Human Rights Cities Unite for Peace and Solidarity Against War and Violence

World Human Rights Cities Forum Opens in Gwangju in May
Kang Kijeong: "Gwangju Leads the Expansion of Peace and Revolution"

On the afternoon of the 15th, the "2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum" opened at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Seo-gu. From the left in the photo: Jaecheon Choi, Professor at Ewha Womans University; Daehun Lee, Director of Peace Education Research Institute at Peace Momo; Seung Seo, Distinguished Professor at Woosuk University; Jeongseon Lee, Superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education; Kijeong Kang, Mayor of Gwangju; Sujung Shin, Chairperson of Gwangju City Council; Hyungseok Shin, Director of the National Sovereignty Research Institute; James Hinan, Head of the Seoul Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Christoph Heuser, Head of the Korea Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation; Farhana Binte Jigar, Central Committee Organizer of the Bangladesh Democracy Student Committee. Provided by Gwangju City. Photo by Gwangju City.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement, human rights experts from around the world have gathered in Gwangju to explore strategies for "peace and solidarity" in the face of war and violence.

The "2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum" opened on May 15 at the Kim Daejung Convention Center. This forum is co-hosted by Gwangju City, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNESCO, and the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, with 1,500 participants including human rights experts from various countries. This year, the forum is being held under the theme "Peace and Solidarity: Human Rights Cities Resisting War and Violence" and will run for three days until May 17.

Kang Kijeong, mayor of Gwangju, emphasized "world peace" and the "restoration of democracy" in his opening address. Mayor Kang stated, "The democratic citizens of Korea stood in front of armored vehicles with nothing but their bodies and grabbed gun barrels with their bare hands, stopping the most unconstitutional insurrectionary forces in the most democratic way possible." He continued, "The democracy that has overcome the December 3 Martial Law is the legacy of May 18, forty-five years ago. This is why so many say that Gwangju of the past saved today's Korea, and why Gwangju has become a common noun representing both the extremes of human cruelty and human dignity."

Mayor Kang went on to say, "Korean democracy will grow even stronger. Although the world is suffering from war and violence, we have even greater love, hope, and joy to overcome this reality. We oppose all forms of war and violence, and I hope that the network of human rights cities around the world, united for peace and revolution, will expand further. Gwangju, as a city of democracy, human rights, and peace, will continue to move forward for global peace and coexistence, so that no one will have to suffer in pain any longer."

Seung Seo, Distinguished Professor at Woosuk University, delivered a keynote speech on "Gwangju Rising as a City of Resistance." Professor Seo highlighted the anger and resistance of Gwangju citizens who fought against the new military regime in May 1980, stressing that "Gwangju will be remembered in human history as a city that resisted power." He further explained, "The spirit of May 18 encompasses all freedoms, human rights, democracy, and reconciliation, and Gwangju, which has even issued a declaration as a world human rights city, embodies the essence of global human rights."

Kang Kijeong, mayor of Gwangju, is delivering the opening address at the '2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum' held on the afternoon of the 15th at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Seo-gu. Provided by Gwangju City

At the plenary session, Jaecheon Choi, a behavioral biologist and professor at Ewha Womans University, gave a keynote presentation on "Anti-Peace Situations and the Future of the Human Rights Community." He addressed the intersection of human rights, ecology, and peace, and presented a vision for an era where biodiversity and human rights converge.

With Hyungseok Shin, Director of the National Sovereignty Research Institute, as moderator, Daehun Lee, Director of the Peace Education Research Institute at Peace Momo, James Hinan, Head of the Seoul Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Christoph Heuser, Head of the Korea Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and Farhana Binte Jigar, Central Committee Organizer of the Bangladesh Democracy Student Committee, engaged in a discussion on strategies for building solidarity for peace.

In addition, various human rights issues are being addressed through thematic sessions, special sessions, networking meetings, and international human rights training. The thematic sessions, led by civic organizations, focus on seven key issues: social economy, children and youth, disability, migration, women, villages and human rights, and global anti-violence.

The special sessions will share examples of cities of resistance that have opposed various forms of violence, including state violence, in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement. There will also be meetings of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Coalition of Cities Against Discrimination (APCAD) and presentations of human rights papers.

A variety of citizen participation programs have also been prepared. At 1:30 p.m. on May 16, a book talk concert will be held with author Cha Inpyo, whose book "If We Look at the Same Star Someday" was selected as a required reading at the University of Oxford. At 10:00 a.m. on May 17, author Lee Youngmi will lead a one-day class, "A Table of Peace for All," based on her book "Lee Youngmi's Table of Peace." Applications and detailed schedules can be found on the official website of the World Human Rights Cities Forum.