The Korea Peace Network is a group of over 100 organizations who have been working on peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our parent organization, Peace Action is a member of the KPN as is Massachusetts Peace Action.
Lobbying is one of the tasks KPN member groups participate in. This year’s Lobby Days took place on Tuesday, June 12 which just happened to be the date of the Singapore Summit. Mass Peace Action sent two delegates, Assistant Director Michelle Cunha and Board Member Michael VanElzakker, who were joined by Joseph Gerson of AFSC and about 60 people from other states.
We met with staff for Congressmen Neal, Kennedy, Moulton, Lynch, and Keating and Senators Markey and Warren. We had three asks: 1. Support diplomacy and the peace agreement with North Korea. 2. Support people-to-people exchanges and support HRes 930 (in the House) and/or to write a companion bill for the Senate and 3. to protect humanitarian operations by easing travel restrictions.
You can help lobby by contacting your Congressperson and strongly request they support diplomacy and sign onto HRes 930 (PDF) — which no Massachusetts Congressperson has signed onto. It’s a simple bill that will require the US and Korea to reunite divided families within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution.
If you are unsure who your Congressperson is, please click here. Put your zip code in the box at the top and it’ll bring you to the appropriate page. You can also call the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asked to be connected to your Congressperson.
