As the year comes to a close, peace is often spoken of as a distant ideal.
Yet, in cities across Korea, peace is being quietly practiced — through shared reflection, gratitude, and plans for the year ahead.
In late 2025, IWPG local branches in Daegu and Geoje each hosted year-end gatherings that highlighted a common message:
peace grows when citizens and supporters walk together.
Though held in different regions, both events reflected the same spirit — looking back on a year of peace-building efforts and stepping forward together into the next one.
Reflecting on a Year of Peace in Daegu
On December 6, IWPG Daegu Branch hosted a gathering titled “The Growth of Peace, Walking the Path Together.”
The event served as a space to review the branch’s activities throughout 2025 and to share its direction for 2026.
Rather than focusing only on reports, the program emphasized how peace is built through everyday participation.
With 52 members and guests in attendance, the event included:
- A review of 2025 peace activities
- An introduction to plans for the coming year
- A guided storytelling session highlighting real moments of peace in action
- Cultural performances that expressed peace through music
Speakers from civil society and cultural organizations shared a common message:
peace and human rights begin not with grand slogans, but with small, respectful actions in daily life.
IWPG Daegu Branch Director Park Su-jin expressed gratitude to everyone who had walked alongside the organization, emphasizing that even a small decision to care for others can become the starting point of meaningful change.
Sharing the Fruits of Peace in Geoje
Just days earlier, on November 30, IWPG Geoje Branch held its annual event, “Hands that Plant Peace, Fruits that Bloom,” at its local office.
The gathering brought together around 50 supporters and members to reflect on the branch’s peace-support activities throughout 2025.
Participants revisited the branch’s key efforts, including:
- Women’s peace education program
- Training for peace lecturers
- Participation in the International Loving-Peace Art Competition
- Community engagement supporting the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)
The event was designed not as a formal report, but as a shared moment of reflection — allowing supporters to see how their involvement had contributed to real outcomes in the community.
Geoje Branch Director Jang Deok-yi described the year’s work as seeds of peace that had begun to bear fruit, while the branch’s supporters reaffirmed their commitment to continue walking together in the year ahead.
Peace as a Journey Taken Together
Both events showed that peace is not created by organizations alone, but by people — citizens, supporters, and volunteers — who choose to stay engaged over time.
By closing the year together, IWPG local branches demonstrated that peace is:
- Built through relationships
- Sustained by participation
- Strengthened when reflection leads to renewed commitment
As IWPG prepares for another year of peace education and community engagement, these gatherings stand as reminders that peace moves forward when we walk together.
About IWPG
The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) is an international women’s NGO registered with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC).
With 115 branches in 122 countries, IWPG works to promote peace culture, women’s peace education, and global cooperation for sustainable peace.
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