To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr.

There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29.

Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help.

I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work.

So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than calling security to have me escorted out, first saying she could teach Korean and offer emotional support.

Still probing, I asked her, “What do you like to do?” She thoughtfully listed a few things, then she enthusiastically mentioned that she loved making furniture. She pulled out her phone, proudly showing off photos of furniture she had personally made. With her enthusiasm and kind-heart, I am confident the students will be inspired by her.

I then pushed Jeong on the second thing I tell potential volunteers: Make a commitment. I encourage volunteers to get a host of experiences but to settle on one organization. Some youngsters ― especially Korean students building up their “spec” ― bounce around from soup kitchens, senior citizen centers, orphanages.

All are wonderful but it is hard for them to plan around volunteers who drop in whenever they feel like it. For volunteers, that is not a good way to learn lessons, build up real skills or be an effective volunteer. Jeong committed to volunteer for the school for at least three months even after I warned her that it would take at least two hours in each direction.

Third, as I said at fundraisers for an alternative school for North Korean refugee children: Be strategic about volunteering. When I was an education policy analyst at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., I also volunteered with the group DC Parents for School Choice, was a young executive network member of the Washington Scholarship Fund and a board member of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. I was helping educational freedom, especially for low-income families, both at work and volunteer activities.

I ran into a brick wall when I decided to get involved with North Korean refugees. This wasn’t just about debating the president of the board of education ― it is dealing with escapees from a totalitarian country that baffles even world leaders. I took my own advice.

The center of my activity is now Mulmangcho (www.mulmangcho.org) in Yeoju. It is a small alternative school for North Korean children founded by Park Sun-young, the former National Assembly member who is a leading advocate for North Korean refugees. I first met Park back in March when she was holding a hunger strike in front of the Chinese embassy protesting the forced repatriation of North Korean escapees from China to North Korea. After protesting together in both Seoul and Washington D.C., I committed to helping the school she said she was starting.

After I finished my speeches at fundraisers last November 20 and 21 for the school (we raised 1.5 million won and collected more than 1,000 donated items), several potential volunteers approached me. Each of them started the conversation by saying, ``Okay, I won’t ask you how I can help. Here’s what I can do.” A few days later, I had 24 volunteers ready to start immediately, to teach 11 students. Jeong promises to join us.

The writer is a member of the board of trustees of the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association in Washington, D.C., the accountability supervisor of NK Hub in Seoul, and the international cooperation adviser to the Mulmangcho School for North Korean refugee children in Yeoju. His email address is cjl@post.harvard.edu.

The Korea Times,

"Yoegi Anjuseyo!"

* I have a short reflection in today's Korea Times about an encounter with an unfriendly looking Korean man on the subway. It was a reminder not to be too quick in judging people in Korea. 09-13-2011 16:47 'Yeogi Anjeuseyo!' By Casey Lartigue Jr. The recent incident in which an American English teacher bullied an elderly Korean man and other passengers on the bus reminded me of a more pleasing incident from years ago. I was on the subway, taking the train outside of Seoul for a work assignment. I have the habit of standing on the subway to strategically position myself near the doors in case my stop magically appears. On that particular day, there was a Korean man STARING at me. Not just looking at me, but intensely staring at me. He had an incredible frown on his face. Not just for one stop, but for several stops the guy just kept staring at me. If I had known more Korean then I would have been able to curse him ...

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Humanitarian with a guillotine (Korea Times, February 1, 2013) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, `` I’m from the government, and I’m here to help .” For many well-intentioned activists, politicians, and intellectuals, that should be updated as: ``We are here to help you. You’re under arrest.” For example, ``sex workers” around the world oppose anti-prostitution laws. Prostitutes may not know the theoretical arguments but they do know in reality that prohibiting prostitution means they lack protection in dealing with abusive pimps and madams, violent patrons and crooked cops. Locally, a Korean woman busted for prostitution recently appealed to the courts pleading , ``I cannot survive without this job. I don’t want to be treated as a criminal for making a living the only way I can.” How should someone who genuinely wants to help her respond? If you say ``arrest her” then you are qualified to be a “harmful humanitarian.” In your desire to help, you have elimin...

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h...

2020-07-24 Pandemic Tutoring

The question comes in various forms, as a request, a recommendation, a plea, an insinuation, an accusation, and sometimes (or most of the time) it is a demand and complaint at the same time. In my in-box yesterday: "And I wanted to know if TNKR also transitioned to online services as any other educational institutions globally under the pandemic." This was from a previous volunteer who is now in the USA, so I took more time to answer him, and will expand it now so I can share it with others asking. As context, TNKR started in 2013 as an informal volunteer group connecting North Korean refugees with volunteer tutors. In 2016, we became an official organization despite lacking funding. Mainly because we have limited resources we keep focused on our main mission, but try to expand based on the needs of North Korean refugee learners. We have developed a learner-centered organization that has a great reputation among North Korean refugees. That means we are not a social club or re...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

Search This Blog