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Drawing Hope
DMZ

June 26-August 6, 2026

Imjingak, Paju


June 23-27, 2026

National Assembly Members' Office Building, Seoul

국회1.jpg

WHY
Imjingak and
National Assembly?

In 2026, the exhibition was hosted at two symbolically significant venues in Korea: the National Assembly Members' Building and Imjingak in the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). The National Assembly served as a mainstream civic platform, sharing the values of peace and international solidarity with citizens from all walks of life, while the DMZ venue offered a space for deeper reflection on the reality of division and the future of peace. Marking 30 years since the "Hello, Friend!" campaign began between North and South Korean children in 1996, the exhibition featured artwork from across 16 countries, underscoring the initiative's growing international solidarity.​

Organizing and Participating Organizations
 

Organized by

Participating organizations:

  • American Friends Service Committee

  • Friends of Northeast Asia Children's Art Exhibition Organizing Committee

  • ReconciliAsian

  • Rcity Youth CIC 

  • The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation 

  • Cambodia Peace Gallery 

  • Edupaz

  • El Nido

  • Mennonite Central Committee 

  • LCC International University Center for Dialogue and Conflict Transformation

  • Kooyrigs

  • Seeds for Development and Culture

  • Piyawara Collective

  • Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church

  • Somos Watsonville

     

* The exhibition is made possible by Gyeonggi Province.

Exhibition

  • Date and Venue: 
    - June 26-August 6 2026 / Imjingak, Paju
    - June 23-27 2026 / National Assembly Members' Office Building, Seoul

  • Children’s individual artwork
    : Self-portraits and letters to future friends in other parts of the world from South Korea, North Korea, Japan, USA, Ireland/Nortehrn Ireland, South Africa, Cambodia, Colombia, Lithuania, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Armenia, Palestine, and Sri Lanka.

  • Children’s collaboration artwork
    : Life-size portraits and letters to future friends across the globe

2026 Global Forum for Emerging Peacebuilders

Okedongmu Children in Korea hosted the ‘2026 Global Forum for Emerging Peacebuilders' from June 26th to 27th.

Local activists from nine regions around the world—including Nablus (Palestine), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Los Angeles (USA), and Tokyo (Japan)—who visited Korea for the ‘Drawing Hope’ exhibition, spent the meaningful time together with Korean youth.

Through DMZ fieldwork, participants observed the reality of the divided Korean Peninsula firsthand. They also shared thoughts on peace while listening to vivid, diverse stories from local activists from around the world. It was a valuable time spent nurturing hope together.

Link

”From 'Hello, Friend!' on the Korean Peninsula to 'Drawing Hope': A 30-Year Journey to a Global Initiative

Okedongmu Children in Korea

남북 어린이 그림교류에서 세계평화 프로젝트로

Pressian

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