Gwangju Democracy Forum 2021

Concetp Note

1. The Gwangju Democracy Forum (GDF) is an annual international meeting of the May 18 Foundation to bring together democracy advocates, activists, researchers and policy-makers to discuss and reflect on the state and challenges of democracy at the local, national, and global levels as a way to commemorate and practice globally the spirit of the 1980 May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.

2. The GDF is the new name to replace the Gwangju Asia Forum which started in 1999 in order to regenerate the energy and reshape the vision in the context of the emerging challenges to democracy in Asia and the world as recently illustrated in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Myanmar as well as in the United States and some European countries.

3. The 2021 GDF is organized by the May 18 Foundation in partnership with international and domestic civil society organizations and public institutions in South Korea with financial support from the Metropolitan City of Gwangju. An international working group composed of several key partner organizations is to be formed prior to the GDF in order to develop common agendas and action plans.

4. The GDF will take place for 5 days from 17 to 21 May (Monday to Friday) 2021 during the Gwangju Democracy Week in a hybrid and virtual manner. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all overseas participants will be invited to join the GDF virtually while some participants in South Korea will be invited to attend the sessions physically in Gwangju.

5. May 18 will be devoted to the official ceremonies such as the 41st Anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising Ceremony at the National Cemetery in Gwangju and the Ceremony of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights at the May 18 Memorial Foundation, and the opening session of the 2021GDF.

6. The specific objectives of the 2021 GDF are i) to assess the emerging threats and challenges to democracy movements, ii) to develop common agendas for joint actions based on shared understanding and analysis and iii) to contribute to a stronger international networking and coalition-building among democracy advocates and organizations,

7. Under the theme “Post-Pandemic Glocal Democracy - Impact, Challenges, and Opportunities”, around 18 thematic sessions are to be organized under the 5 thematic clusters which are i) Democracy in Asia – Threats and Challenges, ii) State Violence and Impunity, iii) Inclusive and Participatory Democracy, iv) New Challenges and Opportunities for Glocal Democracy and v) Roles of Democracy Movements and Civil Societies

8. The 2021 GDF is expected to be more global in scope, participatory in process, and action-oriented in outcome in order to tackle the new challenges to democracy movements today. Through an open call for applications, more CSOs and groups will be invited to join the GDF, and concrete action agendas with campaign strategies will be discussed and adopted for follow-up action plans.

Sub-theme 1. Crisis and Challenges of Asia’s Democracy

Many Asian countries are facing crisis where democracy and human rights are in a constant retrogression. Myanmar’s military staged a coup, seized power, and detained political and civil leaders while the Thai military, in collusion with its monarchy, suppresses its people who are aspiring for democracy. Many other countries in Asia, such as Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives are also undergoing civil moments calling for democracy. Authorities in these countries, however, are rabid to suppress political dissidents and to stifle freedom of the press. It is time when pro-democracy citizens need to be vigilant in their watch for democracy. Participants to this session will examine challenges to Asian democracy and seek their possible solutions.

Sub-theme 2. Inclusive and Participatory Democracy

In many regions of the globe, diversity and inclusiveness are in a retrogressive trend while hatred and discrimination are prevalent worldwide. They are such as the long-standing Caste System of which issues often surface as harrowing incidents against certain groups of people, the systemic and deep-rooted racial discrimination which is represented by the “Black Lives Matter Movements” in the USA, and the marginalization of groups of people such as immigrants and refugees. These matters are critical and should not be neglected by governments and the international society. During this session, participants will diagnose the origins of hatred and discrimination, the cancer cells of humanity in modern times, expand the consensus in recognizing those issues, and seek possible solutions in order to establish inclusive democracy for all.

Sub-theme 3. State Violence and Impunity

Numerous massacres and human rights violations occurred during democratization movements against authoritarian regimes in the world. It is imperative to uncover truth in order to overcome the ubiquitous human rights abuses and to bring reconciliation and coexistence to society and the globe as well. That is to say, the preconditions of social unification are uncovering truth, punishing those responsible, offering reparations to the victims, carrying out commemoration, and healing the wounded and supporting their rehabilitation. Thus, this session will start with the premise that the basic principles of pursuing human rights are facing historical facts, guaranteeing peace and security, and restoring justice. Session participants therefore will look back upon the difficult path of uncovering the truth of the May 18 Democratic Uprising which has been playing a pivotal role in Korean transitional justice and they will also consider other state violence cases in Asia and their transitional justice work with a future-oriented viewpoint.

Sub-theme 4. New Crisis and Challenges to Democracy

Today, the roots of democracy and human rights are under attacks for various reasons. For this reason, democracy movement is imperative more than ever throughout the globe. Challenges, such as threats to right to life which is in danger due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic polarization, the revival of militarism and authoritarianism, and climate changes and environmental pollution, are breaking down the social structure and economic foundation of democracy. This not only threatens the right to life of vulnerable social groups but brings great loss to the aggregate of democracy and human rights. Participants in this session will diagnose the elements that pose threats to democracy and seek methods that could transform danger and challenges to new opportunities.

Sub-theme 5. Global Democracy of Today

On January 6 this year when the mob invaded the US Capital in Washington DC, the heart of democracy, the world witnessed how fragile is the foundation of democracy. At this session, members of global NGOs and individuals, Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA), and others will suggest practical means to stop retrogression of democracy and human rights that is prevalent in the world. It will be carried out in relation with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the UN adopted in 2015 and civil society movements in order to set up action plans. Also, experts in various fields, such as the Korean National Assembly and political parties, Korean labor unions, and international organizations will seek partnership for future cooperation.