Korea's first large-scale peace festival, being held August 1 to September 11, 2005, will bring together people from all walks of life at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). During 42 days an anticipated crowd of 50,000 will experience the diversity of expressions of peace through exciting music and educational events designed for all ages. The goal is to promote personal and social responsibility in the care of our lives and our planet today and for our children's future.

Drawing on Gyeonggi Province's unique historical, symbolic, and ecological characteristics, the festival will provide creative experiences and opportunities for people of all backgrounds and ages to know peace better and to carry it through their lives. The festival will broaden awareness of non-violent solutions to conflicts and will promote peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Korean peninsula and the world's diverse cultures.

The Peace Festival is not limited to the concept of peace as an opposition to war, conflict, and aggression. Peace can be internal or external stability and harmony. It can be the peace we seek by reconciling our own divided country's conflicts, the peace we need in everyday life to go about our relationships with people and planet, even the peace we don't know as yet.

The Festival will be centralized in Peace Park, a new ecological zone created at Imjingak in Paju City of Gyeonggi Province. The venue will be a permanent feature of the area for all to enjoy in the future.

Koreans welcome all people to attend this event and to learn how to make peace in your own lives.

For further information, please visit http://www.peacef.org or e-mail dianora@kntoamerica.com