Whereas, compassion for our fellow human beings is one of the foundation stones of civilization and forgiveness is the basic value that allows human beings to be and live together without conflict; and

Whereas, former President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea, with great courage, offered the North Korean people forgiveness and compassion through the authoring and establishing of the Sunshine Policy, his Presidential policy directive to unify the Korean Peninsula based on a three phase approach; and

Whereas, President Kim Dae Jung was awarded the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his Sunshine Policy, his ongoing peace work and the great reduction in the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula that occurred as a result; and

Whereas, the Wholistic Peace Institute (WPI) is the host of President Kim Dae Jung’s visit to Portland and is working with him on a 2009 World Peace Conference with multiple Nobel Peace Laureates in China and Korea on ending the Korean war and the exchange of ambassadors between these two countries; and

Whereas, the WPI is also developing a Peace Studies Department & Nobel Peace Laureate Center at Pyongyang University Science and Technology (PUST), as well as a Nobel Peace Laureate Center and World Peace Garden in the Southwest Waterfront Area, which would draw Nobel Peace Laureates and world peacemakers here to Portland for extended lengths of time to work with our University Faculty on world peace issues, especially on the Korean Peninsula and in Asia; and

Whereas, this work of the WPI is being done in collaboration with Portland State University; Oregon State University; the University of Portland and other Colleges; and

Whereas, the Sunshine Policy has opened up a globally supported effort led by the Republic of Korea to send humanitarian aid and open factories in North Korea for the betterment of the people, and there now exists on the Korean Peninsula an openness to the possibility of peace at an unprecedented level, more so than has ever existed in the last 50 years; and

Whereas, in many ways this has been led by business leaders from the Republic of Korea who are working to establish a market economy, using China as an economic model in North Korea, and understand that world trade, world peace, and the reduction of conflict, is one;

Now, therefore, I, Tom Potter, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim April 18, 2008 to be

A Day of Appreciation for

President Kim Dae Jung

in Portland and encourage all residents to observe this day.