Nanum Munhwa for Peace and Justices

Park Nohae in the middle with two students

Park Nohae a labor, poet, thinker, agent of peace and democracy and the citizen of South Korea founded Nanum Munhwa “cultural hearing” in 2000 after releasing from prison. Nanum Munhwa is a non-profit social organization, which mainly focused on Global Peace Activities and deal with crises like “emerging ecological disasters, increasing polarization, war, famine, diseases and the disappearance of the spirituality.”  

The missions of the organization are towards peace, foster democracy, save lives of people and planet and create a community of friendship and hospitality. Interestingly, the organization has been already passed 10 years with the contribution of 3400 members who are farmers, students, house wife, youth and activists. It does not accept any sponsorship from the government partnership, large multinational corporations or media publicity to maintain independence and self-determination because “we think this is our responsibility to separate between good and bad money” says the general secretary, Sohee Im.

Let me describe you little bit how Labor Park become a poet and an agent of peace and democracy. When Park Nohae, was imprisoned in 1976 by the authoritarian dictator in South Korea, he was a socialist and a labor. However, he was already a poet, thinker and agent of peace and democracy in 15 August 1988His first poem “faceless” was published when he was in the jail but immediately it was banned by the then dictator. But it did not stop him to write rather encourage him. Again in 1991, he was arrested by Korean CIA for 7 years and 6 months. In 1993 he published his 2^nd poem, while he was still imprisoned. In 1997, He published the collection of the essay called “People are the only hope”.  Finally in 15 August 1998, he was freed by the democratic government. Then he decided to open an Organization, Nanum Munhwa.

Some of the projects carried out by Nanum Munhwa..
Photo @Organization Website

Park carried out several campaigns and movement for Korean and people around the world (please refer the jpeg photo the organization which describes clearly about the work). He also traveled several countries to support people for bringing peace in their respective countries. To say few, when the US invaded Iraq, Park wanted to go to Iraq and supports the Iranian. As a result, he managed to go to Iraq in 2003 to help children suffering from wars, hunger and diseases. He didn’t stop there rather it was just a start of his journey to support people all around the world.  After he came from Iraq, the organization started protesting against US Embassy in South Korea, “People used to say ‘Why do you stand for foreigner not local people’” says Sohee Im. She further added smiling; “finally they have understood us after 10 years”.

 In 2005, Aceh in Indonesia were suffering from severe poverty after the Tsunami, so Park started a movement to support goat for the victims so that the victims can survived. Similarly in the same year, the organization started one person demonstration in front of Samsung. “Many young Koreans are attractive to work in Samsung because of the salary and the benefits but many people die while operating. We want Samsung to apologize publicly for not even caring human body like a machine” states Sohee in a soft voice with gloomy face. As park believes that his feet compel him to go with a spirit and powerless love. “Once again I go where the spirit in my feet compels me to go. I shall go on a powerless love” a quote taken from the park which was shown in the slide presentation during our field trip.

In 2006, his feet compel him to go to Ain Al Halwa, the biggest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, where he got chance to meet with Children. He fell in love with the children and dream to open a school so he opened Zaituna (peace in Arabic) Nanum Munhw School. After opening school in Iraq, it was a time to support Korean democracy in 2008, thus the organization including other civil society organizations organized 100 days candle light with teenagers especially girls. Candle light was a symbolic image of democracy and social justices in South Korea. Girls wore the T-Shirt which says “We are the candle light girl” to support the peace movement for democracy. In the same year, he went to Sudan and Ethiopia in Africa to help people.  

In 2010, he went to Peru and Bolivia to support people. He also organized a photo exhibition “Like them I am here”, photos that were taken by him during his travel. Additionally, last year he published the third poem “So you don’t disappear”. Some couple of months, he went to Burma to support the people by building school in Burma. “We just want to support them by building school; we don’t want to control Burmese people. They should be educated by their local teachers, love by their local parents and study in their own land” replied by Sohee when one of my friends asked “why do you build school but not education?”

There are many activities that are conducted by the organizations but these are some of the few which interest me. To know more about the activities, please visit here: http://www.nanum.com/site/intro_english. It was a fruitful and very inspiring visit to hear what one person can do to make differences in the world. Poet Park is one of many individual who is working harder to make the world a better place to live, where most of us take for granted. I remembered a famous quote from John F. Kennedy where he says “One person can make a difference, and every person should try.” When we try to help people, if we face any challenges we try to run away from the problem and/or start another work by leaving the existing work in the middle. I hope park life story will help all of us to be prepared and face challenges. Last but not the least thanks to my Korean friend Ran for arranging this wonderful trip couple of days back.

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD): Watch Dog against Abuse of Power

@Photo PSPD Website

When the military dictatorship was fully terminated through various movements and the civilian government was elected in 1993, there was a need to institutionalized civil participation in democracy, state power and socio-economic reform. With a great realization and support of activists, scholars and lawyers, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) was founded in 1994 as a “civil” organization to promote justice and human rights in Korean society through the participation of the people. Since then, it has been able to operate with the help of its 12,450 members paying monthly fee which includes 68.7% of 180 million won of its total income as of 31 December 2010. 

           One of the successes of PSPD is that it believes on “people power” to influence the government through various campaigns and actions. The main activities of PSPD are issuing policy reports for alternative and reform, lobbying NA for enactment or legislation and publicizing campaign including press conference, symposiums and demonstration like street campaign. “Most of the time group demonstration are prohibited by the government and demonstrations are restricted but still we continue”, says director of PSPD, Park Jung Eun. The movements includes from reducing the phone rates to blacklisting corrupted candidates in the 2000 general election. The defeating campaign not vote for corrupted candidates 2000 has been done by hundreds of NGOs including PSPD. The movement encouraged people to abstain vote for corrupted leaders and disobedience movement against the elections law with unconstitutional provisions. It is said that this movement targeted 86 political leaders and about 70% candidate failed to elect just because of this movement. Although it was a risky campaign, this is one of the most popular and successful campaign run by PSPD, added director.

Still there are many campaigns lead by PSPD such as Campaign against Korea- US FTA, Campaign for lowering education fee, housing, medical service; campaign for the disclosure of investigation on the sunken Cheonan warship and verification of the National assembly, Judicial reform and protection for socio-economic rights of citizens. PSPD has also been involved actively to stop the construction of Naval Base at Gangjeong in Jeju Island. Park says that Ministry of Defense and the Navy of South Korea are constructing a naval base to destroy the local communities. According to the park the people’s opinion has been neglected and distorted in Jeju Island.  

This is our last field trip for this semester. All of these field trips have been very fruitful. Visiting various CSOs, civic organizations and NGOs have helped us to network and learn about their struggles towards achieving  human rights and democracy in the country. We also get to know how civic organizations or a civil society organizations have struggled since their formation in South Korea, despiites of various restrictions from the government. There are many things that activists, concern actors and CSOs from South East Asia especially Nepal (my origin country) has to learn from the work and activities of CSOs in Korea.

Former Torture Center Transform to Home of the Victims of Human Rights Violations

“The Counter Espionage Department” a former police station that was used as a torture center especially to suppress democratic activities and carried investigation with torture by secret police officer from 2 October 1976 until 21 July 2005 transformed into the home of the victims of human rights violations known as National Policy Agency Human Rights Protection Center to heal old wounds, “reborn” police to protect people’s human rights and a memorial for those who died while involving in pro-democratic activities.

Photo: kdemocracy.or (Park photo and the building)

During 1980s, many pro-democratic activities were banned and activists were tortured and were forced to make false confessions on spying for North Korea. As a result, a student, Park Jong-chul at Seoul National University was killed by the secret police in room 509 from extreme tortured with water and electricity shocks, while interrogation during the military regime in 14 January 1987.

“This was not a first case of human rights violation in the South Korea since military regimes. There were many activists, students and civilians who died, but death from torture was the most horrific one” says the director of human rights protection center, Mr. Jang, Sin-Joong.

However, the secret police report says that the student died accidently when the officer hit on a desk in an investigation room. “People were laughing and it was totally unbelievable” says Professor Hyo-Je CHO who was accompanying with us during our field trip to the center. “How a person can die just hitting on a desk by an officer” he added with a surprising face. Later the authentic result was published with the help of NGOs and CSOs.

All of these incidents within 30 years forced to transform the tortured center to human rights protection center in 22 February 2005. The main purpose of the center is to protect and promote human rights education among police. “Despites of any changes including the change of government, we want to open intrusive human rights in the country although it’s very challenging” respond superintendent, Sohn Chang-Hyon to the participant’s questions.

In doing so, the center has published a book for police, conference to police where one police who worked to protect human rights are awarded (A female police was awarded recently), human rights training for riot police, compulsory human rights training for all police, systematically collect the tortured record of 30 years and published them so that the police won’t repeat the torture in the future. Recently, the center lobby the government to protect human rights including freedom of speech and movement in Bhusan but “we failed and this is our limitation” respond by both the director and the superintendent of the agency.

Interestingly, the building also contain a meeting room where civilians can hire the room in advance with free of charge for educational purpose such as a class for human rights educations, meeting related with Human rights and so on.

Photo: Sajee (MAINS Students with Director and Superintendent of the center)

Personally, I am very amazed and inspired by the work of the center which has only 8 staff in the center. It clearly shows that the size really does not matter while you are working for positive change what matter is the work you conduct in the name of People or for people. I hope to have this center in the country like Nepal and many more where human rights have been violated during the restoration of democracy.

Multicultural Support Centre for Asian Women: A Shelter for Migrant Wives in South Korea

@photo from the organization Website



Yesterday I went to Asian Multi-Cultural Migrant Women’s Organization as a part of my field trip with our (MAINS) Director Professor Hyo-Je Cho located at Bupyeong-Gu, Incheon, South Korea. Previously the organization used to be called the Incheon Women’s Hotline, which works to protect women’s rights and develop the women’s welfare. Sometime people get confused with Hotline but it is a small part says the president Kim Seung Mi Gyeong. Therefore in 2003, the hotline replaced its name to “Multi-Cultural Migrant Women’s Organization” and has started focusing on counseling and training for women to eradicate gender based domestic violence including the sexual harassment. 

@photo from the Organization

There were several cases of migrant women killed by their spouse and their family members. For instance, A 19 year’s old Vietnamese girl was married to 47 years Korean man in 2007 but she was murder by her spouse who was just married for two month. Her death body was found only two weeks after her death. Similarly, the law to protect migrant wives is discriminatory. Under the current law, Migrant wives only get chance to apply for citizenship after 2 years with husband’s consent, which is totally unfair for migrant wives. What if the husband marries another Korean woman before two years? Is there any other way to take legal action by the migrant wife? Of course not!! Furthermore, many Korean families do not allow their daughter in law to be in touch with migrated workers from their respected countries, which forced some of the migrated wives not to even care their own sisters in Korea. Therefore there was the need of special program from migrant wives and the organization has started focusing on it.

@photos from the Organization



Every Saturday, the organization provides Korean language to foreigners especially from Vietnam, Philippines and China. “It was because majority groups in migrant wives are from these three countries and they form an autonomous group and join us" says the president of the organization. But there are also various interest groups such as home fashion, dancing club and media group related with the organizations. 

 The organization was mostly run by women with the support of men. I was very much impressed as soon as I entered to the organization. Two ladies from Thailand were learning Korean from two Korean ladies. We were warmly welcomed and then introduced each other, with a brief outline of the program. In 2007, more than 500 people including 127 migrant women and their husband’s and a small number of Korean women from 17 different countries use the organization to protect and promote their rights.

The other projects carried out by the organization are acting program for migrant wives’ husband, Asian women community project, shelter program and programs for sex trafficking.

No matter how much the Migrant women and the organization related with them like the organization I have mentioned above do well, until and unless the family accept and treat migrant wives as their native, there is a probability that violence against women will continue which have been foster by deep rooted patriarchy system in Korea.

To know more about  the organization, please visit the link  Multicultural Support Centre for Asian Women and Multicultural Support Centre for Asian Women in Blog