Women Leading Peace: IWPG Yeosu Branch Reflects on a Year of Action and Solidarity

In late December, the Yeosu branch of International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) brought together local leaders, members, and supporters to reflect on a year of peace-building efforts led by women at the community level.

On December 26, 2025, IWPG Yeosu Branch held its December Network Regular Meeting at a café in Deokyang-dong, Yeosu. Around 80 participants, including IWPG members and community figures, attended the gathering to review the branch’s 2025 peace activities and discuss directions for the year ahead.

Reviewing a Year of Peace in Practice

The meeting opened with a cultural performance, followed by congratulatory messages and video greetings from overseas partners. Participants then watched a video summarizing the Yeosu branch’s major peace initiatives carried out throughout 2025.

During the program, IWPG introduced its four core peace initiatives, helping attendees understand how local activities connect to broader international peace efforts. The atmosphere focused not on abstract ideals, but on how peace can be practiced consistently through everyday responsibility and cooperation.

Peace as a Daily Responsibility

One of the central moments of the event was a lecture titled “The Answer to Peace.” The speaker emphasized that peace should not be viewed as a distant or symbolic concept, but as something built through daily choices, dialogue, and accountability.

The lecture highlighted the importance of protecting vulnerable populations affected by war—especially women and children—through peaceful means rather than violence. In this context, participants were encouraged to support the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) and its submission to the United Nations, which aims to strengthen international legal frameworks for preventing war.

Education was also underscored as a foundation for sustainable peace. Drawing parallels with Korea’s own development through education, the speaker encouraged broader participation in IWPG’s women’s peace education programs as a way to nurture long-term cultural change.

Appreciation and Continued Commitment

Toward the end of the event, IWPG Yeosu Branch presented certificates of appreciation to volunteers, donors, and contributors who supported the branch’s peace activities throughout the year. The gesture highlighted the belief that peace is built collectively, through visible and invisible efforts alike.

Yeosu Branch Director Yoon-gyeom Choi noted that peace is like air—often unnoticed, but essential to everyday life. She emphasized that the Yeosu branch will continue strengthening cooperation with local civic groups and institutions to expand a culture of peace rooted in the community.

Women at the Center of Peacebuilding

IWPG is a global women-led NGO registered with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC). With branches in 122 countries and hundreds of partner organizations worldwide, IWPG works to advance peace through solidarity, education, and international cooperation.

The Yeosu meeting served as a year-end reminder that women’s leadership, community networks, and consistent education play a critical role in transforming peace from an idea into lived practice.

As IWPG Yeosu Branch looks toward 2026, its message is clear: peace grows stronger when women lead together—locally, responsibly, and with continuity.

Source: https://vo.la/szD4bj8