LiNKorea's Xanga

Monday, February 09, 2009

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:17:19 GMT

"Crossing" Screening this Thursday
February 12 @ 7pm
Wilshire Avenue Community Church
Fullerton, CA
[ map ]

If you haven't seen it yet, please join us!

Also, if you are interested in the film and would like to [ host a screening ] at your school or networks of influence, please contact tours@linkglobal.org or speak to us at the event.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:22:57 GMT

Be entertained while supporting LiNK!

Do you like discovering [ raw talent ]? Love LiNK?

If you're in the LA area on Saturday, February 21 come check out Kollaboration for an evening of entertainment - singers, dancers, comedians, and more!

Purchase your ticket through [ LiNK's link ] and a portion of the ticket sales will be donated back to us!

Monday, February 02, 2009

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:55:08 GMT

LiNK Launch Party

We hope to see you there!

[ map ]

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:27:11 GMT

Three Ways to Present : Change This Holiday Season

1) Visit our website and X-change your wants for their needs!

2) Send a note to the refugees and protection officers in our shelters!

3) Find the perfect gift at The LiNK Store and feel good about spending your money!

Friday, November 07, 2008

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:48:44 GMT

Calling all interns in the Los Angeles area!

Spring internships begin Jaunary 5, 2009 in our new office. For more information, please see below or contact kira(at)linkglobal.org

---

Calling all Interns and Volunteers!

Working at LiNK is an immediate immersion in every aspect of the front lines of the global movement for North Korean human rights, from advocacy, to awareness, to field work.

All internships begin December 1^st and end in early January, and will be on a volunteer basis.

Interns must be able to commit to 20 hours per week and a consistent work schedule.

Check out these job descriptions:

Media Coordinator (2)

-Log and capture over 50 hours of video footage

-Edit sequences and offer feedback for storyboarding

-Organizing video/photo library

-Organizing content and media for new website

Korean-to-English Translator

-Fluent in Korean and English

-Previous experience with translation preferred

-Media experience if possible

Graphic/Web Design (1)

-Help build designs for certain elements of the new website

-Help design for 2009 projects

-Design for Videos/Media

-Creative insight

Awareness/Event Coordinator (3)

-Help plan logistics for Gala event

-Work on logistics for campus chapters

-Create and Organize fundraising ideas

If you're interested or have any questions contact kira(at)linkglobal.org

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:21:38 GMT

Book Release: Escaping North Korea by Mike Kim

Wednesday, November 5
5:30-6:30pm
Sponsored by Amnesty International, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and CLS

Georgetown University Law Center
McDonough 203
600 New Jersey Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20001
[ map ]

For more information, please contact asa34@law.georgetown.edu.

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Saturday, October 25
2:00 - 4:00pm
Sponsored by Crossing Borders

Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
New York, NY 10012
[ map ]

Please join author and founder of Crossing Borders, Mike Kim, this Saturday as he shares an excerpt from his new book Escaping North Korea. A brief overview of Crossing Borders as well as a Q&A session will follow the reading.

Escaping North Korea provides a rare and unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. It recounts firsthand experiences of enduring famine, women's sex trafficking experiences, and torture in the gulags, as well as inspirational stories of refugees who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives.

"The power of Escaping North Korea stems from the stories Mr. Kim tells. During his four years in China, he met hundreds of escapees from the North. He reconstructs their tales - of the privations of daily existence in North Korea, of life on the lam in China - in heartbreaking detail...There are many heroes in Mr. Kim's book, not least the author himself."

-Wall Street Journal

To learn more about Escaping North Korea and author Mike Kim, please click here.

Liberty Live Tour

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:56:41 GMT

For more information regarding real time updates of the Liberty Live Tour, click HERE

Monday, September 29, 2008

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:36:01 GMT

September 18, 2008

Farewell Message from Director Adrian Hong

Friends,

We have come a long way together since March 27, 2004 - the day LiNK was created. It was born of a powerful, visceral reaction to the injustices that played out before our eyes. Innocents imprisoned and tortured. Women sold as chattel. Children stolen or abandoned, left to fend for themselves. Then, as today, we knew: this cannot be right. This cannot be the way humans were meant to live. And thus, in an attempt to seek a solution, LiNK came to be.

We have come a long way from that first Summit held in 2004; a small gathering of a few dozen dedicated young and aspiring activists in over their heads. For two days they met on plastic desks arranged on the grounds of a local Tae Kwon Do school in San Diego, made this cause their own, and committed to real, concerted action on behalf of a people they had never met, whose plight gripped their hearts and, quite often, haunted their dreams.

LiNK was created for one purpose and one purpose only - to find real solutions to the suffering of the North Korean people. Four years out, we have yet to find a real, sustainable solution. North Korea remains under a cruel dictatorship unrivaled in the world. Refugees remain on the run - hunted, exploited and repatriated by unsympathetic neighbors to the DPRK. The human rights agenda remains off the list of priorities for governments and institutions around the world.

At the same time, we have, together, saved lives. Through the sacrifices of several dedicated LiNK field workers and the cooperation of some key players, refugees have found shelter, friendship, food and care, and a lucky few, freedom. Through the generous donations of our supporters, policymakers in Washington, New York, Brussels, Geneva, London, Paris, Ottawa, Prague, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and other centers around the world have learned of this crisis and pledged their support. We have not yet won this fight - and it will prove to be a most difficult one - but we have made a great deal of progress. We have learned a great deal more about this cause, the powers that be, and the key players that must line up. We have learned what works and what does not. We have been able to engage policymakers in effective ways and win allies at all levels. We have helped to raise the consciousness of a new generation of activists and advocates. We have changed policies, won small battles and saved lives. And we will do more as we move forward.

This past summer, I had the privilege of serving as a visiting lecturer at Seoul's Ewha University. I taught a course entitled, "America, Human Rights and Foreign Policy." For weeks, my students and I analyzed every major genocide and humanitarian crisis in the past century - from the Armenian Genocide to the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge to the current crisis in Darfur. We discussed important questions - why did people die? How did it all take place? Most importantly: What did the world do in response?

The sad truth emerged: in almost every situation, the world looked on and did nothing while hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, suffered from starvation, atrocity, disease or murder. We will not allow this to be the case in North Korea. We cannot fail.

This summer has been a fruitful and busy time for us here at LiNK. We have reassessed our work and effectiveness in every area and at every level - from the grassroots to advocacy, from underground shelters to policy debates. We have looked at the progress we've made so far, and where we hope to be headed, and have made some difficult decisions for the sake of this cause. For four years, LiNK has been trying to be a complete solution - working end-to-end, attacking the symptoms and problems simultaneously, working hard to raise awareness, stimulate advocacy, and engage in field work. We have realized that we cannot do all things at the same time, and still do them all well.

This coming January will see the emergence of a new, improved LiNK. LiNK will narrow its mandate and focus to two particular areas of strength - raising widespread awareness in the grassroots, and activism in the streets and field. The organization will focus on building an international base of voices, donors and advocates for this cause, and expand its field operations throughout the world - from underground shelters and safe houses throughout Asia, to refugee resettlement projects in South Korea and the United States. Beginning now, LiNK will be helmed by the very capable Hannah Song, who until now has served for two years as Deputy Director of LiNK. As you may be aware, Miss Song left a promising career in advertising in New York, taking significant pay and prestige cuts to work in Washington. She has been a tremendous part of what LiNK has been able to accomplish. All of our dynamic core leadership, who remain active at Headquarters and around the world, took a chance and cast their lot in with an untested organization with no funds and assets to speak of. Their talent and abilities have made up for my shortcomings in leadership.

On another front, I will be leaving LiNK to plant the seeds for renewed, sustained and intensified political advocacy and policy work for this cause. It is an area in dire need of more resources, voices and energy. The few noble groups who have tirelessly functioned as a voice in the wilderness have often been pushed aside or drowned out despite their best efforts. We cannot control the circumstances surrounding this issue. We cannot prevent North Korea from launching missiles or testing bombs, and pushing the dialogue to be one exclusively about security and stability. But we can make a stronger, better case for the protection of human rights on the peninsula. With the help of top scholars, experts and leaders, we can attest to the linkages and mutual dependencies of stability and human rights, security and humanitarian conditions - a discussion that is sorely lacking in our broader policy debates. We can press for the notion that policy must be realistic and achievable, but also be morally compelling and comprehensive. It is our hope that, with the help of many others, we will be able to make the case for the forgotten North Korean people. We believe a strengthened advocacy front coupled with an energized grassroots base will prove to be the beginning of the end of this crisis.

Despite the inherent weight of this cause, the future looks bright. History marches on, and has shown that the days of dictators, juntas and oppression are always numbered. Progress always has its way. Liberty will come for the North Koreans soon. The next few months and years look extremely promising and exciting, and I will leave details to LiNK's new Executive Director Hannah Song to relate to you in the coming months.

It has been a tremendous privilege and honor to serve this most worthy cause. It has stretched and deepened my heart and soul, and taught me about what really matters in life. LiNK's successes have been fruits of the labors of a great many individuals - unnamed field workers, HQ officers, local coordinators and hard-working volunteers and supporters throughout the world, and key allies in various governments, offices, NGOs and agencies. Thank you for your service and commitment!

May we soon have no reason to exist.

With gratitude,
Onwards and Upwards!

Adrian Hong

Friday, September 26, 2008

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:33:46 GMT

UPDATE:

North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008 Passes Congress!

LiNK would like to extend its appreciation to Congressional staffers and LiNK's grassroots supporters for helping to get Congress to pass the "North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008" (H.R. 5834)! Among other provisions, H.R. 5834 strengthens the role of the Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues with an ambassadorial rank position and ensures involvement with North Korean refugee cases.

In the coming weeks, LiNK will be working to ensure that the new Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues will "be a person of recognized distinction in the field of human rights" and whose sole priority and focus will be North Korean human rights.

Thanks again to everyone who responded to our call below. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved...

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:49:49 GMT

We Need Your Help- Please Respond NOW!

In 2004 the North Korean Human Rights Act (then H.R. 4011, now P.L. 108-333) was passed and signed into law, offering U.S. support for human rights groups in North Korea and for refugees leaving the secretive state. The intent of the act was “[t]o promote human rights and freedom in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and for other purposes.”

The act intended to make it easier for the U.S. to assist North Korean refugees by providing humanitarian assistance to North Koreans inside North Korea; provide grants to private, non-profit organizations to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law, and the development of a market economy in North Korea; increase the availability of information inside North Korea; and provide humanitarian or legal assistance to North Koreans who had fled North Korea.

This past May, the bipartisan North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5834) passed the House unanimously but has been sitting with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Joseph Biden, for the past 4 months. The NKHRRA includes important language that will appoint a full-time Special Envoy for human rights in North Korea, strengthening that previous role with Ambassadorial rank and also involvement in any issues relating to North Korean refugees. The bill also appropriates a 50% increase from the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 ($4 million for fiscal years 2009-2012).

THIS BILL MUST BE PASSED THIS MONDAY in order to prevent provisions of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 from lapsing.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO [NOW]:

PLEASE urge both Senator Biden and other Senators to promptly pass this Reauthorization Act and to be sure to include the provisions that will strengthen the role of the Special Envoy- this role MUST be a full-time, Ambassadorial-rank position, with explicit authorization to help coordinate and advocate U.S. policy toward North Korean refugees.

DEMAND that Senator Biden give the Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea the same position and level of influence/ importance that he gave to his own Burma Envoy earlier this Congress in his Burma JADE Act (P.L. 110-286), which makes clear that the Burma envoy “may not simultaneously hold a separate position within the executive branch, including the Assistant Secretary of State, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, the United States Ambassador to Burma, or the Charge d'affairs to Burma.”

PLEASE DON’T WAIT. URGE SENATE TO PASS THE BILL ASAP THIS MONDAY IN ORDER TO ALLOW HOUSE PASSAGE ON TUESDAY!

You can look for your Senator’s contact information here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Then you can write a letter (handwritten if possible!) and fax it to Senator Biden and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: (see sample letter down below)

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
439 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
FAX: 202-224-5011

THANK YOU!

- - -

September 19, 2008

John Kim

1234 Independence Way

Palisades Park, NJ 07650

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Chairman
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
439 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

RE: H.R. 5834, "North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008"

Dear Chairman Biden,

I am writing to express my concern about the status of H.R. 5834, "North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008," which deals with North Korean human rights, humanitarian relief, and refugee protection issues. The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 5834 on May 15, 2008, and the bill has been sitting in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since May 19, 2008.

With less than a week left before the 110th Congress adjourns, it is disconcerting that there may be a lapse in funding authorizations, set forth by P.L. 108-333, "North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004."

The House passed H.R. 5834 with language that the Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues would have the rank of ambassador and involvement with North Korean refugee issues. During the past four years, the United States has resettled fewer than one hundred North Korean refugees. Both Democrats and Republicans in the House have agreed that the duties and responsibilities of the Special Envoy be strengthened to raise the profile of North Korean refugee cases.

P.L. 110-286, "Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008," created the Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma who was given ambassadorial rank and express duties relating to Burmese refugees.

I believe that the situation of North Korean refugees is a humanitarian concern of the highest importance. The Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues should have the same ambassadorial rank and refugee responsibilities as the Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma. If not, then the United States would be treating North Korean human rights as a second-class issue and would continue to neglect the plight of North Korean refugees. PLEASE ENSURE PROMPT PASSAGE OF H.R. 5834 THIS MONDAY.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

Sincerely,

John Kim

CC: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg

Senator Robert Menendez