2020-09-26 Welcome back to TNKR!

TNKR started in March 2013 with researchers Casey Lartigue and Eunkoo Lee introducing a few North Korean refugees to a few volunteer tutors.

Yesterday TNKR held Language Matching session number 108. We have now had more than 460 North Korean refugees and 1,060 volunteer tutors, coaches and mentors participate together in TNKR's three education tracks. Our Academic Team of Jade Kim (Academic Coordinator), India Meyers (Assistant Academic Coordinator) and Daniel Cashmar (Volunteer Advisor) along with TNKR's co-founders organized the session for six North Korean refugees and 10 volunteer tutors.

A bit about the six students:

* All previously studied in TNKR.

* They arrived in South Korea in

2012 (1)

2013 (2)

2016 (2)

2017 (1)

They joined TNKR in:

2014 (1)

2016 (2)

2017 (1)

2018 (1)

2019 (1)

On average yesterday, they chose 3.8 tutors (they can study minimum twice a month with each tutor)

5 (2)

4 (2)

Of the six students, only one expressed preference for online tutoring.

* * *

The 10 tutors were chosen on average 2.3 times.

7 tutors were each chosen by two refugees.

3 tutors were each chosen by three refugees.

All 10 tutors engaged in some type of fundraising for TNKR, either as donors or fundraisers. Four of them set up fundraisers.

https://www.facebook.com/donate/1604536383059766/

https://www.facebook.com/donate/1239038899771051/

https://www.facebook.com/carl.phillips.1232/posts/10158822262571543

https://www.facebook.com/donate/799986174147235/

TNKR's Fan Club is now raising money to buy school supplies for TNKR students joining a Language Matching session. The school supplies given to the students yesterday were donated by TNKR Fan Club Vice President Shannon Galloway.

You can donate for future Matching sessions at a fundraiser set up by Shannon and TNKR Fan Club President Eben Appleton. https://www.gofundme.com/f/tnkr-school-supplies

After yesterday's Matching session, TNKR's Academic Team got TNKR's next tutor orientation sessions will be held October 17 and 18 (noon both days), the Matching session will be held October 31st. www.lovetnkr.org/tutor

"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."

Michael Breen discussion at 10 Magazine

Yesterday I attended a discussion with writer Michael Breen, hosted by Barry Welsh. Very often, when I attend a speech or discussion about a topic I know a lot about, I often think about ways the speaker/facilitator/discussant could have done better. But I didn't feel that way about Breen, it was one of those times that I really felt like I had a lot to learn and should listen more than talk. He's been in Korea for three decades, working as a reporter, commentator, communications specialist. He reminds me of Andrei Lankov in that his analysis seems to be based on observation of how things work rather than trying to get the world to fit his biases. I don't know him, so his friends may say he is a raging ideologue, but that's not the impression I had yesterday and based on his writings. Michael Breen (L) and Casey Lartigue I first read his book The Koreans about a decade ago. It was a delightful read, that was both warm to Koreans but also critical at times. Yes...

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...

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