How you can start a conversation about North Korea (and why you should)
Submitted by Beth Hallowell, PhD, a cultural anthropologist and the Communications Research Director at AFSC.
It's not every day that you wake up and think, "you know what, let's start a conversation about North Korea," but that's exactly what will help us build lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Why? Because there is a toxic narrative in the U.S. that all of North Korea is inherently violent, even crazy. This narrative ushers policymakers towards political "solutions," like sanctions, which look tough but fail to produce diplomatic breakthroughs. Meanwhile, analysts and peacebuilders increasingly say that engagement is the only way forward.
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It's not every day that you wake up and think, "you know what, let's start a conversation about North Korea," but that's exactly what will help us build lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Why? Because there is a toxic narrative in the U.S. that all of North Korea is inherently violent, even crazy. This narrative ushers policymakers towards political "solutions," like sanctions, which look tough but fail to produce diplomatic breakthroughs. Meanwhile, analysts and peacebuilders increasingly say that engagement is the only way forward.
More...