Toronto: 10th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees; Seoul: Beautiful Dream Concert

On August 19-22 Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights in Seoul is partnering with this year’s host HanVoice in Toronto for their 10th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees.  This will be the first time the conference has been held in North America; to date the ICNKHRR has been in Seoul (3x), Tokyo, Prague, Warsaw, Bergen (Norway), London, and Melbourne.

The main session this year is Saturday, August 21st, from 9 – 6.  Events open to the public also include an art exhibition and concert Thursday, and movie screenings of Kimjongilia (followed by a Q&A session with the director) and The Red Chapel Friday evening.

All events are free, though for the main conference Saturday they’re asking that people register in advance since they’re providing free lunch and a translation device.

Here is the schedule on Saturday:

@ The Isabel Bader Theatre (U of T)

08:30 Registration

09:30 Opening Session

Opening Remarks
Benjamin H. Yoon, Founder & Chairman, Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights

Welcoming Speeches
– Randall Baran-Chong, Chair ““ 10th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees , HanVoice, Canada
– Carl Gershman President, National Endowment for Democracy, USA

Congratulatory Remarks
– Michaelle Jean (Written), Governor General of Canada
– Hon. Jason Kenny (Written), Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism, Canada
– Dalton McGuinty (Written), Premier of Ontario, Canada
– Heidi Hautala, Chairperson of Sub-committee on Human Rights to the EU Parliament

(to be confirmed)

Keynote Speech
Hon. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada (To be confirmed)

Special Remarks
Barry Devolin, Member of Parliament, Canada

10:30 Session 1: Human Rights in North Korea between Obstacles & Opportunity

Pervasive State of Fear in the Country
Man-ho Heo, Professor, Kyungpook National University, ROK

Changing Perception of North Korean Population
Katy Kongdan Oh Hassig, Researcher, Institute for Defense Analysis, US

Testimony of NK defector
Young Cheol Kim, Former Officer at Ministry of people’s Safety in the DPRK, Escaped and Entered South Korea in February of 2008

Q & A

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Session 2: Experience of North Korean Refugees in Transit & Asylum Countries

Moderator: Dr. Sun-Young Park, MP, Liberty Forward Party, ROK

Legal Grounds for Protection of North Korean refugees
Roberta Cohen, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution, US

Human Trafficking: Human Rights Situation of North Korean Refugee Women in China
Won-Woong Lee, Professor, Social Welfare Studies, Kwandong University, ROK

Children from Nowhere: Stateless Children in China
Kay Seok, Human Rights Watch

Testimony of NK Refugee
Mi-Ran Kim, Hair Dresser in the DPRK, Escaped from the country on 3rd of April, 2007 and entered South Korea in March of 2008

Resettlement Process & Experiences of countries accepting North Korean refugees: issues with resettlement and integration in final destination
– South Korea: Yoon-Sook Park, Professor at World Cyber University, ROK– Canada: Younglee Ha, Executive Director, Korean Canadian Womens’ Association
– Canada: Young-Lee Ha, Executive Director, Korean Canadian Women’s Association, Canada
– US: Hannah Song, President, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK)
– Japan: Kate Nielsen, Director of International Relations,  Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, Japan

Q & A

16:00 Break

16:15 Session 3: Strategies for the Improvement of Human Rights in North Korea and Protection of Refugees

Moderator: Hon. Barry Devolin, Member of Parliament, Canada

Maintaining the Momentum and Commitment of the International Society
– Pam Shime, Researcher, Global Advocacy & Leadership Institute– Joanna Hosaniak, Head of International Campaign & Cooperation, Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, ROK
– Jack Kim, Executive Director, HanVoice
– Kate Nielsen, Director of International Relations, Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, Japan
– N.C. Heikin, Director of Documentary Film, “Kinjongilia(2009)”, US

Q & A

Closing Cermonies

The Isabel Bader Theatre is located at 93 Charles St. West  (Closest TTC Station ““ Museum):

If anyone is planning on driving to the conference from the Milwaukee/Chicago area, please drop me a line.  If I can go, I’d certainly help with gas and driving duties.

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Second, this must be a pretty busy season in the Citizens’ Alliance events department — tomorrow (Sunday) in Seoul is their annual Beautiful Dream Concert to raise money for young North Koreans who’ve resettled in the South.  It will be at 4pm at Korea University.  Sounds like a good way to observe Liberation Day, August 15th:

CONCERT INVITATION

There are youth defectors all around you that traveled a long and perilous road to reach a place where their dreams could flourish. Yet, many experience difficulties in adjusting to life here due to differences in culture, disparities in education levels, lack of understanding by fellow professors and students, and other problems regarding their families and their lives. The need for our concern and our help is exigent to insure that their budding hopes and dreams are not rooted out by the cold indifference of society. As a result, we are holding the Beautiful Dream Concert 2010 to raise contributions to aid youth refugees. We would be deeply grateful if you would join us in our effort to protect the bright future of youth defectors.

August 15th 2010 (Sun) 4:00 pm
Korea University Inchon Memorial Hall

Hosted by:  GSIS of Korean University, Ewha Institute of Unification Studies
Organized by: Beautiful Mind Charity, Citizen’s Alliance for North Korean Human Rights

PROGRAM

Beautiful Harmony Orchestra ““ Silk Road Foundation
Poem by Dong-Ju Yoon on Orchestral Music and Sopranos -Jin-Won Lee
Cavatina- S. Myers
Arirang rhapsody -Ji-Soo Lee

Piano Trio ““ Pianist Joo Young Kim =, Violinist Ji-Hoon Park , Cellist Il-Hwan Bai
Hungarian Dances No.1 – J. Brahms
Otono Porteno from Four Season in Buenos Aires – A. Piazzolla

Visually Impaired Clarinetist Sang Jae Lee
Theme from Schindler’s list – J. Williams
It ain’t necessarily so from Opera – G. Gershwin

[Kyeong-min Kim Introduction Slideshow]
Cerebral Palsy Pianist Kyeong-min Kim
Piano Sonata no.14 op.27-2 c# min. 1st mov. – L. V. Beethoven
Yearning – Kyeong-min Kim

Baritone Kyoo-Seok Lee
Largo al factotum della citta from Opera – G. A. Rossini

Soprano Mihyun Kho
Il bacio> – Arditi

Soprano Mihyun Kho &   Baritone Kyoo-Seok Lee
All I ask of you from Musical – A. L. Weber

Nowon Voll Ensemble
Radetzky March – Johann Strauss Sr.

Nowon Voll Ensemble & North-South Korean Youth Choir Dream Plus
Magic Castle – Kwang-Jin Kim
To the Country of Hope – Jae-Myoung Hyun

# There will be an event during the concert to donate funds aiding youth defectors.
# The donations falls under public interest contributions under Corporate Tax law and   will
be eligible for tax-free benefits at the end of the year.
# There will be pizza served starting at 6 pm* thanks to the generous donations of Papa John’s Korea.
(First 400 guests)
[*NOTE: It appears the pizza party has been changed to 3pm if I’m reading this update right. -DB]

Invitation Tickets: Free.
Performance and Ticketing inquiries ã…£
Yeon Jung Hong   02-723-1672, 2671  nkhr@naver.com