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

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

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 ...

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...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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