Organizing Notes

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

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The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. We must all do more to help stop this western corporate arrogance that puts the future generations lives in despair. @BruceKGagnon

Monday, September 07, 2015

The Real Struggle Starts From Now On

Jeju Island Catholic Bishop Kang U-Il

The overflow crowd outside of the grand opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in Gangjeong village


Sung-Hee Choi reports from Gangjeong village on Jeju Island, South Korea:

[Sept. 5] Bishop Kang U-Il says, “The real struggle starts from now on.”

On a gently rainy day, about 500 priests, sisters, laymen, villagers, and peace activists gathered to celebrate the opening of the St. Francis Peace Center in the village. The event organizers had expected about 200 crowd.

The four story building, of which the idea was first initiated by Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon and Bishop Kang U-il, is hoped to be ‘an outpost for the peace of Northeast Asia’ (Bishop Kang)

On the day, the words by Bishop Kang, the Board President of the Center, was resolute, touching and inspiring.

The Jeju Sori, a local media, excerpted some of his long speech. Thanks to it, here I also translate some of his words as well.

............................................................

“There are people who ask whether the struggle has finished with the naval base [that will port US warships aimed at China] being almost completed. No. It has not finished. The real struggle starts from now on.”

“In April 2005, I expressed my opinions, for the first time, against naval base construction. There are five reasons following the public teachings."

“Firstly, war is disaster. It cannot be a solution between nations. It is because such thing did not happen in the past and would not happen in the future, either.”

"Secondly, when a state power takes arms force, it can be justified and get citizens’ sympathy only by strict conditions. The mobilization of state power against the struggle in opposition to the Gangjeong naval base can never be a self-defense. “

“Thirdly, modern arms are weapons of massive mankind-killing. The increment of arms cannot be connected to peace."

“Fourthly, we are dumping tremendous budgets into arms production. What if it is used for the nation progress, for the poor..?”

“Lastly, why there should be a military base in Jeju, the far-most from the Korean truce line and the tainted by the wounds of the April 3rd incident? Jeju is the Peace Island designated by the government. The relationship between any military base and the Peace Island is like water and oil."

“With the construction of the naval base, the death of the April 3rd spirits has become meaningless…”

“Sixty-seven years ago, more than 30,000 people, more than 10% of the whole population of the Jeju Island people lost their lives for the April 3rd incident. [A massacre of Jeju peasants directed by the US military.] They were mostly innocent Island people nothing to do with ideology conflicts. They died without knowing the reasons of their deaths.”

“There are people who say that there is no more need of struggle since the Gangjeong base has been almost completed. No, the real struggle starts from now on.”

“The people we counter is not those who covered the Gureombi Rock with concrete. Nor the youths who come to the naval base to fulfill their duty for national defense. It is those who consider war positively.”

“It is the struggle against those who justify war preparation disguising their violent spirit with the logic of national security. On any basis, war is not right.”

2 Comments:

Blogger Ariel Ky said...

I am in complete agreement with Rev. Kang U-Il. Building a military base at Gangjeong was an act of aggression against the villagers who opposed it, and is an act of aggression against China by the U.S. that intends to use this base, and who insisted that the S. Korean government build it. If we are to have a world at peace, which is quite possible in our lifetime once we unite in our resistance to those who profit from wars, it is very true that the real struggle starts from now on.

9/7/15, 3:43 PM  
Blogger Alice de tocqueville said...

Thank you, Ariel, and thank you, Rev. KangU-Il.

9/7/15, 8:25 PM  

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