May 18, 2022
CSO Event
in South Korea
The global pandemic has continued for three years, and it seems that there is still no way out. The omicron variant has disrupted normalization and delayed the end of the coronavirus crisis. Each country’s countermeasures to prioritize its citizens and international pharmaceutical companies’ competitive attitude have caused difficulties in resolving the problem. At the same time, this has made it hard to deliver humanitarian aid to developing countries, which aggravates inequality in dealing with challenges following the pandemic.
In addition, the severity of the climate crisis is affecting everywhere in both the southern and northern hemispheres, and incidents caused by natural disasters occur at any time and place. At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held last year in Glasgow, the international community finally confirmed that the use of fossil fuels endangered our environment and agreed upon reducing them. We encounter a difficult task ahead as we not only support developing countries in overcoming the climate crisis but also promote a sustainable energy system. It is not easy to overcome these overlapping crises even if we all unite through cooperation and coexistence. Under a revival of the Cold War with an aggravated tension between the US and China-called G1 and G2- and Russia’s recent invasion into Ukraine, which triggered a new US-Russia conflict, the possibility of brutal wars has become spread everywhere on the globe. The aftermath of such international conflicts will cause a refugee crisis and hinder the stable development of democracy.
The May 18 Memorial Foundation in Gwangju, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, will convene the Gwangju Democracy Forum both in-person and online from May 18 to May 21, 2022, in which we will discuss the aforementioned challenges, seek potential solutions, and develop effective countermeasures. With the participation of experts, we will also discuss the adverse effect of the coronavirus crisis on democracy, the climate crisis, and appropriate policies for tackling such problems. Additionally, we would like to address the contemporary situations in various countries across Asia, including the crisis in Myanmar (i.e., severe human rights violations and a threat to democracy in Myanmar), along with possible countermeasures. The Gwangju Democracy Forum is jointly organized with partner organizations and includes independent sessions.
To register for the GDF, click here.
