Liberty in North Korea has saved 122 North Korean refugees since 2004.
North Korean Crisis Awareness Spreads
The documentary, The People’s Crisis, will be shown Thursday, Nov. 29 at 5pm in the cafeteria, funded by student government, to help students understand the crisis in North Korea.
The film tells of North Koreans in bondage and their journey to freedom in hopes of inspiring people. The documentary will be shown in the cafeteria.
“After researching this group, ASUCC could see that the LiNK organization really does want to spread the word about the crisis in North Korea. That is a topic that students need more information on,” said Brenna Martin, ASUCC President.
Following the presentation of the documentary, LiNK representatives, also known as nomads, will be holding a forum in the cafeteria. These nomads will also have a booth set up for students interested in obtaining more information or buying merchandise.
The film was produced by Liberty in North Korea, known as LiNK, an activist group which helps shift the focus from North Korean politics to the North Koreans who are stripped of their freedom and rights and who often attempt to flee the country into China. However, Chinese officials capture the runaways and send them back where severe punishments await. LiNK helps these people flee by providing them with a route.
The route helps refugees work their way from China to Southeast Asia through what LinkedIn.com, a social networking site, describes as a “modern day underground railroad.” Once safely through the underground passage, the refugees are then housed in shelters which prepare them for the culture shock of resettlement in an unfamiliar country.
LiNK was formed in 2004 with the goal to “redefine public perception on North Korea, shifting attention away from the politics and onto the people,” according to the organization Liberty in North Korea.
Six North Korean political prison camps, which have existed five times longer than the Nazi concentration camps, currently hold an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, most of whom have never committed a crime, LiNK says.
“For too long the conversation has been dominated by politics and the affairs of the regime, failing to emphasize the importance and significance of millions of suffering yet resilient North Koreans,” said Colby Carter, regional manager for Liberty in North Korea.
The LiNK team meets with other groups working inside North Korea to create strategies and develop programs for North Korean freedom. The film showing at UCC is part of this larger effort as the group hopes to use the medium as a way to raise awareness in the community and get people talking about the shift that LiNK would like to see in North Korea.
For more information, go to www.libertyinnorthkorea.org
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