Reflection on Citizenship & Civic Engagement

This semester, I worked with an organization called Liberty in North Korea (LiNK). In March, I went down to their headquarters in Torrance, CA to volunteer for a day. While there, I emailed and called over 100 of their donors to get their support on the Pepsi Refresh project. This got me involved with my online activism, which was promoting LiNK's cause for the Pepsi Refresh project.

They are looking to win $250,000 to open a house for North Korean refugees who are sent to the United States. Usually, they are spread out throughout the country, with over 90 refugees who basically have not way to contact one another. Instead, LiNK would like to host them in a house in Los Angeles so that they can become more assimilated in American society before they are sent off to fend for themselves. I promoted this idea through this blog and Facebook. I also sent several emails to friends and family who do not have Facebook.

My campus activism was also through LiNK. They came to campus to show a film "Inside North Korea," a National Geographic documentary. About 30 people showed up to learn about life and craziness inside the country. They also sold LiNK apparel with lovely shirts that have great political statements, such as shirts with Kim Jung Il's face, and others that say "Run DMZ" or "Legalize Adoption for children without a country," supporting LiNK's newest cause to adopt North Korean children.

My views on citizenship have not changed much from this class, but it has been very insightful, looking at what can be considered citizenship. I have always thought that it is important to be involved in the community, especially with causes that one is passionate about. I don't think that anyone HAS to participate in community organizations, but I think it helps to feel included in society.

The End. Booyah.

Digital Citizenship

This IS the issue I'm working on. North Koreans do not have access to information communication technology. There has been a recent increase in the number of North Koreans who are able to access technology and information, but it is super dangerous for them to possess any form of communication with the outside world.

The internet is a great way to spread awareness about the issues that North Korea faces, but is not particularly helpful to the North Koreans themselves. TV does not really have an effect on the issue of North Korea either. North Koreans are forced to listen to and watch TV that is all propaganda about their great supreme leader, Kim Jung Il, his father, and his son. We might complain about how biased each news network is here in the US, but at least we have options, and opposing opinions. North Koreans are not even allowed (or capable of) to think about contradicting Kim Jung Il.