WHRCF Special Issue🙏

Today is a national commemoration day for the May 18th Democratization Movement, which happened 42 years ago during which countless civilians and citizens lost their lives to stand up for democracy, human rights and peace. The Movement played a pivotal role in the democratization process of the Republic of Korea, even though for many years it was discarded as a historical event. Human Rights City Gwangju, having such a painful history of state violence, continues to protect and promote the human rights of citizens.

Ten days of May 18th Democratization Movement

Although the Republic of Korea achieved democracy through several civil protests, including the May 18th Democratization Movement in Gwangju, some parts of the world are still on a long journey toward democracy. In Syria, millions of people still suffer from war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on the rights of women and girls.

Myanmar coup d'état, which has been going on for more than a year now, resembles the May 18th Democratization Movement in several ways. Myanmar citizens are putting their lives on the line, fighting to restore democracy, while Myanmar’s military has suppressed them by force, causing serious casualties and human rights violations. Gwangju has been seeking ways to express solidarity with Myanmar at the local government level. Following the two Myanmar Conferences conducted last year, a follow-up conference is expected to take place on June 13th this year.

The Aftermath of State Violence

Even after the state violence incident is over, the process of overcoming the trauma and restoring the honor of those who experienced it are of utmost importance. During the 2020 World Human Rights Cities Forum, a special session entitled “State Violence and Trauma” was held. Speakers from various countries presented cases of state violence, and there was an in-depth discussion on ways of overcoming the trauma caused by state violence from the perspective of transitional justice. For more details about the topic, please refer to the speakers’ presentations.

[Full Papers]

• The May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, Director Myeong Ji-won (Gwangju Trauma Center)
• The February 28 incident of Taiwan, Prof. Yoshihisa Amae (Chang Jung Christian University, Taiwan)
• The Greek Civil War, Dr. Stravroula Tsirogianni (CUHK, Hong Kong)
• Student uprisings of 1967 in Argentina and Mexico, Prof. Noh Young-seok (Pukyong National University, Korea)

Special Contribution for May 17th,

International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

In Gwangju, May 17th is the eve of commemorating the May 18th Democratization Movement, however, at the same time, it is the international day against hatred directed towards sexual minorities, which commemorates the day when the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses.

To commemorate the May 18th Democratization Movement and, together with it shed light on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, “Seoyoo”, an LGBTIQ+ activist shared a special contribution.

“We have fought against state violence since the Gwangju May 18th Democratization Movement, against gender-based violence since the Gangnam murder case and violence against LGBTIQ+ with the IDAHO Day. It shows us that various kinds of violence in different forms continue to be inflicted upon disadvantaged groups over time across borders.”

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💡 Partners News

• (RWI) Stockholm+50, Catalysing Change: grassroots activism for the right to a healthy environment (1 June 2022)
• (UCLG) Virtual Learning Forum sessions on Peer Learning (31 May), on Localization of Global Agendas (21 June) and E-learning (5 July).