Sewol families collaborating with families affected by disasters in France

Posted on : 2016-05-17 15:54 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Committees planning a conference in Seoul after tour of Europe where they met with disaster victims’ families
Sewol sinking victims’ families give a lecture at Sorbonne University in Paris
Sewol sinking victims’ families give a lecture at Sorbonne University in Paris

The family members of victims in the Sewol ferry sinking have decided to promote the idea of collaborating with French disaster victims to hold an international conference in Seoul as early as this October to promote solidarity among victims of large-scale disasters around the world. If the conference takes place, it would be the world’s first such solidarity meeting for disaster victims.

 May 13. (by Jin Byung-kwan)  
May 13. (by Jin Byung-kwan)  

Since May 3, two groups related to the Sewol tragedy - April 16th Solidarity and April 16th Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society - have been touring Europe. After visiting Germany, the Vatican, Belgium and the UK, they reached their final stop in France on May 14. At the office of FENVAC (National Federation of the Victims of Catastrophes), in Paris, the two South Korean groups met with organizations for French disaster victims to commiserate with each other and to discuss approaches to international solidarity.

During the meeting, the participants reached an agreement about three specific goals for the future.

Members of two groups related to the Sewol tragedy - April 16th Solidarity and April 16th Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society pose for a commemorative photo with members of FENVAC and victims’ families from the recent terror attacks in Paris. (by Jeong Yoo-jin)
Members of two groups related to the Sewol tragedy - April 16th Solidarity and April 16th Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society pose for a commemorative photo with members of FENVAC and victims’ families from the recent terror attacks in Paris. (by Jeong Yoo-jin)

First, the groups seek to create an international organization that would be able to establish safety regulations and enforce their implementation by each country in the area of ferry operation, just as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency, does in the area of aircraft operation.

Second, they hope to adopt a declaration of human rights that would ensure that the victims of all disasters and terror attacks in the world and their families can play a meaningful role in the process of responding to accidents, determining their causes and receiving relief for their damages. Along with this, they want each country to pass legislation in line with these goals.

The participants from the two countries also agreed that, in order to discuss these goals, they should hold an international conference attended by groups of disaster victims from around the world to be held in Seoul this October.

Sewol sinking victims’ families and victims’ families from the recent terror attacks in Paris applaud after they agreed to hold a conference at the National Assembly in Seoul in October.
Sewol sinking victims’ families and victims’ families from the recent terror attacks in Paris applaud after they agreed to hold a conference at the National Assembly in Seoul in October.

The proposal to hold the conference in Seoul was made by April 16th Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society, and it was enthusiastically endorsed by Stephane Gicquel, secretary-general of FENVAC.

The Sewol families said that it would be able to work toward international solidarity with groups it met during its trip to Europe representing victims from the MS Estonia and from the Hillsborough disaster in the UK, as well as a group for victims of the Fukushima disaster in Japan with which it already has ties.

French groups for disaster victims, including FENVAC, SOS Catastrophes (European Network of Disaster Victims), and 13 Novembre: Fraternite et Verite, which is composed of victims’ families from the Paris terror attacks last November, reportedly started discussing what they wanted to achieve in their meeting with the Sewol victims’ families two weeks before the meeting took place.

“During our trip to Europe, we gained the strength to persevere for the next 10 years,” said Yoo Gyeong-geun, who chairs the society’s executive committee.

“We are planning to discuss the details in our executive meeting on May 17, after the European delegation returns to Korea. We’re not yet at the stage where we can release an official position,” said a source at the group’s executive office in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on May 16.

By Mok Soo-jeong, contributing writer in Paris

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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