[5] About the background and context of establishing the foundation, its website page[6] reads: "May means a sacrifice for us rather than an unhealed wound.

The organization also helps promote and protect democracy, human rights and peace building regionally and internationally.

According to The Korea Herald article written by Praveen Kumar Yadav, international intern at the May 18 Memorial Foundation, "The main objective of bringing about the Gwangju Declarations was to identify the gaps and challenges in addressing human rights violations in Asia, and to suggest effective measures to resolve the problems.

The award is intended to commemorate the spirit of the May 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement (also known as "518" for its 18 May start), in which pro-democracy citizens battled soldiers in protest of the military reign of Chun Doo-hwan.

Father Nandana Manatunga from Sri Lanka bagged the latest Gwangju Prize for Human Rights[9] for his and team's struggle that has helped secure convictions against perpetrators of rape and torture.