Dear MoveOn member,
Already tuned in to the breaking news regarding North Korea? Sign up now for a live global video call, featuring Senator Bernie Sanders, to demand a diplomatic path to peace.
MoveOn members have watched in horror as Donald Trump escalated tensions with North Korea. Now, in many ways, the stakes just got higher, with the news that Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in May.1
For many, this unexpected twist brings hope, fear, and lot of questions: Will Trump really use these historic talks to open up a true path to peace? Will he use them to provide cover to justify even more aggression? And what can MoveOn members do to ensure effective diplomacy wins out?
One thing's certain: This is an emergency that affects all our lives, and we can't wait for the answers. We need to come together immediately, learn as much as we can, and then make it absolutely clear to Trump, his foreign policy team, and members of Congress that a lasting, peaceful solution is the only viable option.
That's why on Sunday, March 18, for the first time ever, MoveOn members will join with activists from more than a dozen nations spanning 17 time zones on a video call featuring Senator Bernie Sanders and expert thought leaders to learn what we can do at the grassroots level to ensure our nation's serious commitment to these talks and a diplomatic path to peace.
Once you register, you'll get a reminder on the day of the call, and you can join right from your computer, tablet, or phone. It's as simple as that. And your email will not be shared with any other organizations.
Our friends at OPEN, an international progressive network of sister grassroots groups like MoveOn from around the world, are hosting this call. We're coming together like this for the first time, because questions of war and peace affect us all and demand unprecedented, people-powered, global solidarity.
Let's face it: Trump's very recent talk of a preemptive nuclear strike and his use of the State of the Union to highlight human rights abuses and the North Korean threat to the U.S. homeland were clear efforts to lay the groundwork for a potential war with North Korea.2,3
He could revert to that posture at any time, which is why people in the U.S. and around the world need to be ready to say no to unnecessary, avoidable, and preemptive wars.
This global call for peace will take place just two days before the 15th anniversary of the onset of the U.S. war in Iraq. Remember, George Bush's deceptive rush to war was made possible by a "coalition of the willing"—a handful of nations that gave political and military cover to sidestep the United Nations and enable the invasion. We've learned a lot from that experience, and so did millions of fellow progressive-minded people around the globe.
Now, 15 years later, we are wiser, stronger, and better connected to each other than ever before. This call is a unique chance to hear from international organizations, understand the fast-changing news out of the Korean Peninsula, and begin discussing what MoveOn members and our allies must do.
Here's is more information about the call's special guests:
Christine Ahn, co-founder of the National Campaign to End the Korean War, will address the successful work the South Korean people and government have done to lay the groundwork for these historic talks and will highlight the ongoing threat Trump poses to the region and the world.
Raed Jarrar, author of The Iraq War Blog: An Iraqi Family's Inside View of the First Year of the Occupation and Middle East and North Africa advocacy director for Amnesty International USA, will share his experience of being in Iraq when the invasion started, the lasting damage to Iraq and the region, and current efforts to address the human consequences of this war.
Senator Bernie Sanders will share his perspective on the impact of U.S. militarism at home and around the world and timely congressional efforts to prevent or end U.S. involvement in endless wars.
In Seoul, dedicated activists will represent some of the most important civil society organizations in the country, despite the 3 a.m. call time. And in Tel Aviv, Israeli and Palestinian activists will join together as part of their effort to combat the militarism that threatens their own countries. We will also be joined by grassroots activists in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Romania, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, and Poland.
Thanks for all you do.
–Jo, Jessica, Iram, Seth, and the rest of the team
P.S. Christine Ahn will cover this in greater depth, but here's a quick look at the essential leadership of South Korea that helped bring us to this moment:
- Starting in 2015, South Koreans took to the streets week after week for sixteen long months to force the resignation of a president who had cut every shred of contact with North Korea.4
- With the highest turnout in twenty years, the Korean people elected Moon Jae-in, a president with a lifelong track record of supporting dialogue with the North.5
- From the moment President Moon came into office in May 2017, he started—quietly— reaching out to North Korea.6
- The world's first real sign of this painstaking work was the stunning announcement that North and South Korea would march together at the Olympics.7
- While the world cheered the Olympic Truce, Vice President Pence, representing the U.S., sat stone-faced, and Trump, recruiting the support of Prime Ministers Abe and Turnbull of Japan and Australia, respectively, escalated the aggression toward North Korea.8,9
- But the South Korean government, having secured this historic opening, never took its eyes off this opportunity for dialogue and for peace, which culminated with Wednesday's announcement of talks between the U.S. and North Korea.10
Sources:
1. "Trump accepts offer to meet Kim Jong Un," CNN, March 9, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35965?t=18&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
2. "Trump advisers clash over 'bloody nose' strike on North Korea," CNN, February 1, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35966?t=20&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
3. "This was the scariest part of Trump's State of the Union," Vox, January 30, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35967?t=22&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
4. "South Korea's Candlelight Revolution in Pictures," Korea Exposé, December 16, 2016
https://act.moveon.org/go/35968?t=24&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
5. "South Korea president winner Moon vows to unify bruised country," Reuters, May 8, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/35969?t=26&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
6. "South Korea's sunshine man: Can Moon Jae-in fix the North Korea crisis?" CNN, January 9, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35970?t=28&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
7. "The Quiet Diplomacy to Save the Olympics in a Nuclear Standoff," The New York Times, February 8, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35971?t=30&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
8. "Abe and Pence say no divide on North Korea during Tokyo meeting, warn against Pyongyang's 'smile diplomacy,'" The Japan Times, February 7, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35972?t=32&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
9. "Malcolm Turnbull backs Donald Trump's new North Korea sanctions," The Sydney Morning Herald, February 25, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35973?t=34&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
10. "How He Brought Trump and Kim Jong-un Together," The New York Times, March 9, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/35974?t=36&akid=201082%2E10220574%2Ef6BfRA
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