Drawing Hope
Translation of the above message: "Hi, my name is Sarah Koh attending Seoul Hwagye Elementary School. We can't meet, but I will want to send a message. I hope for reunification and really hope to see you in the future. Have a lovely day!"
Be careful. Don’t think these little children are not important. -Matthew 18:10a
Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus welcoming and holding children who are vulnerable and powerless in a violent society not of their making. This year, ReconciliAsian is honored and excited to be part of a special peacebuilding project centering children entitled, Drawing Hope: Children’s Art for Peace on the Korean Peninsula.
This July marks the 70th commemoration of the Korean armistice, a ceasefire of the Korean War. Many are unaware that a peace treaty was never signed to officially end the war. In order to bring awareness of this anniversary and promote the official end of the Korean War, ReconciliAsian is partnering with Okedongmu and American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) to organize an art exhibit highlighting drawings by children exchanging messages of hope and peace.
For the past twenty years, Okedongmu has been organizing peace letter exchanges between North and South Korean children. This year, they are partnering with AFSC and have invited ReconciliAsian to help reach the Korean Diaspora and Americans of various backgrounds to be part of the peace letter exchange. The three organizations are planning exhibits to be shown in late October/early November in multiple locations: Los Angeles (TBD) and the United Nations Office in New York. Our very own, Hyeyoon Song, will be the curator of this exhibit.
Children are invited!
If school-aged children in your community or churches are interested in participating in the letter exchange, they are welcome to participate in this international collaboration.
The format for the picture is simple. You can see a sample drawing from a South Korean child at the top of this newsletter. There is also a video that orients people to this on-going project in Korean and English that can be used to introduce the project:
Instructions to Drawing Hope
1. Children ages 7-17 (elementary to high school) are welcome to participate.
2. Draw your face (it can be just your face or a full-bodied drawing). See the top photo as a sample.
3. Include a message to other children worldwide (North and South Koreans, Koreans in Japan, Americans). Introduce yourself including your name, where you live, what you like, a message of hope and peace, etc. It can be in English or Korean.
4. Use a white US letter sized paper (8 X11) and colored pencils/crayons. Other mediums are also fine, but you can keep it simple.
The key organizer can collect all of the pictures, scan, and email them to us by May 30th to info@reconciliasian.org. You do not need to mail the drawings. If you have any questions, please email us. Thank you!
Join the Virtual Korea Peace Advocacy Week from June 3-9, 2023
Every year, Korea Peace Advocacy Week brings together hundreds of people around the country to build Congressional support for peace on the Korean Peninsula and improved U.S. policy towards North Korea. Participants of the 2023 Korea Peace Advocacy Week will join two or three virtual meetings with their Congressional offices, sharing stories and urging members to support legislation focused on peace and humanitarian issues. An online training session will be offered before the lobby meetings. Register to join.
For more information, go to the AFSC website.