2017-02-01 Actions speak louder than words

I was on a Skype call a few days ago with a researcher, she asked me if I had taken a survey among refugees to find out if they like TNKR (now FSI). My response: We have a long waiting list of refugees eager to join us. That was enough evidence for me.

She asked if the refugees like studying at our center. My response: We are trying to keep up with the demand. Unlike many organizations that must chase and remind refugees about (well-funded) workshops and seminars, refugees studying with us not only answer our messages, but often remind us about meetings and classes.

I suppose that my answers are based on reality, not theory or research methods.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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There's a very funny story behind this. TNKR (now FSI) volunteer donor and fundraiser Daniel Cashmar donated a toaster to the organization. There's a very funny story behind this, but only he can tell it.

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Eunkoo and I went out during the day for a pre-interview that later turned into an appearance on "On My Way to Meet You."

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Cherie Yang stopped by the office to practice a speech. To make it more life-like, I became a human podium for her.

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Eunkoo and I went out for another meeting with a big organization. We introduced them to Ken Eom. He ended up giving a speech at their conference about a month later.

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Hwang In-Cheol dropped by the office to talk about his upcoming activities. He’s talking with Youngmin Kwon, project manager of the Bring My Father Home team.

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Park Eunhee had two tutoring sessions in the same day.

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Boumjun Bae joined TNKR officially as a student, thanks to Minkyung for teaching him even though he isn't a North Korean refugee.

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TNKR tutor, coach, fundraiser, donor and event organizer Peter Daley dropped by to talk about our upcoming English speech contest.

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Josh Glenn dropped by to donate some books.

Our organization has been based on action, not just words. Of course, words are necessary, but we make sure that action is connected to them in some way.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

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National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

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Re: Building something out of nothing Freedom Factory is a very small company, of which I am a shareholder. Yesterday we had our annual shareholder meeting. Freedom Factory is allowing us to "incubate" TNKR until we can stand on our two own feet--or at least crawl on our four hands and feet. (Consumer Rights Watch is in the same position). I owe special thanks to FF CEO 김정호. He is a "true believer" in the cause of freedom, so he is allowing both projects to grow out of FF. That's even though Freedom Factory is a small start up with the CEO, staff and supporters wondering how we are going to achieve our dreams with such a tight budget. So when I say I am so thankful to the volunteers and donors of TNKR, it isn't just lip service. Volunteers--along with Freedom Factory, the Atlas Network, donors--are helping us to create something out of nothing, helping North Korean refugees find their own way and tell their own stories. Like the FF CEO, I also don...

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This photo was uploaded today by my aunt Annette. This was back in the day, when 1) I had a head full of hair and 2) played basketball a lot. That first year of playing organized basketball, I focused on playing defense. It seemed that everyone wanted to shoot the ball, so I passed the ball and played defense. I probably led the league in steals, rebounds and blocked shots. I enjoyed taking on the best player from the other team, I felt like I would get better, quickly. The second year, I was a different player. I will never forget the first game that second year--we lost 29 to 26, I scored 18 points. I probably led the universe in scoring that second year, although we didn't win much. One thing I learned from that experience is that one great player 9 (at least in his own mind) can't beat a team. An eye injury ended my pro career before it began, to this day I still have floaters in my eyes because of the injury. I started wearing glasses, but the problem never went away. On t...

From nothing to something super special (2023-02-10)

FSI has moved into a better institutional neighborhood where we are the poorest in the area. In August 2022, I was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and in January 2023 FSI achieved incorporation status in South Korea. This has meant that FSI must upgrade operations and structure and I am the one, as chairman and co-president, who will be blamed if it doesn’t happen. I really should not be the chairman, for a variety of reasons, but anyway I am. Eunkoo and I are not the typical executives of a growing organization. In addition to being mainly responsible for building and fundraising for the organization, we are the hands-on leaders who are constantly in contact with North Korean refugee speakers. We look forward to the day we can afford staff to handle many tasks. Until then we can expect to continue having more days like yesterday, even on Eunkoo’s birthday. 2023-02-10 Meeting #1: planning We started Eunkoo’s birthday with a planning...

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