Gwangju rights academy invites attendees

Applications are now open for a human rights academy program to be held in Korea this summer.

The May 18 Academy will run from July 30 ― Aug. 15 in Gwangju. It will provide training for domestic and international civil society activists working for human rights, democracy and peace.

The event is organized by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, which was set up in the memory of democracy activists killed by soldiers in the Gwangju uprising of May 18, 1980.

The event will include lectures from experts and activists as well as field trips to important sites in Korean modern history such as Panmunjeom and the Demilitarized Zone.

The three-week session will include two sections for Korean participants and one for international attendees. The international part, which was previously known as the Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School, will be attended by 20 participants with varying experience in their respective fields.

Selected participants’ roundtrip airfare, transportation expenses in Korea, accommodation and food will be covered by the foundation.

“Participants in the May 18 Academy not only get a chance to learn firsthand about the 1980 Gwangju uprising and Korea’s modern history and democratization process but importantly by sharing their experiences over the three weeks they also get to help foster the development of human rights in the Asian region,” said Adam Breasley of the May 18 Memorial Foundation Solidarity Team.

“When Aung San Suu Kyi, who is a Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Laureate, sent the May 18 Memorial Foundation a video message she said it was important for people to understand that human rights are not just for the West but also for Asia.”

Details on how to apply for the academy can be found on the website eng.518.org and all applications must be received by June 29.