2013-10-08 A woman is a flower

* What happens when people RSVP for a Facebook event--and they actually show up?!? You need to get more seats!

* This event was speech prep for one of the speakers. I had been invited to go to New Delhi, India, to give a speech. I had mentioned that I was doing some work with North Korean refugees, the hosts then asked if a North Korean refugee could join me. After selecting a speaker, I then organized this event to give her a chance to get prepared for India.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

* The speakers last night...Wow! They both escaped from North Korea. So it was a poignant reminder of how precious freedom is. It is humbling, realizing that they had to risk their lives to escape to freedom that so many of us take for granted. For most of us, we just buy a ticket (airplane, train, bus) and process government paperwork to move to a new country. But North Korean refugees must evade kidnappers, border guards, police, traffickers and others who prey on them, taking advantage of governments that label them as "illegal immigrants." It also reminded me of why I spend so much time organizing and volunteering for North Korean refugees--to do a small part to help people who started with so little, with the odds against them, to escape to freedom.

* As a reminder to everyone who attended--please be careful about posting photos of one of our speakers. She has some family reasons for not being identified as someone who escaped from North Korea. So please do respect that. And I hate it! Because there are some great photos of her from last night.

* Thanks to the organization TCK (Third Culture Kids) for hosting the event last night. They usually have about 15 people at their events--so last night blew them away. They rarely charge money for events, but they made an exception for last night.

* I mentioned the Mulmangcho School. Part of the proceeds for last night will be donated to the school to help the North Korean refugees there.

I give 100,000 won (about $90) to the school every month and encourage others to at least make a minimum donation. Even just a one-time 10,000 won ($9) donation can help cover the transportation cost of a volunteer.

* One of our speakers last night mentioned that she thought it was not appropriate to label refugees as "defectors." I agree with that more than she knows!!! For six months, I made this point at almost every North Korea related event. She has inspired me to renew that campaign. So expect to be corrected if you use the term "defector" within earshot of me.

* * *

For anyone interested, I am holding two sessions matching volunteer English teachers with North Korean refugees who want to improve their English. Not every match works out (either teachers or students get busy, students get discouraged, teachers get over the curiosity, etc.), but we are doing our best to provide opportunities for both sides.

Teaching ladies from TV show https://www.facebook.com/events/175000052688496/

Teaching North Korean teachers https://www.facebook.com/events/1404224479808104/

* It is common for people to click "going" or "maybe" on Facebook as if they are clicking "like." But last night, at five minutes before the meeting was to start, the room was almost full. And this was with limited publicizing of the event. TCK was scrambling trying to find more chairs, or the best way to get ready for the usual rush of people who would be late.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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."

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 ...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

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

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

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 c...

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