LiNK has the potential to win $1.5 million but we can’t do it without your vote! It will take YOU 5 minutes at the most and we only have 9 days to get 2000 votes! If we are among the top 25 projects with the most votes, we will then be taken to a panel for them to decide who deserves the money! Our story is compelling, but they won’t look at it unless you tell them to! 100% of the money is guaranteed to go towards refugee resettlement…that’s a lot of refugees we can help! So, below is how to nominate our project!
1) Go to the following link: http://www.membersproject.com/home/index.html 2) You have to log-in to nominate our project. So go to the top right corner of the page and click “log-in” 3) If you are a card-member of American Express, enter your online ID and password. You will then be prompt to enter your e-mail and password (you may have to create this). 4) If you are not a card-member, click on “guest sign up” located on the third column. Fill out the information and log-in! 5) You are almost done! There are over 1,200 projects to vote for…so, enter “liberty house” in the search field and our project will come up as “Liberty House-Assistance for North Korean refugees.” Click on it and then it will take you to our page where you will see a “nominate this project” button. Once you click on that button, we will receive your vote! 6) Lastly, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “facebook” or “myspace” icon so that you can post it to your profile. Remember we only have 9 days so don’t put this off. Your vote can be a catalyst to help hundreds of North Korean refugees!
Press Advisory July 4, 2008 Contact: SEOUL - 010.8388.7769
SEOUL - Reports from some local media have erroneously reported details about our organization, LiNK - Liberty in North Korea, and some of the aim's of its participation in Saturday's scheduled mock funeral. LiNK, an international NGO devoted to work on raising awareness about North Korean human rights issues, engaging in advocacy to help alleviate the sufferings of the North Korean people, and protection work throughout Asia sheltering North Korean refugees, will be holding a small mock funeral in the Shichung/Cheongyechon area of Seoul this Saturday at 6 pm. The demonstration is for one simple reason - to ask the South Korean people to help raise awareness for the sufferings of the North Korean people - victims of tremendous human rights violations, and, in coming months, victims of starvation on a wide scale. NGO reports have estimated several hundred thousand may starve to death in the coming season.
Our organization, and this Saturday's event accordingly, is strictly non-violent. We also do not take a stance on the issue of US beef in South Korea. We are simply asking citizens to remember that while they can raise their voices in their own defense - and many citizens have legitimate concerns about broader issues not necessarily related to beef - the North Korean people have no champions. We believe that the voices of South Korea's people can make all the difference.
For more information about LiNK, please visit www.linkglobal.org. LiNK is a non-profit, nonreligious, non-partisan, non-ethnic organization.
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Statement of Purpose
Friends, Korean history has been punctuated by heroic moments of grassroots mobilization for civil liberties, for freedom, and for independence. From pre-modern defenders of Korea's independence to the March 1st uprising, Korea's people have always carried deep in their hearts the welfare of their nation and it's citizens. Today, we see once again the abilities of the Korean people to mobilize and speak out on issues that for many are genuine concerns.
Our group is comprised of individuals from all over the world. We are of mixed ages, ethnicities, professions, nationalities and backgrounds, both Koreans and foreigners. We take no stance on the issues being debated here today, nor on the controversy over American beef. We understand the concerns that many individuals have. We are not here as foreigners, or here to protest against you. We are here as fellow citizens of the world to share with you about something we believe in very strongly, strongly enough that many of us have traveled from other nations to be here with you today.
The North Korean people have seen suffering and hardship on a scale that beggars belief. For years we have worked to raise awareness of their plight and encourage involvement in finding solutions for their struggles, and we are here today to do the same. In the 1990s, over 1 million North Koreans died of starvation. Thousands upon thousands of North Koreans today are without access to rations - NGOs estimate several hundred thousand will die of starvation this year, unless circumstances change. Every freedom we enjoy today - the freedoms to assembly and speech, which allow citizens to peaceably gather to express their views; freedoms of religion, which allow us to practice a faith of our choice, or no faith at all; and many others - simply do not exist in North Korea. Citizens in the North are permitted only to listen to radio broadcasts from the government - any caught listening to foreign broadcasts will be arrested and punished. Individuals have been known to be imprisoned for complaining about a day's rations (or lack thereof), folding a newspaper so that the crease fell upon an image of the Dear Leader Kim Jong Il's face, or even singing a South Korean pop song.
Today, at least 250,000 North Koreans suffer in a network of concentration camps. Inmates face treatment and conditions rivaling those perpetuated by the 20th century's most brutal regimes. North Korea follows a policy of punishing family members of the accused - up to three generations. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to China and other neighboring countries, in search of food or freedom, and remain in hiding. Among them, up to 70% or more of the females are estimated to face sexual trafficking and exploitation. Some women have told of being sold for as little as several hundred dollars. Children born to these refugees on Chinese soil - even those born to Chinese fathers, gain no birthright. For life, they can not attend school, get medical care, or find legal work.
We have been inspired by the citizens of Korea and how they have turned out, in force, for a cause important to them. We believe in the potential of every individual gathered here to help bring about change in North Korea, to help better their lives, and to embrace those who for so long have gone without protectors. Their plight has gone largely unnoticed for over a decade. To say nothing will only prolong their suffering.
We believe we can together lend our passion and voices on behalf of those who have no voice. We have faith in the people of Korea. Please join us.
Over a decade ago, the world watched as over a million North Koreans starved to death. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans fled their country in search of food, and brought with them stories of a land very different from the South. A nation where freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, movement and dissent did not exist. Where listening to a foreign radio broadcast was grounds for treason. Where failing to honor the leader meant disloyalty. Where public executions were common. Where concentration camps reminiscent of Nazi Germany dotted the landscape.
Since our inception just over four years ago, our organization and our allies have worked to raise awareness of the plight of the forgotten North Korean people throughout the world. Today, thousands upon thousands of refugees remain in hiding throughout Asia, fearing forcible return to North Korea, where many would face torture or execution for leaving without permission. Today, at least 250,000 inmates guilty of no real crime live in a network of political prison camps, where survivors say unspeakable acts take place in inconceivable conditions. Recently, NGOs and experts have warned that in coming months perhaps several hundred thousand North Koreans will die of starvation.
Inmates at North Korea's Yoduk Concentration Camp
It was not long ago that the two Koreas were one. A great number of families on both sides of the DMZ have intimate family connections on the other side. And yet here today, in Seoul, awareness and interest in the plight of these people is painfully lacking. The average South Korean knows more about the uninhabited island of Dokdo or members of the latest Korean pop group than about their brothers and sisters to the North. And in past weeks, reports of a resurgent famine and painful stories of North Korean suffering have been drowned out by public protests against American beef.
The beef issue has complex roots. It is not as simple as an issue of food safety. Intertwined with concerns over mad cow disease are larger concerns about the power of the Blue House, the relationship between Korea and America, and concerns about the impact of free trade on Korea’s domestic industries.
At the same time, 25 million North Koreans today live in a nation that is, essentially, a prison-state. And despite over 13,000 North Koreans walking the streets among the citizens of the South, Free Korea has yet to use it’s voice on behalf of these voiceless. In a most succinct, perhaps insensitive summary – while South Koreans bicker over what they don’t wish to eat, North Koreans are dying for want of any food at all.
Many of us involved in this work are foreigners. Often, our voice is not always well-received in debates here in Korea. We long have worked to build local allies and work to politely, gently, but firmly raise the issue of North Korean human rights. Perhaps we have lost the urgency of this issue amidst a small sea of conferences, symposiums and petitions.
People are dying. We must do more.
This weekend, groups organizing protests in Seoul have pledged that one million will turn out to protest over the beef issue. Last week, protestors came brandishing steel pipes and bricks, toppling police vans and attacking the offices of several major newspapers. Right or wrong, we believe that violence is never an acceptable form of civic discourse in a democracy.
Throughout history, men and women have had moments where they came to believe that their lives meant something greater. Individuals have lived through eras where injustice reigned and suffering was widespread, and stood against it, often at great personal cost. This weekend, here in South Korea, we believe we must do our part. If politicians, academics, celebrities and others cannot raise the notion that there are perhaps more important and urgent matters deserving of Korea’s attention, then we will.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This weekend, we ask you to join us at Seoul City Hall. On July 5, protest organizers have pledged their largest and most aggressive protest yet. LiNK, in conjunction with No-No Demo, a group of South Korean students 30,000 strong, defector organizations, expatriate groups, Korean Americans, international students and many other sympathizers, will hold a public funeral for the dead and dying of North Korea. We will stand beside protestors and remind them that perhaps there are more pressing issues.
We are aware that we may face violent reactions to our message. Others bearing similar messages have faced beatings or threats of violence. If struck we will not strike back. We will be vastly outnumbered, highly unpopular and quite possibly offensive. But the fact remains – North Koreans are dying, and Free Korea has forgotten them. We have been warned repeatedly that any criticism of protests, perceived or real, will spark backlash. But what then shall we do? Remain silent? Shall we be content to read wire reports and news briefs of more lives lost? Shall we tell escapees of concentration camps and victims of sexual trafficking who share with us their stories, “I am sorry, but now is not the time to raise this issue.”?
Justice delayed is justice denied.
If you are willing to stand with us this Saturday, please contact rsvp@linkglobal.org for more information. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a professional or a tourist, this is a rare chance to stand for your convictions, and be a part of something greater. Perhaps we will make history. Perhaps we will see the beginnings of a sea change in the South Korean grassroots. Perhaps this will spark a moment of reflection and a call to conscience. Or, perhaps, we will fail, unnoticed, maybe bearing fresh wounds. But this is what is right, and sometimes that is all that matters. Free Korea must stand for her enslaved brothers and sisters.
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WHO: You. WHERE: Cheongyecheon towards Seoul City Hall (Shichong 시청) WHEN: Saturday, July 5, 2008 @ 6 pm WHY: To speak for 25 million voiceless North Koreans ATTIRE: Black Funeral Attire IMPORTANT INFORMATION: rsvp@linkglobal.org MORE: http://blog.daum.net/linkglobal http://libertyinnorthkorea.blogspot.com/
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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This year we have nearly 20 participants actively promoting and researching issues for the North Korean human rights cause. Our Project: Real Sunshine team will be spending three weeks in South Korea from June 22th to July 14th raising awareness in the streets of Seoul and researching "Korean Public Sentiment" on the issue of NK Human Rights and "Refugee Resettlement Experiences".
While many of you may be familiar with our "Drop Dead" initiative from Project: Sunshine 2006, this year we have taken a decidedly more inviting approach with our new "FREEZE" initiatives. Our participants have been distributing fliers throughout Seoul and inviting the public to learn more about our program and the issue we are working hard to promote. The "FREEZE" - incorporated with the arrow initiatives used in Project: Sunshine 2006 - has been receiving positive feedback from the public and we hope to find even more success in the weeks to come.
Enjoy the videos and photos (below) from our awareness initiatives and please check back for more updates! (Note: subscribe to our RSS feed for update notices).
Also check out our Daum blog for more pictures and updates in Korean! [link]
A video example of one awareness initiative we held in Gangnam Station.
Photos from various arrow and freeze initiatives held thus far:
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
LiNK hosted a nationwide speaking tour from May 1-15, 2008 for North Korean defector Shin Dong-Hyuk who was born into slavery and raised as a political prisoner in a North Korean concentration camp.
Beginning with a press conference on Capitol Hill - hosted by Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Diane Watson (D-CA) – and a briefing with Representative Ed Royce (R-CA), Mr. Shin shared his story and perspectives on North Korea and the world that was hidden from him until recently, and urged the world to stop the grave injustices in the North.
The following day, LiNK, the Sejong Society of Washington, DC, Asian American Pacific Film, Inc. and the National Association of Asian American Professionals co-sponsored a mixer and happy hour fundraiser at IndeBleu.
Ending the Washington, DC, portion of the tour was a roundtable discussion at St. AlbansSchool, a private college preparatory school for boys, where the school’s headmaster joined in on the talk (5/5).
The tour stopped by New York City in its second week, where Mr. Shin visited the Permanent Missions of the DPRK, Germany and the United Kingdom to the UN. Officials of the DPRK Mission refused to meet with Mr. Shin, while the German and British Missions welcomed him with meaningful discussions.
LiNK also hosted an awareness event at The King’s College (5/6), a “Brown-Bag Lunch Discussion” at the Columbia University Center for the Study of Human Rights (5/7), a press conference at New York State Assembly-member Ellen Young’s office (5/8), and a private pre-screening of Director Kim Tae-Kyun's Crossing at The ImaginAsian Theater (5/8). The screening was attended by over 200 guests – including activists, defectors, media and representatives of the New York State Governor and Assemblymen – and the audience was visibly moved, evidenced by the many who pledged to increase their involvement in and support for this cause.
The third leg of the tour was in Chicago, where awareness events were also held at NorthwesternUniversityLawSchool (5/9) and Foster Bank (5/10).
The following week, Mr. Shin shared his testimony and pointed out the location of his former home and camp parameters and facilities on Google Earth in a "Google Tech Talk" with LiNK Executive Director Adrian Hong at the Googleplex headquarters near San Francisco (5/12). Google had previously hosted Mr. Hong for a talk in June 2007.
A second awareness event was also held at UC-Berkeley (5/12), and a fundraiser the next day at a local supporter’s home (5/13).
The tour came to a close in Los Angeles, with awareness events at UCLA (5/14) and UC-Irvine (5/15) and a mixer and happy hour at M Grill Restaurant (5/14).
Throughout the tour, LiNK's Directors, who accompanied Mr. Shin, also shared new developments and information about the crisis, refugee situation and LiNK's resettlement activities, and how the public can get involved.
A huge thank you to all of LiNK's staff, volunteers and supporters who helped welcome Mr. Shin to the US and contributed in putting together a successful tour!
Please join us on Thursday, June 19 at 7:00 pm in LA, for a private screening of the forthcoming film Crossing, presented by LiNK, KoreAm Journal, and ImaginAsian Entertainment. Production quietly began on this film in 2004, and today we have the first feature film touching upon the North Korean human rights and refugee crisis. It is slated for theatrical release in South Korea on June 26. This film may very well be our movement's "Hotel Rwanda" or "Schindler's List." We are excited to be able to present this film here in the US for special advance screening.
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 Date/Time: 7:00 pm Location: ImaginAsian Center, 251 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Presented by: LiNK, KoreAm Journal, and ImaginAsian Entertainment.
Recently, Executive Director Adrian Hong and North Korean defector Shin Dong-hyuk stopped by Google headquarters at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA.
Thank you everyone for supporting LiNK and our "Born and Raised in a Concentration Camp" US Tour. It has been an exciting and extremely busy 3 weeks, and we are thankful to everyone who came out and brought friends and family to our events. A more thorough debrief of the tour is forthcoming.
Stay tuned for information on our exciting summer programs and upcoming awareness initiatives!
Updates from Seoul!
