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2019-11-30 Four TV personalities/TNKR students

TNKR had an absolutely spectacular Global Leadership Forum yesterday. Four TV personalities who are also TNKR students gave speeches, then answered questions from an engaged audience.

Three of them have YouTube channels, please subscribe so they can develop their channels and speak unfiltered (without editors, writers and producers "guiding" them).

Eunhee
Chanyang
Yuna

TNKR
Casey Lartigue (If I can monetize it, I will donate all proceeds to TNKR)


Support TNKR: www.lovetnkr.org/donate



The forum was interesting for several main reasons:

1) We had four panelists who have experience with analyzing NK related things.

* That meant they weren't shy in giving their opinions.
* They have practice (in Korean) at being concise, and now are practicing doing that in English.



 2) Having a few speakers meant:

* The panelists were talking to each other! I usually tell audience members to be quiet to listen to the speakers, but what do you do when the speakers are talking to each other? :-)
* The speakers were calling each other out, mentioning things about each other.
* The panelists were learning from each other! I don't know if the microphones caught the number of times they expressed surprise at some of the things they heard. The speakers are from different parts of North Korea, they had different experiences in North Korea, different escapes, and different experiences. 
* The panelists presented different perspectives, making it clear there was not one all-knowing source.
* When we organize our events or are invited by others, I try to have three speakers. When it is two speakers, people will keep comparing those two speakers. When there at least three, then it provides more perspective, and it seems that audience members of more accepting of the clear fact that there isn't just one North Korean/North Korean refugee narrative.
* Another advantage of having three speakers is that we can "hide" one speaker, giving beginning speakers or those with lower-levels of English opportunities to practice and gain confidence. One of the speakers yesterday has given a few speeches.


 2) Having a few speakers meant:

* The panelists were talking to each other! I usually tell audience members to be quiet to listen to the speakers, but what do you do when the speakers are talking to each other? :-)
* The speakers were calling each other out, mentioning things about each other.
* The panelists were learning from each other! I don't know if the microphones caught the number of times they expressed surprise at some of the things they heard. The speakers are from different parts of North Korea, they had different experiences in North Korea, different escapes, and different experiences. 
* The panelists presented different perspectives, making it clear there was not one all-knowing source.
* When we organize our events or are invited by others, I try to have three speakers. When it is two speakers, people will keep comparing those two speakers. When there at least three, then it provides more perspective, and it seems that audience members of more accepting of the clear fact that there isn't just one North Korean/North Korean refugee narrative.
* Another advantage of having three speakers is that we can "hide" one speaker, giving beginning speakers or those with lower-levels of English opportunities to practice and gain confidence. One of the speakers yesterday has given a few speeches, but lacks confidence. She had to be encouraged by the audience to speak yesterday.



3) So many forums featuring NK refugees will have one speaker. That can be fine in many cases but in many cases:
* it puts all of the pressure on one speaker to be the all-knowing source.
* some audience members embrace that speaker as the all-knowing source.
Staying true to TNKR's approach of choice and accountability, the speakers had the choice of giving speeches or answering a few questions.




MODERATOR

As moderator, I had a lot to manage, listening to what was being, managing four different ladies with strong personalities and opinions, messaging with staff about things, trying to add some useful information without dominating, but also not disappearing.





AUDIENCE MEMBERS

Some of our Track 1 (English tutoring) volunteers may have been a bit surprised yesterday. In Track 1, I absolutely forbid tutors from initiating conversations with refugees about their stories or indirectly leading refugees in that direction.

Yesterday, nothing was off-limits, unless the students deferred, which they didn't. We have been wrestling with bears as we have tried to develop Track 1 so that it is a safe-zone for students to study English without being expected to answer questions about North Korea.








BEHIND-THE-SCENES: TNKR staff

TNKR is growing, which means we have staff to help us get events prepared. In the past, I would go on Facebook and email everyone in TNKR asking if they could help out at the event. Volunteers come and go, joining when they feel like it, but staff are in tbe office and helping out ar events canbe part of their job tasks. Thankfully our staff embraced this, finding the venue and also doing the step-by-step video to make it easier for attendees to find the location.




PHOTO TIME

Track 1 volunteers were probably also surprised to hear me say: Photos are fine!

Based on our internal survey, 65% of refugees don't want their photos taken, 35% are fine (depending on the context). We have a blanket prohibition in Track 1, unless the photos are taken at our office and we are sure the refugee hasn't been coaxed into it.

Yesterday, there was no prohibition, our TV personalities are used to cameras being pointed at them.



RECORDING

A film director who is a TNKR fan recorded yesterday's forum. We will put some excerpts online.

Here are previous videos Mr. Choi has made for TNKR.




Thanks to our staffers and volunteers for helping with designing flyers publicizing the event.






Three of them have YouTube channels, please subscribe so they can develop their channels and speak unfiltered by editors, writers and producers.

Eunhee
Chanyang
Yuna

TNKR
Casey Lartigue (If I can monetize it, I will donate all proceeds to TNKR)

Eunhee's TEDx Talk
Support TNKR: www.lovetnkr.org/donate


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