Reflection on my visit to the 25th anniversary of the Women’s International War Crime Tribunal

On March 13th, I visited the 25th anniversary of the Women’s International War Crime Tribunal hosted at Cardozo School of Law in New York City. This is an annual tribunal where the professionals from legal sector, especially international law, gather and discuss the issue of Japanese military Comfort Women (sexual slavery) system. There, I got to see the exhibition of the oral history from the survivors across the globe along with the legal documents that New Jersey issued regarding the justice for the survivors of the system. I also met Indai Sajor, who have been organizing this tribunal from the very first one in 2000. At the end of the tribunal, Jaribu Hill, a Civil and Human Rights Attorney, recited a poetry that resonates with the pain, liberation, trauma, and healing that are shared among freedom seekers and advocates who work towards decolonization from different approaches, whether it be Transatlantic Slavery or Japanese Military Comfort Women. I felt that this community has been nurtured by people who have been fighting against colonialism and imperialism and building the strong cooperative connection with those who shares the goal. This visit even more strongly ignited my passion to study and record the survival from the war-time sexual violence and colonialism and the healing from generational trauma.