How You Can Get Involved

ACTION ITEMS

Rescue Efforts for North Korean Women & Children: Every moment of every day North Koreans hiding in China are in peril, but they have hope because of organizations like 318 Partners, led by American hero and rescuer, Steve Kim. If you would like to assist in the rescue of North Korean refugees, please consider partnering with 318 Partners. Funds are needed to shelter refugees at safe houses, and to cover travel expenses and escorts to lead refugees safely to third countries. Please visit the 318 Partners' website if you would like more information: www.318partners.org

Helping North Korean Refugees Resettlement in USA: There are many organizations working to help refugees and they always need volunteers, especially to help with tutoring and transportation. In the USA, many refugees who have been resettled are relocating to the New York City metro and the Washington DC metro areas, and why? Because of organizations like PSALT, located in New Jersey and in the NYC metro area, and Helping Angels for North Korean Refugees (HANKR), located in Maryland outside the Washington, D.C. metro area. They are focused on helping North Koreans resettle and they need volunteers and support. Please consider contacting Michelle Kim of PSALT at michelle@psaltnk.org (New York & New Jersey area) or Pastor Heemoon Lee of HANKR at heemoonlee@hotmail.com (Virginia, DC, Maryland areas) if you are available to help our new North Korean Americans.

Support Balloon Launches into North Korea: On February 16, Park Sang Hak and the Fighters for Free North Korea launched balloons into North Korea on Kim Jong il's 68th birthday, Feb 16, 2010. The ballons included a message from North Korean defectors and Americans regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. North Koreans have no concept of "human rights" hence the text included a special introductory message excerpted as follows:

"In 1948, the same year that Kim Il Sung came to power, a very important document was adopted by the people of the world. It was called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document was written because of the horrible things that happened during World War II. The people that wrote it believed in God-given rights and that the lack of human rights caused suffering and terrible atrocities. They believed that every human being had value and rights simply by being born, and no leader -- whether a so called "dear" or "great" leader -- could take away those rights...We realize that under Kim Jong-il, North Koreans are denied every single one of these universally accepted rights. North Korea is the only country in the world today that has none of these rights AND North Koreans are the most persecuted and suffering people in the world as a result.....In the countries that have these rights, the people prosper."

In addition to this message, the balloons included more AM/FM/Shortwave radios and money.

The balloon launch of Nov 2009 included light weight radios with AM/FM/short wave capability and an ear piece for safe listening. It was a great success. View news reports from the launch in Nov 2009 at these links:

YouTube video of the balloon launch

YTN coverage

Continued funding is needed for these launches. You can donate online at www.defenseforum.org. If you are interested in viewing these launches, the budget, or any other details, email skswm@aol.com

Write a Letter to North Koreans. Attention Americans! Anyone Can Write a Letter from America: This is a project in which any American can take part regularly. Please send a message addressed to North Koreans along with your first name and your city and state of residence. The letter will be read, translated and broadcast into North Korea by the defectors' own radio station, Free North Korea Radio. Please send your letters via email to skswm@aol.com and note in subject area "Letters from America".

Help Fund Broadcasting into North Korea: It costs between $170 to $210 to broadcast into North Korea for one hour on shortwave frequency. Currently, we are doing all we can to help Free North Korea Radio broadcast five hours a day into North Korea. We have an especially important broadcast in July 2010 for a segment of one hour of this powerful broadcast which is prepared by North Korean defectors. This is an ideal project for an organization or a church which could become a sponsor of one of the most important programs reaching into North Korea -- according to surveys, Free North Korea Radio is the most popular of the broadcasters -- and why? Because it cannot be dismissed as propaganda and there is nothing more powerful than the voices of North Koreans living in freedom in South Korea reaching out to North Koreans living in enslavement in North Korea. If you want to learn more about becoming a sponsor for this broadcasting, please contact skswm@aol.com

Kimjongilia Now Available for Viewing at MyFilmBlog.com for $4.95: Many have asked how to get a copy of N.C. Heiken's award winning documentary, Kimjongilia. It is now available for viewing on the internet and the cost will be applied to the DVD cost when it is released later in 2010. Visit MyFilmBlog.com>www.myfilmblog.com and look for link to Kimjongilia

YODUK Story Now Available on DVD: We have a very limited number of Yoduk Story DVDs available for a $100 contribution to support North Korea human rights programs. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this DVD, contact Henry Song at henry@defenseforum.org

WRITE TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY

Urge the government of China to stop the forced repatriation of North Koreans and allow them safe passage to third countries.

**SAMPLE LETTER**

His Excellency Zhang Yesui

Embassy of the People's Republic of China

3505 International Place, NW

Washington, D.C. USA

Tel: (410) 952-8448‎

Dear Ambassador Zhang Yesui:

     I appeal to the government of China to stop sending North Korean refugees back to North Korea where they face torture, imprisonment and sometimes even death.

     While I respect China's concerns about refugees flooding their borders, please allow these refugees safe passage to a third country.  Many countries have shown a willingness to allow these refugees to resettle, most significantly South Korea, and even more recently the United States has allowed North Koreans to resettle their country.

     Please end this forceful repatriation by working with the international community to help these refugees be resettled in another country.

     With the severe food shortage in North Korea, more refugees will seek to escape starvation by coming to China. Please show the world China's goodwill and leadership by allowing these refugees to safely travel through your country to reach a third country.

     Respectfully,

     NAME

     ADDRESS