Advocacy in East Asia and the Pacific

Over half of the world’s population lives in Asia, with 20% in China alone. A diverse region, the vast lands and waters of Asia-Pacific are home to some of the world’s richest and most technologically advanced cities, and some of the poorest and most globally-disconnected populations.

Climate change, food insecurity, natural disasters and tensions between national, ethnic or cultural groups present significant challenges for Asian states and the global community, especially in meeting development goals in the region. These challenges often contribute to massive displacements of the poor, heightened military and economic rivalries, unrestrained corporate exploitation of people and natural resources, and unresolved struggles for civil and human rights. The impact of these issues on women in particular is discernible, and yet women also play a significant role in creating solutions to these problems.

In East Asia and the Pacific, Global Ministries advocacy focuses on issues such as the increasing militarization of the region; the search for peaceful normalization and reunification of the Korean peninsula; the struggle for the rights of minorities and the indigenous, of workers and the poor in places like the Philippines; the challenges of environmental sustainability and food insecurity; and migration and the growing phenomenon of trafficking in persons—a significant problem both in Asia and from Asia to the U.S.

Visit the following pages for information and resources relating to our advocacy work in a specific country:

• Seeking Peace with Justice in Korea
• Seeking Peace with Justice in the Philippines