world order is being restructured in accordance with the national interests of world powers.
To expand peace, I believe, we should seek mutual cooperation beyond exclusive national interests. In this respect, cities can engage more freely than states in activities independent of national interests.
To build and propagate peace on the Korean peninsula and in East Asia, I think, we need an alliance among cities which place particular values on peace.
Cities of World Peace: The Forefront to Expand Global Peace through Alliance
I think that we can humbly start expanding peace with the alliance between cities. Cities which have experienced wars, host international conferences and organizations for peace, and perform significant roles for peace declare themselves Cities of Peace or called as such.
Cities of Peace are Osnabruck in Germany Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Okinawa in Japan Geneva in Switzerland and Stockholm in Sweden. Jeju is also one of them.
UNESCO also selected cities for its peace prize from 1996 to 2001. It designated Caen, France Hanoi, Vietnam and other model municipalities as UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize in recognition of their initiatives in strengthening social cohesion, improving living conditions in disadvantaged neighborhoods and developing genuine urban harmony.
UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize: Hanoi (Vietnam), Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), Cotacachi (Ecuador), Lubumba (Democratic Republic of Congo), Vilnius (Lithuania), Caen (France). Currently, the award of the Cities for Peace Prize is suspended.
I think this Jeju Forum session suggests to Jeju Island important lessons and directions for development.
The Lessons from Mayors for Peace: Local governments play a crucial role in peace diplomacy
Those who have direct experience of violence have greater aspirations for peace. The two atomic bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945 reduced the cities to ashes. The victims of the raids must have suffered extreme pain. The two cities expected that they would never see plants and trees again before 2020.
With a dismal future ahead, the two cities promoted Mayors for Peace to share their aspirations for peace with the next generation and propagate this across the world.
Mayors for Peace were organized on the initiative of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1982. Joined by local governments over the world, Mayors for Peace is making efforts to realize the 2020 vision to abolish all nuclear weapons with a treaty to ban nuclear arms by that year. Currently 12 Korean cities, including Jeju, Daegu and Gimpo have joined Mayors for Peace. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province also became an official member this year.
Mayors for Peace are a conference system dedicated solely to peace, independent of certain states or cities, or political interests. It might be called a “diplomacy of cities for peace,” in which cities with a painful history send peace messages to the world, not to repeat the same tragedy.
The Project of Jeju Island to Practice Peace: Jeju seeks to join the alliance network of local governments
The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is also known to be keenly interested in diplomacy by cities for peace. The UCLG needs to utilize diplomatic means through the network of cities and their alliances for social cohesion, the prevention and solution of conflicts, and reconstruction after conflicts to the ultimate end of peace, democracy and prosperity.
The Pacific Rim Park, started by the Pacific Rim Park Foundation as a peace building project, was established in seven cities, including San Diego in the U.S., Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Jeju in Korea. Pacific Rim Parks: Vladivostok in Russia (1994), San Diego in the U.S. (1996), Yantai in China (2001), Tijuana in Mexico (2004), Palawan Island in the Philippines (2009), Jeju Island in South Korea (2010), and Kaohsiung in Taiwan (2013)
The Pacific Rim Park project is a model case of the voluntary activities of students and architects promoting mutual understanding about cities, and expanding peace through the means of arts and culture.
In 2012, the Pacific Rim Park City Summit was launched during the Jeju Forum to form solidarity among cities which have Pacific Rim Parks. Jeju Island is scheduled to host the third summit during the Jeju Forum next year.
I think Mayors for Peace, or the city diplomacy that the UCLG calls for, or civic sector-led peace building activities through arts, provide the motivation for the Island of World Peace, Jeju.
First, we should recognize that activities to practice peace are not monopolized by the state alone. Peace practices by the state are by necessity limited. The state’s peace practice is Track One Diplomacy. The ultimate purpose of state diplomacy is no more than safeguarding national interests, thus being preoccupied with short-term interests.
However, diplomacy by cities or civic sector, “Track Two Diplomacy,” permits freer activities independent of national interests. The counterpart of such diplomacy as such might be cities and civic groups, instead of governments. Unlike conventional diplomacy, city diplomacy, seeking the expansion of peace, can freely establish new diplomatic ties. Second, we have to further strengthen and develop the alliance between cities of peace. There are many cities aspiring for peace in the world. The alliance and cooperation with such cities will give more impetus to the activities by the local governments practicing peace.
The Jeju Special Self-governing Province will strengthen its capacity to practice peace and more actively cooperate with the cities of world peace to expand peace over the world. It will continue to host during the Jeju Forum what is tentatively called the “World Peace Cities Forum,” a platform to share peace practicing cases and explore measures and projects to achieve peace.
As Island of World Peace, it will engage in various peace practicing activities jointly with the city hall and civic sector. At the same time, Jeju awaits North Korean cities to join the activities expanding peace in the near future and is prepared for this.
Conclusion
One of the characteristics of globalized world is the activation of international exchanges and cooperation led by cities. The international alliance between cities beyond the scope of the state keeps expanding. As I have said before, I will make efforts to make the World Peace Cities Forum provide motivation for exchanges and cooperation among world citizens, based on the solidarity and cooperation with the Cities of World Peace.
I hope that all of you will enjoy the peace-loving culture of Jeju islanders and the beautiful nature of this island during your stay here. Thank you.
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