De-Militarizing Northeast asia By Earl and Pat Hostetter Martin ’64, MA ’98 Committee, which led his father to suggest He peered through binoculars intently. His life, after all, might be at stake. that Lee apply to a Mennonite college. In 1996, this fun-loving, ex-Marine found Through the optics he could see the enemy himself in classes at Canadian Mennonite smoking a cigarette, just over the border. Bible College (now Canadian Mennonite Though he felt no hatred, Lee realized that University) in Winnipeg. One of his profesat any moment he and that soldier could be sors teased Lee that he was the first student trying to kill each other. to wear camouflaged fatigues to his class. Jae Young Lee, 16 years later, remem“They were the most comfortable pants I bers the absurdity of that moment. North owned,” Lee now says with a chuckle. Korea’s “beloved leader,” Kim Il Sung, had In Canada, Lee kept hearing people just died, and both militaries – north and south – along the “demilitarized zone” were on red alert. “We had been given orders to shoot anything that moved in the river [dividing the armies]. We were all very quiet as we dealt with our own thoughts and fears of life and death. I thought, ‘I don’t even know his name. I don’t hate him, but if war broke out, matter of what he wanted to study. With I would shoot him and he would shoot me.’” financial support from the Mennonite Lee realizes that the border dividing Central Committee and his parents, Lee the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel, a completed a master’s degree in conflict vestige of the Cold War, remains a potential transformation at EMU in 2003. flashpoint for nuclear-armed nations. He At EMU, Lee remembers witnessing also observes that the wider North Asian a vigorous exchange between Fulbrightregion holds other historical traumas and supported students from Israel and Palestine. current competitions which could – if not talking about, and praying for, world peace. They said that after this face-to-face encounhandled carefully – explode into regional or “One day I saw 20 old ladies packing health ter they would probably next face each other global conflict. over the military tanks in the Middle East. kits for North Korea. I asked them why they Hence Lee and a growing band of col“But at least they could meet,” Lee says wistwere doing this and they said, ‘There is famleagues are laying careful and visionary plans fully. “I felt I may never be able to meet my ine in North Korea and we know that someto establish a vigorous program for training brothers and sisters in North Korea.” one out there will get help from these kits.’ I a new cadre of peacebuilders in the region. During these years, Lee was undergoing They are laying the foundation for establish- cried because I realized that I myself had no a personal transformation. He was beginconcern, but these Mennonites cared.” ment of a Northeast Asia Regional Peacening to realize that guns cannot build trust In 2000, Lee headed south to attend the building Institute. between people. You build trust by meeting Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Lee’s transformation from watchful sniper each other. He came to the conclusion that Mennonite University (EMU). His first to dedicated, savvy peacebuilder has been nothing will change people’s world views class was “Introduction to Conflict Transover a decade in the making. After he comexcept education. formation” taught by John Paul Lederach. pleted his 26-month stint as a draftee in the “We in Korea have not had alternate modSouth Korean army, his father suggested Lee His second class was “Restorative Justice” els to the military model. War begins from with Howard Zehr. His third class was “Phimight want to get some education in North the mind, and peace also begins from the losophy and Praxis of Reconciliation” with America. Forty-five years earlier, his father mind. So peace education from a young age Hizkias Assefa. Lee had ended up in classes had worked as a farm manager in a vocais important. I owe a lot to SPI [Summer taught by three of the legendary professors tional training school for orphaned boys. Peacebuilding Institute] and EMU because of the program. The experience settled the The school was run by Mennonite Central
“We in Korea have not had alternate models to the military model. War begins from the mind, and peace also begins from the mind.”
40 | crossroads | spring 2010