MANNAM Peace News: DMZ Korean International Documentary Film Festival

The theme of the 5th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival is Peace, Life and Communication of DMZ. The festival is held in  Goyang city - Lafesta (Lotte Cinema, Special Stage), Lake park. Almost 120 films from thirty-eight countries will be shown. The festival started last Thursday (17 Oct.) and ends on Wednesday (23 Oct.). 
The festival includes various events. Tomorrow, for example, there is a bicycle tour, a modern rock concert, and a venue at which people can view documentaries with their animals. For more information check the following website:http://www.dmzdocs.com/eng/main/main.asp

2012 DMZ Documentary Film Festival

While you are at the DMZ, I strongly encourage you to also visit the Declaration of Unification. This is a powerful and beautiful declaration written by Man Hee Lee and inscribed into the stone shown below. (The English translation is below the picture in blue.) As the Declaration encompasses all the themes of this year's festival and more, seeing it in person would very meaningful and worthwhile. 

Declaration of Unification

This nation must be unified as it was before as an independent nation. Our forefathers who died for this country, and the Korean citizens of today never wished for this nation to be divided.  Who divided our nation and established the 38th parallel?

When the Japanese emperor surrendered after WWII, our country became independent, but the U.S. entered the South, the Russians entered the North, and Korea was basically ruled by the military. Korean citizens were still able to cross back and forth from North to South. Later, the government of the Republic of Korea was established in the South and a communist government was established in the North, and the 38th parallel divided the two. People were no longer allowed to travel back and forth between the two countries. 

Is this what those who died for this country and declared independence in the March 1st (1919) movement wanted? Is this what we, the citizens commemorating Independence Day today, want? The Korean Peninsula was divided because of the North’s barbaric invasion of the South which led to a fratricidal, and bloody war. Even today, we are still pointing guns at people of our own race. How can this be the will of our forefathers and the Korean people today?

Thirty-three people, who represent the citizens of the Republic of Korea, love the Korean Peninsula, and pray for its peace and unification, declare the following:

First, just like East and West Germany, the leaders of South and North Korea must gather to discuss unification for the sake of this country and its citizens.

Second, if our leaders truly love this nation and its citizens, they will work to establish a unified nation the citizens wish for and a country where people live happily in abundance. How can a nation which is divided stand with confidence in this world? The leaders of South and North Korea must ensure that the Korean Peninsula will not be shamed.

Third, we must all lay down our weapons and allow our citizens to travel freely throughout the Korean Peninsula.

Fourth, there must be religious freedom because religion is faith regarding the spiritual world. Religion is a spiritual pursuit, and as such, knows no national boundaries. People of religion must unite through the Scriptures for a religious unification.

By putting these suggestions into action, we can truly achieve world peace.  

Sources:
http://www.dmzdocs.com/eng/about/dmzdocs.asp

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