Truth and Human Rights in North Korea is a student organization dedicated to raising awareness about violations of human rights in North Korea. The small totalitarian state is often synonymous with terms such as “nuclear proliferation” and “old-school Communism,” but we seek to separate ourselves from the politics by working toward drawing the same kind of attention to an even uglier side of North Korea: the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Since its inception in 2006, THiNK has rapidly expanded its presence on campus through events such as film/documentary screenings, speaker events, hunger banquets and flash mobs. Additionally, we hold fundraisers every semester to raise money for NGOs that provides aid to the DPRK. Last year, we raised nearly $500 for the Eugene Bell Foundation, a D.C.-based NGO that supplies medical humanitarian assistance to North Korea. Although THiNK is unable to provide direct assistance to North Korean refugees, our mission is founded on the belief that knowledge is power and through awareness, we can alert others to the significance of our cause and the urgency of becoming involved.
In addition to the traditional positions of president, secretary and treasurer, our board is comprised of four active subcommittees: programming, political awareness, marketing and NGO outreach/awareness. Each committee is led by two co-chairs who hold bi-weekly meetings to carry out their respective responsibilities. If you are interested in getting more involved, we highly recommend joining one or more committee(s). We would also like to highlight that not all our general body members are of Korean backgrounds. THiNK is not a Korean students’ association, nor do we believe that our purpose is a fundamentally “Korean” one. We strongly believe that this issue is a human rights matter that demands unanimous attention from the international community, regardless of ethnicity. Hence, we welcome all members to join us.
THiNK had the opportunity to host our annual documentary screening called “The Hiding” with Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) on Oct. 15. We will be holding our traditional apple cider sales during the last week of October in order to raise money for LiNK’s “Reliance” campaign which supports missions that help North Korean refugees who escape to China find freedom in other countries. There are many more exciting events coming up, so if you are interested in receiving email updates or just want to learn more, find us at www.facebook.com/georgetownthink or email at [email protected].
—Hannah Kang (SFS ’12), Co-President
