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The 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting for the International NGOs Conference on History and Peace (hereafter "International NGOs Conference"), co-hosted by the Northeast Asian History Foundation and the International NGO History Forum for Peace in East Asia (hereafter "International NGO History Forum") took place from October 3-6 in Toronto, Canada.

The 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting was organized to constructively assess the International NGOs Conference, which had been held three since 2007; develop an effective program for the next International NGOs Conference; plan for the mid to long-term expansion of the International NGOs Conference; share overseas activities and experiences; and strengthen Korean organizations' competencies. The 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting was carried out in close collaboration with ALPHA (Association for Learning and Preserving the History of World War II in Asia), a local Canadian NGO. This in and of itself is a fine example of encouraging global membership and promoting international cooperation among NGOs.

Role and responsibility of civil society in Northeast Asia's historical reconciliation

The international academic symposium kicked off on October 3 with a keynote speech entitled "The Roles of Global Civil Societies for Historical Reconciliation in East Asia" by Samuel Lee (Korea), Director-General of EcoPeaceAsia. In the first session, "Historical Conflicts in East Asia and Civil Accountabilities Inherited," Co-Chair Lee Sin-chul (Korea) of the Steering Committee for Asia Peace & History Education Network and Director Bu Ping (China) of the Institute of Modern History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences presented on historical conflicts in East Asia and the role and efforts made by transnational civil solidarities. Representative Jin Naoko (Japan) of Bridge for Peace, Senior Research Associate Mark Selden (USA) of Cornell University, and Chair Joseph Wong (Canada) of Toronto ALPHA discussed cases of historical conflicts and prospects for historical reconciliation in Japan, USA, and Canada in their presentations.

In Session 2, entitled "Civic Agreements to Construct a Foundation for Historical Reconciliation," presenters stressed the importance of history education as a tool for resolving historical conflicts and promoting peace. Research Director Inga Niehaus (Germany) of the Georg-Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research and Executive Director Joke van der Leeuw-Roord (The Netherlands) of EUROCLIO stressed over and over the importance of joint history textbooks as a tool for realizing a shared historical understanding. Discussants for the first and second sessions were Research Professor Sin Ju-back of Yonsei University, Professor Su Zhiliang of Shanghai Normal University, Chief Jeong Dong-seob of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association, and Director Yamane Kazuyo of Grass Roots House Peace Museum. They spoke about devising more effective and enhanced action plans.

On October 4, a workshop was held to evaluate the agendas of the previous International NGOs Conferences and develop new agendas for the 2011 International NGOs Conference. The workshop kicked off with a presentation by Steering Committee Chair Yang Mi-kang of the International NGO History Forum and an accompanying video that provided an overview of the previous three International NGOs Conferences. The morning session was for the evaluation of the agendas covered at the previous conferences. Representative Yoo Im-hyun of the Commission to History of the Korean Race provided an assessment of the effective agenda items of the previous conferences. Professor Woo Sil-ha of Korea Aerospace University discussed those initiatives that were effective and those that require improvement by comparing the objectives and agendas of the past conferences. He suggested that the conference should remain active and continue to monitor its activities to become even more productive and action-oriented. Representative Kang Sung-ho of the International Network for Peace and Conflict Resolution evaluated the program structure and organization of the International NGOs Conference and proposed that the conference should ultimately become a joint effort involving diverse Korean and overseas participants.

Strategic private-public-academic partnership and model for cooperation

The afternoon session was devoted to developing an agenda for the 2011 International NGOs Conference. The cases of peace education shared by Director Yamane Kazuyo of Grass Roots House Peace Museum provided exemplary models for practical implementation that went beyond academic theories. President Kang Sung-ho of the International Network for Peace and Conflict Resolution proposed the establishment of international norms and principles for historical reconciliation (in East Asia) by harnessing the experiences and making use of the role of the International NGOs Conference. The proposal sparked a heated discussion, which demonstrated the elevated status of the conference and the possibility of enhancing the international solidarity on historical reconciliation through the conference. It was also an important opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the participating organizations and delineate new and more advanced roles and tasks for the International NGOs Conference. Public Relations Director Kim Dae-young of the Northeast Asian History Foundation talked about the limitations and scope of government-civil society cooperation using overseas cases as examples. He expressed hopes for the strategic private-public-academic partnership fostered by the Northeast Asian History Foundation and the International NGOs Conference to develop into a global model for cooperation.

On the third of the 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting, there was an on-site visit of the "Facing History and Ourselves" education program, which integrates history education and character building; a roundtable discussion by specialists of Asia, Africa, and Europe under the theme "Truth and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Societies" at the University of Toronto's graduate school for Global Affairs; and a visit to the Korea section of the University of Toronto's East Asian Library. Then on the fourth day, participants met with the Korean Canadian Cultural Association and other local Korean organizations.

The 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting helped to reaffirm the lack of awareness in East Asia's historical issues in North America, the need for a more diversified international network, and the importance of strengthening the competencies of participating Korean organizations. It also served as an invaluable opportunity to prepare for the next International NGOs Conference. The historical conflicts between Korea, China, and Japan are not limited to the three countries in question. They require urgent attention not only for the benefit of the countries directly involved but also to bring about peace in East Asia and the world at large. The 2010 Coordinating Committee Meeting, confirmed once again, that the International NGOs Conference is a timely and effective initiative founded on the cooperation between the Northeast Asian History Foundation, NGOs, and the academia to take new approaches in the quest to resolve historical conflicts and foster reconciliation in East Asia.