T.S. Eliot wrote his poem “The Waste Land” looking at the devastated Europe after the end of World War I, starting with the phrase, "April is the cruellest month." This sentence comes to my mind, but it is not just because it is April.

This year marks the 76th anniversary of the Jeju April 3rd Uprising. We remember the history of the Jeju people who aspired for reunification and peace but were massacred by the US military government and pro-American regime. However, US nuclear submarines continue to come and go at Jeju's naval base.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster. We remember the victims and survivors of the Sewol Ferry Disaster, as well as the victims of state violence that occurred after the disaster, and pledge to take action to create a safe society that respects life. However, the tasks of revealing the truth and holding those responsible accountable still remain.
This year marks the 64th anniversary of the April 19th Revolution. It was a revolution for democracy that overthrew a corrupt regime with the power of the people against dictatorship. However, in the April 10th general election this year, the two dominant parties attempted to maintain their privileges by creating satellite parties that undermine democratic values.
This year marks the 6th anniversary of the 4.27 Panmunjom Declaration. It is a day when the leaders of North and South Korea made a promise of unity, aiming to prevent war on the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace regime, instead of division and confrontation. However, the threat of war looms over the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Nevertheless, April is a season of budding and blooming flowers. Let us once again reflect on the values of peace and democracy left by the history of struggle and revolution. Let us engrave our commitment to addressing the challenges left by disasters together. And let us cultivate the power of solidarity to turn our longing for peace into a reality through practical peace movements.

May 1st is the day when workers worldwide show solidarity and unity to fight for the liberation of all workers. In 2024, many workers still suffer from long working hours and exploitation by capitalists, and many workers cannot return home after work. This year's May Day in Korea commemorates the martyr Yang Hoi-dong, who self-immolated in the name of oppressed laborers under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration last year. Yang opposes the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which has consistently pursued anti-labor policies, and demands the guarantee of labor rights for workers. Join the Labor Day rally with the International Strategy Center!

• When: May 1st (Wed) 2pm
• Where: Sejoindaero (Cityhall station Exit #1)
• Inqury: Hwang Jeongeun (010-3643-5638)

May's Book & Beer 

If We Burn (Part I)

Join us (on & offline) for books and beers where we will discuss the “decade of protests.” We will cover the introduction and part one of journalist Vince Bevin’s latest book, “If We Burn.” Bevins interviews over 200 activists, politicians, and participants to understand why the 2010s saw the largest protests in human history, only to be followed by little to no political and economic reforms, as well as the rise of the far right and even more authoritarian governments. (Reading the book is not required.)

• Date: 5/10 (Fri) 7:30 pm 
• Place: ISC office (Dosinro 47 gil 2, Yeongdeungpo-gu) 
• What to bring: food, snacks, and drinks of your choice (alcohol permitted) 

• Program:
  - Icebreakers
  - Introduction to the book
  - Presentation of chapters
  - Discussion  

Palestinian Solidarity Urgent Action

On April 20, the International Strategy Center participated in the “Day Against Disability Discrimination”, which included a rally, march and the <even so, unshakably> cultural festival to demand the elimination of discrimination against people with disabilities and to reject the symbolic and non-radical  "Disability Day" proposed by the government and related organizations. Many activists for disability rights demanded the reversal of unfair dismissals, the right to mobility, and deinstitutionalization. That same evening however, the police and Seoul Metro officers prevented people with disabilities from using the subway and forcibly removed the activists. We will continue to struggle together until the legitimate demands and rights of people with disabilities are met and discrimination is eliminated.