“[Women Cross DMZ’s] dedicated, untiring effort to bring peace to the Korean peninsula is greatly admired. Although much of today’s focus on the peninsula continues to be the North’s nuclear program, it is peace that will have to be the final goal. I think Women Cross DMZ won’t rest until it is achieved.”
— Siegfried S. Hecker, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Stanford University and Director Emeritus, Los Alamos National Laboratory
“Compton Foundation supports Women Cross DMZ with unrestricted multiyear grants because we trust them to determine how best to use the resources to achieve their mission and we know that building power for change takes time. Women Cross DMZ has a track record of doing what needs to be done as conditions change and they are in it for the long haul. As funders, we should be too.”
— Ellen Friedman, Executive Director, Compton Foundation
“What is taking place is as a result of your bravery and your work. And you’re really a true testament to what power can do if women organize…. There are many, many who understand now what you have done and what you have meant to the cause of peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. So I just want to celebrate your courage and just say thank you.”
— Rep. Barbara Lee
“Women Cross DMZ is a perfect example of what people can do to try and bring the two Koreas together and to gain knowledge of the ordinary folks in North Korea… I greatly respect what that organization has done to try and bring the two Koreas together over recent years.”
— Bruce Cumings, Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of History and the College, University of Chicago
“Women Cross DMZ, in a comparatively short period of time, has done more to advance and imbed the issue of peace on the Peninsula amongst civil society than most organisations with ten times their size and resources”
— Glyn Ford, Founder and Director, Track2Asia, UK and former Member of the European Parliament
“The Special Rapporteur also met with members of Women Cross DMZ. In 2015, 30 women from 15 countries crossed the demilitarized zone, demonstrating their commitment to peacemaking. This unprecedented movement engaged with women inside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and has now converged with other groups into a global coalition of women’s peace organizations calling for an end to the Korean War, to sign a peace agreement, and to include women in peace processes. The Special Rapporteur calls upon concerned Governments to hear the message from this movement.”
— Tomás Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
“In 2019, I introduced H.Res. 152 calling for the end to the war, and replacing the Armistice Agreement with a binding peace. That year, thanks to the incredible work of many grassroots activists from Women Cross DMZ and many other groups, the House of Representatives passed this as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.”
— Rep. Ro Khanna
“Through the dedicated, effective work of Women Cross DMZ the issue of a peace agreement between North Korea and the United States has moved from the backburner of policy debate to the front of mind. They have convincingly demonstrated that we cannot end North Korea’s nuclear program without a comprehensive peace.”
— Joe Cirincione, former President, Ploughshares Fund
“I express my thanks to Women Cross DMZ for the tremendous work it has done and continues to do to bring about peace on the Korean peninsula and to promote the role of women in the peace process. It is an honor for our law firm, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, to have the opportunity to support Christine Ahn, Hyun Lee, and their colleagues, in this mission. I admire the sustained commitment that WCDMZ has made to these very important goals, which serve the interests of the Korean people, of the region, and of the broader global community. Despite obstacles and conditions that can seem intractable, WCDMZ has persevered with indomitable spirit to bring about needed change. And it has done so with energy, education, thought leadership, and determination, all of which serve as a model for others to follow.”
— Edward Krauland, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson, LLP
“The tireless, courageous work of Women Cross DMZ enables us to envision that peace is possible on the Korean Peninsula, that the endless war and separation of families must end. Women Cross DMZ is an essential bridge for the two Koreas, leading us to a peaceful future.”
— Don Mee Choi, 2020 National Book Award for Poetry, 2021 MacArthur Fellow
“It has been inspiring to watch the birth and growth of Women Cross DMZ. This remarkable group has challenged all of us to think beyond traditional boundaries, from the militarized borders between North and South Korea to upending the imperial and patriarchal definitions of ‘national security.’ Deeply grounded in collaborative, intersectional analysis, and cross-sector movement building, Women Cross DMZ does not merely seek to end the longest lasting US war still ongoing in Korea, but is actively feminizing, demilitarizing, and democratizing US foreign policy across the board.”
— Kavita N. Ramdas, President and CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and former President and CEO, Global Fund for Women