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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 meeting. FSI will have many things going on next month, public and private events domestically and abroad.

Meeting #2: networking

Eunkoo and I visited the Korea-America Association. Ambassador Choi, chairman of the organization, met with us to talk more deeply about our respective organizations. I am an officer on KAA’s Board of Directors and was also recently asked to join the newsletter‘s editorial team.

We are also meeting with other organizations to discuss potential partnerships, to inform larger and more stable organizations about our work, and to make sure they know about us as they do their own work and planning.

Because of FSI’s board meeting I was unable to attend KAA’s board meeting a few days ago.

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Meeting #3: Lunch with two supporters

We had lunch with two potential supporters who could make a real difference for FSI. We need monthly donors to give a foundation of support, we need donors who can give a lot at one time, and we also need donors who can contribute in an emergency. There are times that we suddenly need funding for opportunities that pop up.

We also need funding so we can have partnerships with organizations, not just rely on them. In our early days we had an unfortunate case dealing with an organization that flew an FSI student in for a speech. We later heard from the student that she was dragged around by them and not treated with respect. 

People and organizations often ask us for referrals but we include ourselves in the process. When we partner with other organizations then we can be involved and also have some say over the activities. (No need to condemn the other organization, you can help with an ongoing fundraiser for a speaker fund.)

That means we also need funding so we can remain an independent organization that can work on the goals of refugees instead of the agendas of larger political, religious or ideological entities.

Meeting #4: North Korean refugee celebration

I recently mentioned a South Korean executive who does many things for North Korean refugees but he complains that they don’t return to visit or thank him.

Our experience has been very different. 

Sharon Jang returned from abroad! One of her first places she visited was the FSI office. She wanted to surprise Eunkoo on her birthday. We hope to raise funds so we can rehire her. She has been with FSI since 2015 as a student, speaker and as a staffer since 2018 (first, part-time, then later as a full-time staffer).

A few weeks ago Eunhee Park returned to South Korea. She called us from the airport and visited us a few days later.

Meeting #5: New project with a North Korean refugee

Songmi Han and I did a practice YouTube recording. We aren’t sure yet if we will be able to make it happen because we will both be busy and neither one of us is skilled at YouTube. Songmi still hasn’t embraced being a public figure and she kind of withdrew when she received many requests, especially from Youtubers. We did a test recording yesterday, and will see if we should continue.

Meeting #6: Call with a potential sponsor.

While I was out for a few hours with Songmi, Eunkoo was working at the office. When I returned we had a call with a potential sponsor who may cover some costs for one of our upcoming projects. Eunkoo updated me about many things, not all of which were good.

My trip to the USA next month has been confirmed (and by confirmed, I mean that FSI bought my plane ticket to the USA because Eunkoo is very sensitive to ticket prices going up).

I told Eunkoo that some people had supported the fundraiser that I had set up in her name and that some others had left nice comments. Still unsure about Facebook, she asked how she could find the fundraiser and comments. During the day she received many messages from people, especially North Korean refugees. Facebook fundraiser for Eunkoo’s birthday, Stripe, PayPal

Meeting #7: Me, myself and I

After Eunkoo left around 9 pm to celebrate what was left of her birthday, I wrapped up my day by listening online to a mentoring session of a volunteer and public speaker as I worked on things. This Is usually the time of the day that I find out that someone has been hurt by something I wrote or did, or that I had a typo in a post I wrote in-between meetings and activities, or that someone thinks I should be doing something differently, or that I didn’t answer someone‘s message fast enough, etc.

***

This morning I woke up to find that I will be interviewed by a reporter at an education magazine in the USA (the editor attended my speech to the Harvard Extension School) and I have been invited to give another speech online in May.

And the Korea Times added this to my blog.

***

(This post will be updated if Songmi sends me the photos from yesterday).

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