Influenza Issue 3 by North London Collegiate School Jeju

*in aplhabetical order 민족사관학교

용인한국외국어대학교부설고등학교

Korean Minjok Leadership Academy(KMLA)

Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS)

KMLA is a co-educational, independent boarding high school near the town of Hoengseong, Gangwon, South Korea, it is one of the largest institutions in terms of contiguous area in the nation. One of the most selective secondary boarding schools in South Korea, KMLA is reputable for the placement of its graduates at eminent universities. KMLA is a member of the G20 Schools group.

HAFS is a private boarding school located in the northern part of Yongin, South Korea, and is the first Korean high school formed by a collaboration between the government and a university. It is the most selective and prestigious boarding school in Korea,[citation needed] renowned for its high academic levels and successful college admission results.

청심국제고등학교

노스런던컬리지에잇 스쿨 제주

Cheongshim International Academy (CSIA)

North London Collegiate School Jeju (NLCSJ)

CSIA is a private boarding school in South Korea located in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province. CSIA is classified as a special purposes high school by the government of South Korea. It is regarded as one of the most competitive and prestigious schools to attend in South Korea, due to its history of college admissions results.

Team Members Minchae Kang Jian Kim Suhyoung Bang Jungyeon Yang Yeeun Cho Kyutaek Kim Chamin Jeong Sunwoo Heo Andrew Choi Hoyoon Jeong Hyunjoo Cho

Jisoo Shin Junghyun Kwak Juyeon Ma Ez Kim Minseok Kim Yeobin Han Yubin Won Jaeim Jeon Jeein Seol Jeongbin Pi

Special Thanks Ms. Sandra Coll for editing our articles!

Situated on the UNESCO World Heritage island of Jeju, South Korea, the proud history began in North London over 170 years ago at NLCS UK. Students combine academic excellence and a deep love of learning with a wealth of co-curricular opportunities, to develop into exceptional individuals who believe that anything is possible.

Editor's Note Juyeon Ma - Article and Video I realized that although we are living on Jeju island, not many are really exposed to the issues and often relate the issue with hatred. I hoped our project would change the perspective so that the refugees could be warmly embraced. It was also a rewarding experience for the team as well since we could be widely connected with other schools and broaden our horizons. This project was so special for all of our first INFLUENZA members in NLCS Jeju because INFLUENZA was expanded to other schools. The youtube videos, this magazine, and the website are all precious products that we completed with care and affection, but what really left deep in our mind is the strong bond developed between members.

Ez Kim - Design Although me, Juyeon and the members had a fun time creating the INFLUENZA magazine, we wanted to be more creative and talk about a broader topic just like refugees. Therefore, the opportunities to have various topics, such as Yemeni, Myanmar and refugees around the world was a great opportunity for broadening our perspectives. I would like to congratulate and give thanks to all members for participating so much for this magazine.

The Role of a Reporter in The Site of Yemeni Refugee Crisis Naomi Centre - Refugees without barriers Yemeni Refugee issues highlighted in 'Goyeok' Jeju Yemeni : How the Perception of the Public on the Yemeni Refugees Changed Over Time How Architecture Takes a Role in the Exchange of Koreans and Yemeni Refugees Yemen refugee through the lense of documentary

Rights and Responsibilities Play Significant Roles in The International Community Listen to Refugees’ voice

Yemeni Refugees

Concerns and hope as an environmentalist

Shout Out to the Teenagers and Celebrities: Make a voice for the refugees

Climate change centre: concerns on climate change

Bridge between Korea & Rohingya through Photos

Daejayon, network between students and refugees

The Bone Sparrow

Environmental Refugees, It might be much urgent than you imagine

Myanmar Refugees

C O N T E N T S

4 1

Jonas Gratzer - capturing moments of silence

Refugees around the World Alessio-Paduano's Photojournalism Coffee Diplomacy Save the Children Interview Current status of refugees in Europe

Environmental Refugees

Yemeni Refugees

The Role of a Reporter

in The Site of Yemeni

The Role of a Reporter in The Site of Yemeni Refugee Crisis We interviewed Jaeho Lee, who is currently working as a reporter at Hankyoreh newspaper. While he was writing his book, ‘Strange Neighborhood’, he interviewed Yemeni refugees and observed the situations for an extended period of time with a strong sense of responsibility. Through the interview, we could see his enthusiasm and dedication to the social issue, along with his broad but indepth understanding of various perspectives involved in this issue. Let’s listen to his story.

Questions Unnyeong Leo Her (Year 12) Writer Unnyeong Leo Her (Year 12), Jeein Bunny Seol (Year 12) Editor Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

What were the main difficulties when interviewing the refugees, and how did you solve that?

Do Yemeni refugees recognise the negative public opinion about them? If so, how do they respond to it?

Jaeho Lee I can think of two. The first was the negative public opinion about the refugees and social stigma attached to the refugees. Therefore, as a reporter who advocates the protection of the refugees, I had to endure critical public opinion. According to them, I was ‘greatly compassionate’ to the refugees, and they left many malicious comments on my articles. There were people blackmailing me as well. The negative feedback was hugely stressful for me psychologically. The second challenge came from the refugees who were not really aware of these contexts. There was no way for them to properly recognise the social stigma since they could not speak Korean and lacked understanding about the situation. They were already searching for shelters and food in Korea. My role was to confront this raw situation. For example, I frequently saw their physical injuries from the war and listened to their tragic stories. Being a medium between the refugees and the Korean public was truly tough.

Jaeho Lee Even if the activists in the site and human rights group do not deliver the information directly, the refugees can easily translate the contents through google translate on their phones. The translation would not guarantee the full understanding, but at least they can have a sense of it. They can access the news articles with fake or exaggerated information. Those articles tell them that young men from the Yemen are potential sex offenders and that Yemeni refugees are not war victims but plunderers. However, they can not intervene as they are not in a position to form public opinions and their legal position in Korea is highly unstable. Still, they encourage each other in their daily lives and make efforts to observe the laws and regulations in order to get rid of the negative image framed on them.

What would be the source of the negative public opinions? I also experienced these when I moved to Jeju 3 years ago - My friends and neighbors were concerned about my safety. Jaeho Lee When I investigated the case, there were two main starting points of the negative public opinion. The first was the conservative Christian group. Especially the priests of the conservative Christian groups had xenophobic stances to the Muslim. The second was the concern raised in the young female community. As I mentioned before, there was a stereotype on regarding the young refugee males as potential sex offenders. I delved into the question - ‘Why would they fear the refugees for sexual assaults?’ First of all, the conservative group delivered fake news about the Muslim cultures of raping girls. It was also spread through YouTube videos. The young Korean females who watched the videos felt threatened about their security. However, if you scrutinize the cause of the case, these sorts of incidents take place in Korea as well. Sexual assaults occur from the power relationship. Statistically in Korea, males have a higher possibility of power possession over the females. This is why males are the offenders in most cases. Young males were a higher proportion of the refugees when they first entered Korea. It can be assumed that the usual

frame for power relationship of different genders has been reflected in the refugee crisis. Of course there is a possibility of a case of sexual assault as there are 500 Yemeni refugees in Korea. However, we have to be aware that the case occurs not because of their cultures. It is clearly not the universal characteristic of the Yemeni refugee. As I mentioned before, sexual violence tends to occur in a power relationship. The Yemeni refugees are in a very unstable position. They have nowhere else to go if they commit any violence. It has an extremely low possibility for someone in the excluded side to commit crime to someone in a higher side. We need to be alert and determine whether the crime is caused because they are refugees because of culture and tradition of the refugees. Did you have any change in perspectives for the refugee crisis after interviewing refugees and writing your book? Jaeho Lee Although I was a city-desk reporter before interviewing the refugees, I did not have enough opportunities to meet them. There were some periods that Korean society accepted a huge number of refugees, receiving thousands of Syrian refugees in 2015 before another thousands of Yemeni refugees came in 2018. People did not recognize the large influx of Syrian refugees as MERS, which spread regionally, was a huge issue at that time. Thinking back, there was a compassionate recognition of the Syrian refugees as well. Once the photo of the boy named Alan Kurdi collapsed on a Turkish beach was reported. A similar image came to my mind when I thought of the Syrian refugees - I thought of children, women, and the elders crossing the ocean with a small raft in vulnerable conditions. However what I learned while I was covering the topic of the refugee crisis was that about 70% of the refugees who frequently cross the European frontier are young males. Usually the one who has a high mobility in the family is sent as a refugee from the origin countries first so that the person can adapt to the new environment earlier than the rest of the family members in the battle-field. Thus,

Jaeho Lee and his book, Strange neighborhood

Jaeho Lee and Juyeon Ma during Seoul interview

young males who were healthy and robust were sent with the most advanced objects such as phones for utility and further adaptation. When the government screened the refugees, a huge number of the refugees either gained unstable legal identity or had to go back to their own country because of the strict standards. The government has a limited capacity of accepting the refugees while it has a humanitarian responsibility as a member of the international community. Then what would be the appropriate balance between the two? Jaeho Lee Talking about the government, it is the job of the Ministry of Justice to proceed the screening on a daily basis and the administration of the regulations requires political consensus. The ideal balance cannot be accomplished in the real world; Instead, it would be processed by political consensus. As a reporter, I make voices for human rights to make sure they are not neglected. When it comes to the real-world context, public opinions should be taken into account and covered by the rule of politics. As you mentioned before, the regulations themselves were so harsh. Hence, even if they were properly applied, not many could actually legally enter Korea. The government and the public should be reminded that there should not be a repetition of it. The second aspect that needs improvement is related to social agreement in politics that I mentioned before. One thing that is regrettable is that the Ye-

meni refugee issue itself was not considered as a significant political agenda. The government tended to take passive responses for the refugee issue and was swept away by the public opinions. I believe this is how the case for the Yemeni refugee crisis was closed. What would be the area of improvement to guarantee refugees a high-standard of human rights? Jaeho Lee The quality of human rights of one society can be examined by the people who are most excluded in that society. This is why the refugees at that time demonstrated the quality of human rights in Korea. In solving the problem of ‘how to improve human rights’, we need to consider the realistic contexts. The primary solution is to increase the budgets to support the refugees. The refugees cannot legally labor for the first six months after they enter Korea. Therefore, the refugees cannot earn money for six months even though they register for refugee status. There was a doubt among the public that the government is supporting them with the tax. This doubt was widespread in Korean society. The Yemeni refugees were thus allowed to labor exceptionally. If any other refugees register for the refugee status in Korea, labor is not legally allowed. Then now would they be able to make earnings? This is why there was the support fund for them, but there was a larger influx than expected. This resulted in the lack of support for the refugees. In order to

His book, Strange Neighborhood

resolve these realistic issues, it is significant to increase the amount of budgets for the enhancement of human rights. Furthermore, raising awareness of the refugees should be prioritized to lessen hostility. There also should be working places for the refugees when they come to Korea. When we assess a social phenomenon, we usually look at three components. These three factors work collaboratively to make changes in society. Politics is related to legislation and budgets. What really matters for this issue is the consensus of legislation and budgets through politics and public opinions.

Do you have any further plans as a reporter and a writer? Jaeho Lee When I was writing my book, I was involved in Hankyoreh 21, the weekly newspaper. I have been dedicated to daily issues since I moved to Hankyoreh. Hence, I cannot really trace the refugee issues up to date. Not only that, COVID-19 pandemic increasingly reduced the movement of people between borders. Therefore, the number of refugee registrations drastically decreased. There is no significant change of aspects in this issue so far. However, the refugees will continuously appear due to the conflicts stemming from economic crises and climate change. Therefore, I believe that refugees can come to Korea at any point just like how the Yemeni refugees traveled to a small island called Jeju. There is no guarantee that we would not be refugees as the ceasefire is still lasting with North Korea. My job is to observe and deliver the issues on the spot.

Naomi Centre logo and mission

Naomi Centre Welcomes Refugees Without any Barriers

Sang Hoon Kim operates the Naomi Centre, the place where any refugees and foreign immigrants are welcomed regardless of their social status. Based on the motto of ‘Migrant’s Happiness’, the Naomi Centre offers various services for the people who are displaced from their home countries. The events and facilities of the Naomi Centre could be maintained by the proper understanding of the refugees and Catholic interpretation of humanitarian aid.

Please briefly introduce what Naomi Centre does. Sang Hoon Kim Naomi Centre helps immigrants and refugees living on Jeju island, regardless of their nationality, qualification for entry, and whether they are illegally staying or not. We offer education to help immigrants and refugees settle in Korea. The curriculum includes Korean language classes, migrant children study rooms, including Catholic Scouts activities, education for settlement and more. Immigrants and refugees can also participate in religious events like Mass, Retreat and Seven Sacraments in English, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Tetum. There are consultation programs to support immigrants, refugees, labourers and families. The consultation is available in various languages: English, Arabic, Vietnamese, Romanian, German and more. We also provide accommodation and rest areas. Daily necessities and food ingredients are also available. We arrange various activities, such as sports day, concerts and family camping, along with Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) and Christmas events. I feel like you are putting a lot of care into the refugees’ lives and welfare. It is also impressive that you are considering cultural differences. The worldwide refugee issue resurfaced in Korea in 2018 when several hundreds of refugees immigrated to Jeju with no visa. What is your stance on this issue and what would be the possible problems in society that might arise by accepting the refugees? Sang Hoon Kim A Visa-Waiver program was introduced to Jeju as a part of developing the Naomi Centre activity

‘Free International City Development Centre ( JDC)’ in Jeju. This resulted from the combined desire of the government and Jeju people in order to welcome people from around the world. The Korean government also passed the Refugee Act to protect the rights of the refugees as well. Ironically, when a large number of Yemeni refugees entered Jeju in 2018, the public expressed their resentment and anxiety, attaching negative images and stereotypes onto the refugees. The refugees, therefore, appeared in the newspaper as a great threat to Korea. This situation greatly discouraged me. I believe we should be like the Good Samaritan in the Bible for the people crossing the borders and travelling to different places in search of a better life. When the previous US president, Donald Trump, set up the ‘Trump wall’ as an expansion of the Mexico-United States barrier, the Pope said that the movement of people cannot be blocked physically. We have lived together with the refugees for 10 years now, so data on the refugee registrations has accumulated for a long period of time. The public is only aware of the entry of 602 Yemeni refugees in 2018, while actually 1200 entered Korea from 2012 when a large number of Syrian refugees entered. From 1994 to 2020, 71,000 registered to become refugees and 6700 submitted applications for refugee status last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this information, we can answer the question on the potential problems that the acceptance of refugees might bring.

Number of refugees in Korea by nationality, Syria and Yemen in red

Was there any news report on the crime caused by the refugees in the past 10 years? No. If there was one, it would have been connected to the refugee conflict within Korea, arousing more resentment towards the acceptance of the refugees. If you put yourself in the refugees’ shoes, you would understand why the refugees cannot commit crimes. They are banished from Korea if they are caught for being complicit in crimes. Then, because they were already displaced from their home countries, they have nowhere else to go. They are always anxious about their unstable state in Korea. I am curious about the public perception towards accepting refugees. What actions can we take to change these perceptions into a more positive and supportive direction? Sang Hoon Kim In 2018, a media outlet conducted a poll about accepting refugees, and 80% of the students who took part in the survey were against accepting refugees because they considered most of the refugees to be Islamic. To quote Pope Francis, it is natural for people in a community to feel fear and anxiety stemming from the doubt that the newly introduced people would pull down the pre-existing order and steal something that the original residents have accumulated for a long period of time, and thus it is not regarded as sin. However, it is a sin if they refuse contact with the outsiders or the neighborhood itself. The doubt and fear would affect the thoughts and behaviour, resulting in a closed society and social issues such as racism. The fear and doubt about the refugees are due to the lack of proper understanding of the

refugees. This can be therefore resolved by having more opportunities to interact with them. For example, Naomi Centre donated clothes for the refugees during the Yemeni refugee crisis in 2018 with the help of female volunteers in their 60s and 70s. They were afraid of even talking to the refugees at the start. For the next couple of weeks, they had opportunities to interact with them frequently. This led to the development of their relationship with the refugees: they got much closer and became friendly with each other. Some of them also became Korean teachers for them and chose clothes that fitted them well. When the voluntary session finished, they visited Naomi Centre again, recalling the sparkling eyes of the refugee children, to ask if there was a way for them to continue to volunteer. This demonstrates how effective direct interaction is for resolving social conflicts due to the arrival of the refugees . I believe that the word ‘refugees’ does not encompass all of the individuals you give so much emotional and financial help to. I have heard that you help immigrants and foreign workers as well. Could you please explain how you help these individuals? Sang Hoon Kim The source of the deepest sorrow is the suffering from sickness and the lack of medical insurance. In order to provide aid for them, Naomi Centre runs free hospitals, dentistry, and pharmacies every Sunday at 3 o’clock. As illegal immigrants cannot sign up for insurance, we operate the WeFriends Medical Mutual Aid Association that provides medical insurance for the immigrants - if they pay only ₩10000 every month, they let immigrants have treatment at half

Naomi Centre with refugees

price. If the immigrants suffer from a catastrophic disease, we use Catholic newspapers and collaborate with different organisations to receive donations of money or organs. For any legal issues, we connect the people with lawyers and labour attorneys on Jeju. I noticed that in an interview with Jeju MBC a year ago, you mentioned that the word ‘Naomi’ comes from one of the stories in the Bible. Please elaborate on this idea and how it ties into your aim. Sang Hoon Kim Naomi is a character in the Book of Ruth from the Bible. Naomi raised her two sons as a single parent. She sent both daughters-in-law back home when her two sons died, but Ruth said that she wanted to live with Naomi. Consequently, Naomi went to her hometown and helped Ruth to live her life there. Ruth later married Boaz and David was born. Although she was actually a stranger to Naomi, Naomi took responsibility for her and regarded her as her daughter. This centre embodies Naomi’s spirit in embracing the refugees and taking care of them.

Do you have any last words to say to those who have a more negative view of the refugees or hold stereotypical beliefs about them? Sang Hoon Kim The Refugee Act is established for people persecuted on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. This is a law that merely filters the refugees rather than protecting them. This does not apply to certain types of refugees such as war refugees, climate refugees, and economic refugees as well. However, people are petitioning to get rid of the Refugee Act. One thing to be aware of is that the Refugee Act does not protect the refugees, but Koreans. The people who are persecuted are receiving ruthless criticisms, although they have no faults. We should reconsider the source of the ruthless criticism of them, as they actually lack evidence for it. We now have vested rights, but there might be a time when we lose them. We should not infringe their rights or treat them inferiorly because we have power over them. Just as we treat injured wild animals and then send them back to the mountain, we should not throw rocks at the people who fled to Korea.

Questions Alexis Pi (Year 11) Writer Junghyun Eileen Kwak (Year 12) Hoyoon Jeong (Year 12) Hyun Joo Annette Cho (Year 12) Editor Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

Naomi centre in Jeju

Refugees getting medical checks

Refugees getting subsidies

Seongbae Kim is the writer of the play ‘Goyeok’. He spotlighted various aspects of the Yemeni refugee crisis and revealed their stories. Through the relationship between different characters, he tackled fundamental issues of the crisis. What is the message that he wants to convey through this play? Let’s explore his motivation and artwork.

Play highlights Yemeni refugees ,

'Goyeok'

I heard that the main conflict of this drama is the refugee crisis. Can you explain the framework? Seongbae Kim Sangyo and Minki, the main characters of ‘Goyeok’, have conflicting attitudes about the way they accept others. Sangyo suggests the unconditional acceptance of refugees and foreign workers ,while Minki argues against their acceptance. These contradictory stances act as a metaphor for the inner conflict of an individual. Through ‘Goyeok’, I wanted to discuss with the audience the two conflicting mindsets that we possess . How did you come up with the idea of using Jeju refugees as a motif? Seongbae Kim When 500 Yemenis entered Jeju Island in 2018 and applied for refugee status, I had already been living there for two years. There were numerous reports of refugees who were of different races and spoke different languages. Korean society Musical Goyeok

feared that they might destroy social order. On the other hand, there was also a movement to accept them warmly. Over time, two of the Yemenis were recognized as refugees, 412 were granted humanitarian permission to stay, 56 were disqualified from being able to settle in other countries, and 14 had left the country. According to the Jeju Immigration Office, the majority of Yemenis who had been granted permission to stay, left Jeju Island in 2018 and scattered throughout Korea. Now more than two years have elapsed. When the Yemenis entered Jeju Island, causing social controversy, I looked at them from the bystander’s perspective. Since there was a high proportion of young men among the Yemenis, I thought that was a reason why the Yemeni were seen as potentially destroying the social order. I could also understand why the local Jeju people willingly provided their homes to others who had nowhere to go. Being in a neutral position, I tended to ignore the sit-

Musical Goyeok

uation. Although it was still a matter of in-depth consideration for me, I was afraid of being deeply involved and lacked the confidence to do so. In this situation, I thought the easiest solution was to get away and forget it. However, I realized that I was in debt to the refugees, when I finished writing this piece a year later. What is the meaning you tried to convey through the title of ‘Goyeok’, meaning hard work? Seongbae Kim ‘Goyeok’ - (Hard Work) - means a world full of pain and suffering. It was not only the title of the piece, but also the name of the guesthouse managed by Sangyo, the main character. The world is not always full of pain and suffering, but human beings are probably walking towards extinction from the moment they are born. Therefore, hard times are always close to us. As a director, I wanted to seriously explore how humans live in the mortal world. What are some of the influences that ‘Goyeok’ can have on society?

Seongbae Kim Rather than having an impact on society, I thought it would be better to make a space where people can talk about what happened in our society once again by watching this piece. In this work, it was interesting to expand its meaning from the problems of the individual characters to the problems of the society we belong to. Why did you want to explore this? Seongbae Kim Through the piece ‘ Goyeok’, I wanted to provoke discussion by asking questions about what kind of community we envision and what kind of individuals we should be. Sangyo and Minki in the play represent 'individuals' and 'communities' from their own perspectives. In fact, when we look at refugees, foreign workers, or disabled people, individuals can feel compassion and accept them. However, when the relationship between the refugees and the citizens becomes identified as a group or social class, the refugees suffer from being excluded. The debate between Sangyo and Minki seems to separate them as clear opposites. However, getting one step closer, there is not much difference in what they are arguing

about. They can never be either fully right or wrong. Other characters also ask various questions that are essential to our lives as a member of a society: to what extent can one society or human being accept another? What are moral laws? What is the meaning of our lives? The authenticity of the work was recognized by the "2020 Performing Arts Creation Room of the Year" selected by the Korean Culture and Arts Committee. What aspects of the work influenced its selection? Seongbae Kim I wanted to give enough ‘time to talk’ for the characters who appear in "Goyeok". Rather than judging who is right or wrong, we wanted to look at the pain that the characters have, think more deeply about how it affects human life, and how it influences people to accept others. Through the stories that the characters discussed, the audience would look into others’ lives more carefully and re-

flect on their relationships with others. This would be a meaningful time for them and these thoughts might linger in their mind for a long time. How did the audience react after watching the show? Seongbae Kim The audience gave various opinions. Some of them gave good comments about the performance, and some pointed out where it could have been better. I will go over them and reflect on them for future plays. I am looking forward to your future career. Do you have any plans for future work? Seongbae Kim After this piece ‘Goyeok’, I am planning to write two more pieces to complete my ‘Human Trilogy’. As soon as the writing is finished, I will try to produce and stage the play.

Questions: EZ Kim (Year 12) Juyeon Ma (Year 12) Writer: Unnyeong Leo Her (Year 12) Editor: Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

Jeju Yemeni, How the Perception of the Public on the Yemeni Refugees Changed Over Time

We interviewed Jun Pyo Kim, who is a researcher at the Research Institute for the Tamla Culture of Jeju National University. Based on his long term dedication in the academic field of Yemeni refugees, he explained the changes in perception of the public on the Yemeni refugees. The distinctive responses of the Jeju people and Korean public suggested interesting solutions to get rid of the barrier between Koreans and refugees. What is his unique way of resolving this crisis?

Interview with Junpyo Kim in Jeju National University

Can you briefly introduce yourself and the Research Institute for Tamla Culture? Jun Pyo Kim I am a researcher at the Research Institute for the Tamla Culture of Jeju National University. I am in charge of the project called ‘The Reflection on Jeju Island’s History through ‘Cumda’ and Rethinking of Refugee’’ funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea. Can you describe the symposium held by the Research Institute for Tamla Culture regarding the issue of refugees? Jun Pyo Kim The symposium in 2021 was held on the topic, “Jeju Island, The Recognition of Others and Hatred”. There is a handbook of this symposium. I did research on the recognition of the refugees by the Jeju residents and did a presentation on it. The symposium took place last year too. The topic of last year’s symposium was “The Recognition and Appearance of The Refugees Resolved by Cumda’. About 10 research papers were presented within a day. We dealt with the lives of the Yemeni who registered for refugee status and their scattered lifestyles. Other main issues included the transition of the recognition from the period of the three kingdoms to Joseon Dynasty. You might be interested in the meaning of the word ‘Cumda’. It means ‘to embrace’ in the Jeju dialect. The word is also used as the abbreviation of ‘Cumda

Uprooted Migrants in the Democratic Agora’. Hence, the symposium was aimed at encouraging a proper response to the refugee crisis through the cultural perceptions in Jeju that are featured in ‘Cumda’. In that context, I did a presentation on ‘The Era of Hatred - Search for The Identity of Cumda’. We later collected the research papers based on these presentations and published them in a scholarly journal. The title of the book is ‘Why Now Refugee - the appearance and recognition of the refugees’’. This book will be released in two weeks. The research papers included in this book are different from the papers presented in the symposium, so it would be good to look at both.

Handbook on Refugee Symponium

With a high number of Yemenis entering Jeju Island, public opinion on refugees has been mounting since 2018 and there has even been a petition asking the government to stop Yemenis entering. What do you think of this issue? Jun Pyo Kim I had one misconception about the negative public opinion on refugees. I thought the negativity stemmed from the differences in religion. Wouldn’t Korean Christianity be the main source of hatred towards the introduction of Islam? - I thought this was how other people would think of this issue. The investigation revealed that the public does not expect this issue to be significantly associated with religious reasons. It can also be easily assumed that the people who oppose the entry of the refugees would outnumber the people who agree. At a national level, this assumption appeared to be true. If you look at the national level investigation in 2011, for example, 33% were in favour of their entry while 53% disagreed. The number of those who disagree is not twice as many as those who agree, but it is still the majority. When a poll on accepting refugees was taken again in June of 2018, according to the Korean Research of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 50% opposed the registration of the refugees in June of 2018 and this increased to 53% in the November of 2020. As the percentage of ‘no stance’ decreased from 22% to 14%, there were more people who expressed their opinions. People who agreed increased from 29% to 33%, so both sides increased in number. Since the range of the positive side is slightly bigger than 1%, Korean Research inferred that there were at least minor positive changes in perception.

Jeju island in particular had drastic transitions. This was investigated by our research centre, so the questions were slightly different. People with no stance were 21.8%. There was an answer choice for agreeing to the entry of the refugees, if the refugees respect and observe the refugee law. People who chose this thought that refugees can be accepted, if they are allowed their rights and screened according to the refugee law; refugees can be permitted or restricted with their rights within the boundary of the law. 39.6% chose this option - this is a quite high figure. The assertive opposition - who disagreed with the entry even if the refugee law exists - was 25.4%; 12.8% voted to protect refugees even if no refugee law existed. To sum up, under the condition that refugee law is effectively implemented, over 40% agreed to the entry of the refugees. Hence, we determined that Jeju island is more compassionate towards the refugees compared to the whole of Korea. How can the public be engaged to help refugees settling in South Korea? Jun Pyo Kim The best solution would be to let people meet the refugees face-to-face - meet them frequently and in person. One of the reasons why people on Jeju island are more compassionate to the refugees is their frequent contact with them. As people met them face-to-face, they realised that the refugees were dissimilar to what they initially imagined them to be. The refugees were not really different. Thus, the trepidation and anxiety instigated by rumour and fear could be resolved through direct contact. Moreover, as experience with the refugees

Symposium on 'the recognition and appearance of the refugees resolved by Cumda

17 21

Interview with Junpyo Kim in Jeju National University

accumulated, people realised the low possibility of refugees causing problems. The economical context - that the refugees would take domestic jobs - was not the number one reason for opposition in either Jeju or at a national level. In the case of Jeju, the major issue for the opposition was the fear of public security. This could be resolved as people in Jeju realised this was not the case as two to three years elapsed. The refugees have more disadvantages if they commit any crimes. They are more careful in observing the regulations and laws while trying not to cause a shock in the cultural aspects. Since these problems do not occur, the sense of fear naturally vanishes. Another method is to do with ‘Cumda’. According to multiple examples of the usage of the term, ‘Cumda’, the way to embrace the community is letting people have freedom. It is not to get in touch or interfere

with them but let them be as they are. When the new person enters this community, people do not greet the new immigrant. Then after a month or so, they suddenly share the crop collected from their farms. This is the process of getting to know each other. While they are spending time in contact, they do not hurry and rather let time pass. They do not interfere, intervene or ask millions of questions with great interest; they do not care much and just leave them to settle in. Then they would establish themselves and make natural connections with others. As they gradually get along with others, they would finally be included in the community. This is what we believe as ‘Cumda’ culture of Jeju island. We should practise this way of treating the refugees.

Questions: Yeobin Amy Han (Year 12) Writer: Yeobin Amy Han (Year 12), Juyeon Ma (Year 12) Editor: Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

Yemen refugee through the lense of documentary Sufian Abulohom is a Yemeni filmmaker living in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Sana'a, Yemen and moved to Falls Church, Virginia when he was 15 years old. He received his BA in Film and Media from American University 17' and his MFA in Film Production at the University of Southern California 20'. Being one of few Yemeni filmmakers in the world, he made the film "Yemen: the silent War", "Immigrant at home", and "Breach of Trust". Movie, Yemen: the Silent War

What brought you to create a documentary about Yemen refugees? Sufian Abulohom I grew up in Yemen for the majority of my life and moved to the United States when I was fifteen years old. Most people that immigrate to the United States leave everything behind for a new life, but that wasn’t my family’s situation. For us, we always talked about how we’re going back to Yemen and that our stay in the United States is temporary. But then the war broke and that changed everything. After graduating from university, I wanted to make a documentary about the war in Yemen. I’ve heard of so many stories from friends and people that I know about the Markazi Refugee Camp in Djibouti and wanted to highlight the Yemen war through the lens of the people suffering the most. What story did you want to tell through the documentary, “Yemen: the Silent War”? Sufian Abulohom Most documentaries that I’ve seen filmed in refugee camps (often directed by white foreigners through the western orientalist lens) always highlight how regardless of all the struggle, people manage to survive and have fun during their most difficult times. The Yemen war isn’t “fun” and people at the Markazi Refugee Camp have experienced war, famine, separating from their loved ones and the list goes on. I just wanted the audience to feel their pain, to experience the emptiness of the camp and to understand why their hope is gone. I just wanted an honest reflection of what I saw andnot make a structured film. What were your reasons for choosing the documentary style for the film?

Sufian Abulohom I really thought that I could use animation to tell stories and invoke feelings for the audience that wouldn’t be done in the traditional documentary format. I consider this film more of a portrait of the camp than a short documentary. What were the challenges of making a documentary on refugees? Sufian Abulohom So many. From being held at the airport for so many hours, to getting permits, to traveling alone etc... But honestly once I arrived at the camp, I felt like I was home in a way. I haven’t been to Yemen in 4 years at the time when I went there and it was the closest I’ve ever been around so many Yemenis at once. What kinds of support did you receive as a Yemeni filmmaker? Sufian Abulohom None. In terms of funding and support, nothing. But for this film, I was the first Yemeni filmmaker to interview the people I met in the camp. They opened their homes and lives to me. I wasn’t a stranger interviewing. I understood their language, their culture and the situation. They opened up to me more than they did to anyone else because I was Yemeni. What is your ultimate goal as a movie director? Are there any future projects that you are working on? Sufian Abulohom I really want to make films that have an impact and make a difference. I really want people to see the world through my lens. I just finished filming a short fiction film in Yemen. I’m also working on two feature films, but they both are still in development.

House of Sana’a from Yemen

Logo: NLCS Bridge

How Architecture Takes a Role

in the Exchange of Koreans and Yemeni Refugees

Jeju’s typical traditional house

One of the virtual models

We interviewed ‘Bridge’, a community service group from North London Collegiate School Jeju. This year, they are introducing a new project called ‘Yemeni Nostalgia’ in order to enhance the exchange of Koreans and Yemeni Refugees through the perspective of architecture with the emphasis on the sense of cultural companions. Their interests in the refugee crisis, combined with architectural knowledge, would establish a strong bridge between the two distant communities.

Please briefly introduce ‘Bridge’. Siyeol Choi Bridge is an architecture society of North London Collegiate School Jeju. Bridge aims for active cultural collaboration through architecture. It is true that people tend to hesitate to approach the newly introduced culture, but it is important to be open to cultural exchanges. Bridge is the society that takes initiatives in order to broaden that sense of companionship through various activities. What motivated the group to initiate an architecture project regarding the Yemeni refugees? Siyeol Choi During research, Bridge identified multiple problems confronted by the Jeju Yemeni refugees. These issues were categorized into two branches. Firstly, Yemeni refugees are well adapted to unfamiliar cultural environments in Korea. However, they would have a strong longing for Yemeni traditional culture in their home countries. As their cities have been destroyed by the civil war for a long period of time, it might have been greater than ever. Secondly, Korean community does not have a good understanding of Yemeni culture. We believe most Koreans would envision an image of a village ruined by the civil war when they think about the Yemenis. We wanted to make contributions for the Yemeni refugee crisis by initiating a project called ‘Yemeni

Nostalgia’, which reflects the problems that we have identified for the refugees. You emphasized the importance of cultural companions/exchanges in your project proposal. Which aspect of your project would contribute to the cultural companions/exchanges? Siyeol Choi Our major goal is to provide the Yemeni refugees a healing experience through architectural mediums. We started off by imagining houses where we could find moments of Korean and Yemeni cultures, constructing them through virtual models. Those buildings all together will create a small village where refugees can travel in, through the VR technique. We hope that they feel the wonderfully combined Yemeni style in the forms of Korean mainstream architecture, and receive a sense of nostalgia. Besides, we will extend this project through various artistic means. We will set up an online gallery that displays our paintings and pop art that depict Yemeni architecture sitting on Jeju’s local site, as well as magnets of Yemeni architecture. The gallery’s link will be distributed to Jeju locals with the magnets so that they become more aware of the possibilities of them working to welcome the refugees, eventually causing greater harmony between Yemeni refugees and the local community.

Myanmar Refugees

Photo by Taehoon Kwon, Saram school of Art

Rights and Responsibilities Play Significant Roles in The International Community

We interviewed Professor Soh, a professor of the Graduate School of International Studies and Division of International Studies at Korea University. He is also the head of Human Asia and a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. We were able to gain an insightful understanding of the refugee crisis through his responses. He especially underscored the significance of balancing rights and responsibilities in the international community.

Changrok Soh

Please provide a brief introduction of yourself. Changrok Soh Hello, thank you very much for inviting me to the INFLUENZA interview. I am a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University, the head of Human Asia, and a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Why is the refugee crisis particularly difficult to solve? Changrok Soh The refugee crisis is fundamentally difficult to resolve. Refugees are defined as those who have left their country and cannot return for diverse reasons. While the international community focuses on the rights of the citizens of their respective countries, there is an increasing number of people without protection from their home countries which leads to increased violence in the international community. The lack of a stakeholder that can be held accountable for the refugee issue is why this problem is difficult to resolve. As the number of refugees has been on the rise recently, it is becoming an increasingly difficult problem. Could you introduce how the refugee crisis in Myanmar will affect the international community (politically, socially, economically, etc.) and what policies will follow? Changrok Soh The issue of refugees is not only limited to Myanmar but is also relevant to many other stakeholders in the international community. There are ongoing discussions regarding these issues in the international community. Recently, Myanmar's refugee crisis has become an increasingly complicated issue due to democratisation and military coups. The question of how concepts of democratisation and human rights can be integrated into the

international community has become more pertinent. Especially in Southeast Asia, where Myanmar is located, the countries of ASEAN strongly support the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs. As interference in other countries is limited, the need for cooperation has increased. However, cooperation was not achieved, leading to the aggravation of this problem. Over the past 70 years, people have tended to put an increasing emphasis on human rights, but national sovereignty is still regarded as important, so many changes in norms and critical solutions are needed to deal with this issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation of the Myanmar refugees. What is the relationship between the pandemic and the refugee crisis and how does the pandemic exacerbate the refugee crisis? Changrok Soh As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, the suffering of refugees is aggravated. Firstly, due to border restrictions, refugees cannot easily leave the country. Refugees become socalled ‘internally displaced people’ because they are unable to leave their home countries and are forced to find refuge within their borders. As the number of domestic refugees who cannot go abroad increases, there are many questions on how to resolve this issue. Neighbouring countries are enforcing border control to curb the spread of the pandemic and are suffering from domestic economic and social problems. Therefore, they pay less attention to the refugee crisis. Recently, there has been an increasing number of cases of misuse of measures to protect refugees. What would be the appropriate response to this situation? Changrok Soh Measures to protect refugees can be

misused as it is difficult to distinguish between refugees who are fleeing persecution and immigrants who are moving for economic reasons. Because of the thorough examination, it can take a long time to determine some cases. The qualification to enter a country for long term residence can also be abused and used to engage in economic activities. However, Korea rarely grants refugee status to individuals. Statistics show that South Korea has a low rate of recognition of refugees compared to other OECD member nations. In the case of Korea, it is necessary to shorten the period of examining whether asylum seekers qualify as refugees, increase the number of people conducting the examinations, and improve the system quickly. We must work to prevent situations in which genuine refugees are denied refugee status. Last year, several refugees were not granted refugee status due to mistakes made by interpreters during the screening process. These incidents damage the international reputation of Korea and violate the rights of refugees. We must conduct fair and professional examinations in the future to prevent causing further victims. What do you think of the growing demand for refugee camps in Myanmar? Changrok Soh This is a grave problem. Refugee camps are intended to be created temporarily to accommodate refugees who are dislocated in the event of a large crisis. However, as refugees should be treated with dignity and respect, they should be integrated and accepted into the community as people who live with us. Especially in the international community, since 2010, there has been a trend of hosting refugees in urban areas. According to 2018 statistics on the areas of residence of refugees, 61% live in cities. It is not appropriate to accommodate refugees in isolated refugee camps for a long term. It is necessary to provide support for refugees so that they can be integrated into existing cities, villages, or communities. We would like to know the extent of intervention by international organisations in Myanmar's refugee outbreak and the countermeasures that can be taken. What do you think of the inadequate response of international organisations? Changrok Soh This is a very important issue. Critics question why the numerous international organisations such as the United Nations and the International Refugee Organisation are not resolving these

issues and doubt their capacity to respond to global issues. However, we should be aware that the United Nations and most international organisations have no right to impose on the state. The UN prioritises the principle of national sovereignty. The international community is a gathering of nations, and the United Nations is an organisation created by these member states. There have been endless discussions on how to balance the importance of human rights and sovereignty, how much sovereignty should be protected, when state oppression or violation of rights calls for intervention. That is why we created norms that emphasise the importance of human rights. For example, “R2P”, or “Responsibility to Protect”, is the principle that says “each country has a responsibility to protect its people, and other countries can intervene if they fail to fulfill that responsibility.” Therefore, when there is a coup in Myanmar and the rights of their citizens are being violated, the international community has a justification to intervene. However, due to social and political concerns it is very difficult to intervene even if there is a justification. Therefore, it remains a difficult problem for the international community. To deal more effectively with such issues, there should be a division of the roles of international organisations. When the country does not sufficiently protect the human rights of its citizens, or when it actively violates their rights, there should firstly be institutional mechanisms that prevent it. Secondly, humanitarian aid is needed when refugees arise due to these crises. Humanitarian assistance can be provided by the support from UNICEF or WFP for example. When there is a violation of human rights, the Civil Rights Commision, where I work in, can take action. When the violation of human rights is serious, individuals can appeal to our commision as well. Then there is a process through which judgments are made, but this procedure takes a very long time. It is also very difficult to enforce the decisions to the nation even if the court ultimately rules in favour of the appeal. There is no such thing as an international court of justice, so the decision becomes a recommendation, and there are no measures the international organisation can take if the state does not follow the recommendation . In the case of the Myanmar refugee crisis, there is widespread public opinion asking for actions to be

Changrok Soh

taken by the international community by applying the principle of RTOP. They also support intervention by the UN, especially the Security Council. However, it is very complicated. For example, there would be a problem if the developed countries such as the United States intervene for national and political gains. Therefore, an agreement was made by the five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. The Standing Committee is not allowed to take any action if any of the permanent members opposes an initiative. Accordingly, the UN cannot do anything right now because China and Russia are opposed to the intervention in Myanmar and are limiting the UN from taking further actions. Nevertheless, there are various devices to protect human rights and provide humanitarian assistance. These need to be fully utilised. More importantly, I personally believe that public opinion and a joint effort by the international community are required to accomplish this goal This April, Myanmar's pro-democracy protests led to a number of refugees from Myanmar gaining the international spotlight. This pro-democracy demonstration is compared to past pro-democracy demonstrations in Korea. How is the situation ongoing in Myanmar able to gain more support and awareness from the international community compared to the situation in Korea during the May 18 Democratic Movement and protests?

Changrok Soh Yes, that's a very good question. Now, there is a 40 year difference between the 80s democratisation movement in Korea and the 2020s. The international community has changed a lot. One of the changes is the emphasis put on human rights in comparison to sovereignty. That has been the trend so far. A bigger change is the use of digital technology. When I was in college, few people in foreign countries knew about the democratic movement in Korea. There was no way to gain information. Through the control of the spread of information, even people in Seoul did not know what was going on in Gwangju. There was not much room for intervention in the international community because we did not know what was going on in a faraway country. Comparatively, you can now see what's happening in real time through SNS or the internet. And the international community puts a bigger emphasis on respecting the importance of human rights. Because of that, I think that foreign countries and the international community play a greater role now. Because it's much easier to form international opinions and there are many opportunities to promote our values. In light of such changes, the younger generation of Korea should play a bigger role. What's that role? It might seem too trivial, but it is actually important to post something on social media, show more interest, and generate public opinion. If everyone can speak up and gain more awareness on the crisis in Myanmar, then the Myanmar government will be

Changrok Soh and his book, I was infected

pressured to change. Hence, I think that individuals can contribute to the issue by creating an environment like that. Currently, Thailand and other countries are refusing to accept refugees from Myanmar. What are the reasons behind this refusal? Also, are there any countries that accept refugees? Changrok Soh Thailand has been struggling with refugees from Myanmar for the past 30 years. Furthermore there are concerns that an influx of refugees from Myanmar who want to encourage the spread of democracy will cause social confusion. This social confusion is a concern that many countries share. Nations are concerned that the inflow of refugees will cause a cultural conflict or financial difficulties. However, there are many advantages in the long run. I think we can divide the arguments regarding the acceptance into two. Firstly, the country considers if the acceptance would bring tangible benefits to the country. The second aspect is the ideological benefit regarding the country’s position in the international community. It has become an international norm that refugees should now be treated as human beings with dignity. Therefore, refugees are no longer viewed as passive targets for humanitarian aid, but are rather regarded as development or cooperation entities. Hence, the refusal to accept refugees can cause a huge blow to the country’s international reputation. As with the case of Korea, refugees bring long term benefits for a nation. They increase the working population and bring economic benefits. Cultural diversity increases as well. Some people worry that the refugees will take their jobs and crime rates will

increase, causing confusion in the society. This anxiety is rooted in misleading information. In truth, there is no evidence that the crime rates increase when refugees arrive in a country. It is actually our individual responsibility to protect the human rights of refugees. If you look at the Universal Declaration of Human rights, there is a section that does not gain enough attention. Article 29 states that all individuals have a duty to the human community. Therefore, if we want to claim individual rights - freedom of expression, freedom of religion, right to be educated- we also have to take responsibility as a member of the community in which we live. However, when it comes to human rights, people focus on their rights, not responsibilities. The community to which we have a duty is not an individual country, but is humanity in general. In this line of logic, we are responsible for protecting refugees. You have written many educational books such as <I was infected>. Could you recommend a good book for teenagers to read in the field of human rights? Changrok Soh There are many good books in the field of human rights, but it would be great if you read my book. There is a book called "In Search For Human Rights" written by Professor Cho Hyo-je. It is a book that interprets the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clause by clause. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created in 1948, so it is quite old, but it is a very well-written document. It is composed of 30 clauses and is a fundamental document for all human rights. I strongly recommend you read the text of the Universal Declaration of Human RIghts alongside the book written by Professor Cho Huo-je.

Listen to Refugees’ Voices We met Jeong-eum Choi, the Secretary-General of Human Asia, a non-profit association that promotes human rights in Asia. Based on the activities central to “research and education”, Human Asia is proactive in letting people listen to refugees’ voices. She has especially raised awareness of the significance of education. What does Human Asia specifically do and how does it impact the refugee crisis?

Please briefly introduce yourself and the Human Asia organisation. Jeong-eum Choi I am Jeong-eum Choi, the Secretary-General of Human Asia. Human Asia is a non-profit association established in 2006 to promote human rights in Asia. There are many ways of promoting human rights. Among them, the purpose of establishing Human Asia was to contribute

to the promotion of human rights through human rights education and research. To be more specific, our long-term vision is to become an NGO leading the establishment of a regional human rights protection mechanism in Asia. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, a human rights protection system has been established and protected, mainly by the United Nations. Also, each

Human Asia Organization

region has established a system to monitor whether each country complies with them. Since there is no such system only in Asia, it is our long-term vision to contribute to the establishment of Asian human rights protection mechanisms. At present, I understand that human rights activities in Human Asia are concentrating on the large categories of "research and education" and "development and cooperation." In particular, Human Asia is working on improving awareness, human rights education, and humanitarian assistance. Which of these activities do you think should be the most important?

To what extent can NGOs intervene and influence international issues such as refugee issues? How far do you think NGOs can reach within a legal boundary? Jeong-eum Choi It is hard to simplify the issue, but when you see a human rights violation happening, you can divide the case into two. First is, when a law exists but is not applied. Another case is where there is a human rights violation but no law related to it. In the first case, an NGO's job is to ensure that the law is well applied and rights are protected. They make a noise and pressure those who continue to enforce the law, such as the United Nations, or other inter-

Jeong-eum Choi It is an obvious answer, but everything seems to be as important as biting ten fingers without pain. I thought human rights research was very important, but when I worked in Human Asia, I realized that human rights education was also very important. Human rights education means that related activities and professional education are important. Have you ever attended our ‘Human Rights School’? These days, teenagers are already very interested in human rights, and I think it is also very important to educate them on politically and religiously neutral human rights. I think it is also crucial to conduct human rights research and education as well as rights-based development projects in other Asian countries, not only in Korea UN designed world refugee day

Human Asia Organization

national organisations, or governments. In the second case, the job that NGOs can do is to create laws and norms. From a domestic perspective, we can continue to collect and record people's stories, campaign, and continuously expose specific issues to the public, thereby creating public consensus and making laws based on them. From an international perspective, it doesn't seem easy for an NGO to do it alone. Therefore, NGOs form networks with each other: internationally, regionally, or domestically. A good example is the refugee network in Korea. Non-governmental organisations working in refugee-related areas form a network together, hold regular meetings, and exchange information regularly. To sum up, NGOs can do everything, whether it's international or domestic, but it is also true that NGOs cannot be magic bullets for all social problems for varying reasons.

signature did not just put their names, gender, but also their messages. As I read through those messages one by one, I almost cried. It's not just people who know about Human Asia, but also people from all over the country and overseas. There were people from Myanmar, too. They told us that they appreciate our proactive efforts. However, some people were sceptical about whether doing this would change anything, whether the UN would move, or whether it would help. However, the answer to them is that they still have to do it. You have to keep speaking about it, and if you keep doing this, this will gain momentum . Only when it becomes strong enough to create influential public opinion, will the UN feel a little pressure, and it is better to take action than to stay still.

What do refugees such as Myanmar refugees need? What were your most memorable refugee-related activities in Human Asia? Jeong-eum Choi What happened in our activities was that we sent a letter to the United Nations urging for an investigation into severe human rights violations occurring in Myanmar as soon as possible after the military coup took place on February 1st. We sent it to the UN with online signatures collected in April and May. While we were collecting the signatures, one day I came to the office and opened the Google Doc Drive to see how many signatures came in. When I entered, the people who participated in this

Jeong-eum Choi I think the priority varies from country to country. Each country has a different stance on accepting refugees and a different number of people. For example, Jordan in the Middle East accepts a large number of refugees from Palestine, Syria, or Iraq because they share similar languages, religions, and cultures. However, this is not the case for Korea. To enhance the treatment of refugees in general, I think each of us must try to understand and listen to other voices, and stay alert .

Shout Out to The Teenagers and Celebrities:

Make a Voice for The Refugees Taehun Kwon is the founder of the Human Arts School. He took multiple initiatives such as the Mingalaba coffee project in order to provide sufficient humanitarian aid for the growing children of Myanmar. His commitment did not only spark off the fundraising but also raised the care and interest in the Myanmar refugees. He shouts out to the teenagers to ask their favourite celebrities for the support of the Myanmar refugees. Meet Taehun Kwon, the activist at the very site of the Myanmar refugee crisis.

Questions Unnyeong Leo Her (Year 12) Writer Unnyeong Leo Her (Year 12), Jeein Bunny Seol (Year 12) Editor Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

Please briefly introduce yourself. Taehun Kwon My name is Taehun Kwon, the founder of the Human Arts School. Myanmar is a federal state comprising eight different ethnic groups. Myanmar achieved independence from the UK in 1948. Since then, the conflicts among eight different ehtnic groups have continued. There are about 2 million refugees right now. The members of the Human Arts School first went to Thailand’s Mae Sot Burma refugee zone - where there are about 400,000 Myanmar refugees live - in 2013. The experience there raised various questions: “How can I deal with the issues caused by the appearance of the refugees?”, “Could it be possible to solve ethnic conflicts through the arts?”. I thought the establishment of an art school would be the key to solving the refugee crisis by bringing children from various ethnic groups together so that they study and get along with each other. That is the purpose of founding the Human Arts School.

What kind of role does ‘art’ play in the Human Arts School? Taehun Kwon The coup in Myanmar stemmed from three fundamental contradictions. The first is ‘ethnic contradiction.’ In fact, there are more than 135 ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Among them, eight ethnic groups have their own land and armies; this has caused a number of ethnic conflicts. The second is ‘religious contradiction’. In Myanmar, about 90% believe in Buddhism; 4% Christianity; 4% Islam. Due to the religious discrepancies, there were always religious conflicts. The third is the ‘colonial contradiction’: As Myanmar was colonised by the UK, the UK used minorities to control many ethnic groups, causing ethnic conflicts. These three contradictions are interwoven in a complex way. They enabled soldiers and troops to gain inexorable power, eventually leading to the war. It is challenging to solve Myanmar’s contradictions because people have different ethnicities and religions. However, I thought I could overcome it through art, since art can unify people regardless

of their ethnicity, religion, and language. Art has the power to evoke the beauty in one’s mind and mould it into a true and decent character. Hence, the Human Arts School is centred on the arts to solve the three contradictions in Myanmar. Can you introduce “Mingalaba Coffee Project”? Where will the profits from the sale be spent? Taehun Kwon The Human Arts School has created a number of teams of musicians in Korea. Each team consists of ten to twenty singer-songwriters, guitarists, violinists, and so on. These teams travel to Myanmar every year. While teaching art to the Myanmar children, I found out that their parents work on a coffee farm. Hence, we went to the coffee farm and performed music for the workers in the coffee farm. I decided to introduce Myanmar coffee to Korea through the Human Arts School. I imported coffee in January last year because I found it meaningful to fund the building of schools by selling Myanmar coffee. As I mentioned before, we have continued the art education to the Myanmar children every January. I wanted to expand that and provide opportunities for them to attend school all the time. Thus, we planned to buy land and a building by fundraising. However,the Myanmar coup happened on February 1st. Therefore, I decided to use this money to support the children caught up in this coup and the troops fighting for peace. This is how we started the ‘Mingalaba Coffee Project’. Mangalaba means ‘hello’ in Myanmar, so I named the brand ‘Mangalaba Coffee’. It represents the active interaction of Koreans and Myanmar people who protest against the current government. How should other countries cooperate to support the Myanmar refugee crisis? Taehun Kwon Over three thousand died on 8th August, 1988, during the pro-democracy protest; thousands of souls brutally left the world without achieving their goal of changing the government. One of the reasons for that is the lack of opportunities for them to cooperate with other countries by letting the international community recognise the brutality and issues in Myanmar at that time. Luckily, as social networks have developed since then, people have expressed a lot of sympathy for the situation in Myanmar. That is a good sign. Reflecting on this, Myanmar citizens can endure the crisis with the hope that there are young generations and citizens

of the world who support them. To refer to the words from the Youtube video, ‘Letter of the Korean People for Peace in Myanmar’, the Myanmar coup is not just a challenge for democracy in Myanmar, but is a challenge to our entire civilization. If democracy fails in Myanmar, human civilisation fails too. One team made up of citizens in Myanmar and the globe should be formed to bring back peace to the children. Thus, there is a solution I believe that would definitely work. I want teenagers to ask their favourite stars for the support of the Myanmar refugees using social media. Influential celebrities such as BTS and Blackpink can have an impact on the global community. They bring the drama and the embers of the impact are the individuals. This is how teenagers can participate in this civilisation movement. I thought this was really important. My friends and I follow celebrities on instagram and frequently check their feeds if they are uploaded. Some of the people I follow upload the screenshots of donation certificates. Not only how much they donated matters, but also through which organisations they donated is introduced to the followers along with the purpose of their donation, as they also put up links to the organisations. Looking at them, many followers may also be encouraged to participate in the donation and gain an interest in social or global issues. Taehun Kwon Yes, that’s true. I want to ask the MZ generation. Do you want a government army to mercilessly kill the public in the future? I don’t think so. That is what is actually happening in Myanmar right now. If we neglect the refugee crisis and regard this as a mere local issue in South East Asia, the same problem might occur in our future. If we think of this issue as our future event, we have the capability to mould the future of our civilisation through our efforts right now. Doesn’t it make your heart pound? These efforts can be made by anyone right now. We should visit the youtube channels of the celebrities and ask for their support. Firstly, ask for the donation for the Myanmar refugees; secondly, request the approval of the Myanmar temporary government; thirdly, appeal that the Korean MZ generation accepts the Myanmar refugee crisis as our social issue and thus is part of the civilisation movement. Taking this kind of action itself positions us to be the main players in our future. If we can feel that we have power strong enough to change the future of the world, all of us would benefit from the action.

Questions: Yeobin Amy Han (Year 12) Writer: Ez Kim (Year 12),

23Minglaba coffee project

Editor: Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

Hakbong Kwon's photo

Bridge Between Korea & Rohingya through Photos We interviewed Hakbong Kwon, who is a photographer interested in the Rohingya refugees. Talking to him, we could explore his passion about global issues and photography, bringing new perspectives to us. What motivated him to be interested in the refugee crisis? What is his ultimate goal to achieve through his photo reports and documentaries? This article will answer these questions.

Please briefly introduce yourself. Hakbong Kwon Hello, I am a photographer, Hakbong Kwon. I take photos not only for documentaries, but also for fine arts. Your experiences of publishing the photo report and directing a documentary about the Rohingya refugee were impressive. What triggered you to have an interest in the Rohingya refugees? Hakbong Kwon I originally had an interest in the ethnic minorities for my documentaries. The proportion of the population in the world decides whether you are involved in minorities or not. Although it is merely a difference in number, it hugely affects the general lives of the population. This idea interested me a lot.

Questions: Juyeon Ma Year 12) Writer: Juyeon Ma (Year 12) Editor: Juyeon Ma (Year 12)

I got to know about the Rohingya refugees while I was working with minorities. Knowledge about the Rohingya refugees is mainly the report published by the Myanmar government. I was interested to explore if that is credible or not. What kind of message did you want to express through the photo reports or documentaries? I believe it might be to raise awareness for social issues or express their culture and lifestyles, or even the combination of these. Hakbong Kwon We usually hear the news of other countries through credible institutions or media - newspaper, television, and other broadcasts. There are countries that block the freedom of expression of the media. Myanmar is one of those countries - the military dictatorship is influential in Myanmar. Since the media is also censored by the government, the news is mostly pro-governmental. This was what I knew from my own experiences. I realised Korean media transfers information obtained from the news of Myanmar without assessing its objectivity. I thought the problem was that they simply reported from their chairs. As a result, what Koreans thought about the Rohingya refugees was quite distant from the actual situations. I understand that people are easily trapped into the existing frame when they experience new concepts. However, I wanted to delve into this issue as an individual photographer who works for my own project by talking to them face-to-face and hearing the truth of Myanmar’s report from their voices. The key point of my message is that the Rohingya refugees were rejected from Myanmar because they were the weakest among many other minority groups in Myanmar. This is simplified, but close to the truth at the same time. The likely reasons such as religious conflicts - because Rohingya refugees are Muslims - cannot fully explain the crisis. Another possible reason is that it is because of resentment due to Rohingya’s betrayal when the UK imposed the ‘Divide and Rule’ policy in Myanmar. These explanations appear to be distant from the truth. Myanmar should be interpreted as a federation: In the territories occupied by minority groups, there are separate governments, presidents, and police systems. However, the Myanmar government does not accept them. This resulted in continuous civil war for over 60-70 years until now. Rohingya especially have suffered persecution from the mid-1970s. The key point is the abandonment of their nationalities. There is a prevalent misunderstanding among Koreans that Myanmar has a complete democratic structure while Myanmar has a different structural system for politics. For example, there are ranking systems for citizens - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class citizens. 3rd class citizens are mostly people from minority groups. Meanwhile, the

Rohingya group is not even included in this ranking system. They are not regarded as citizens, but as foreigners, in Myanmar. I wanted to speak about these misunderstandings and the truth of the crisis. However, Koreans cannot easily relate to these due to the absence of these aspects in our national history and experiences. Based on the study and investigations, I wanted to hear voices from Myanmar and Burma people so that I could make my message more convincing. As I am a photographer, taking photos was the best choice for me to explore these. As you mentioned, Korea has different national emotions or social contexts such as government structure, resulting in the misunderstanding of the situation for the Rohingya refugee. I think you have played a significant role in expressing the message, blurring the boundaries. You mentioned that you interviewed a number of Rohingya refugees - Were there any changes in your perspective regarding the Rohingya refugees before and after the interviews? Hakbong Kwon I was overwhelmed by every aspect of the standard, size, and situations of the refugee camps. It is difficult to relate to this unless you literally witness it with your eyes. The images that we envision about the refugee camp are 100 to 200 tents gathered amid the East Asian desert and an administration building on the side with the signboard, ‘UN’, with lethargic people looking helpless on the road. There is Kutupalong Refugee Camp where the Rohingya refugees stay. The size of the camp is

Hakbong Kwon

gigantic. It would exceed your expectations. A million people live here. There is a photo taken from the sky using a drone camera. 20-30 people live in each shelter that looks like a house in the photo. This picture of houses endlessly reaches the end of the horizon. They have their own markets and stores within the camp. As a million people live together in a confined area, the conflicts and the environment can cause exceedingly tragic situations. Hygiene was the worst aspect that negatively affects the population. The hygiene disposal of faeces and urine requires more technical investment than you might think. The absence of toilets is a critical issue in the camp. In the inferior environment that they endure, people have different opinions that clash with each other. One faction wants to arm themselves, attack Myanmar, and fight against the government army. Another insists that they should stay in the Bangladesh refugee camp and flee at night to illegally stay somewhere and support their lives with money earned from labour there for about a month. There are multiple subsidiary factions resulting in conflicts between these groups. As the emotional conversation accumulates, the violence increases. Violence causes more violence and at some point, it might not be manageable. Another problem arises from the strong instinct to survive. These people have nothing, which means they have nothing to lose. They get involved in illegal jobs. For example, there is drug smuggling and illicit trading. These cause deep-seated complex problems.

Hakbong Kwon's photo exhibition on Rohingya

There are many children living there as well. People in the camp are therefore concerned about the children’s education. They are also anxious about the future of this camp. These multiple issues and international relations are at a serious level. The Myanmar military authorities and people who caused the refugee crisis sought power, wealth and success. Being present at the site, I felt that the desires of those people should not be fulfilled by people’s blood and sacrifices. I believe the internal conflict causes a number of problems in their lives in general such as the education of children and decisions on whether they should leave or not. In order to overcome global or social issues such as the refugee crisis, people from various fields make contributions.As a photographer, what do you think is your role in these issues? Hakbong Kwon There is a common saying, ‘one piece of photography changes the world.’ I possess a skeptical view on that - that is merely a vain dream. What I can ultimately do as a photographer is to interpret what I saw and felt at the site and express it so that more people can gain interest in the issue. How people accept that depends on each individual

and may be distinct from what I intended, but I always make an effort to induce more interest using my skills. The photo of the cover also portrays the refugees working for jobs provided by NGOs in the camp. Although it is illegal for the refugees to get employed and earn money, the refugees can do voluntary jobs - such as paving the roads - provided by the NGOs with a little earnings that enable them to buy groceries and feed the children. Rather than employing a general technique, I use more dramatic tools to encourage curiosity. I believe that is the ultimate goal of my job. People usually have a look at a photo for only 0.5 seconds and move away. If that photo cannot arouse curiosity or interest in a short moment, it becomes useless, although the contents contained there are substantial. Hence, the key point that I count on is the introduction of close-to-perfect aesthetic and structural components to evoke curiosity in a short time so that people can take a more careful look at other pieces. Having a look is a signal that one cares about it. The best effort that I can make is to at least show who is existing and what is happening on one side of the world.

Bone Sparrow the

by Zana Fraillon.

We interviewed Zana Fraillon, a writer who wrote ‘The Bone Sparrow’. This book won multiple awards such as Amnesty CILIP Honour Award, the ABIA Book of the year for Older Readers, and more. This could be attributable to the writer’s unique approach of speaking for voices of people behind the statistics or news reports about the refugee camps or detention centres. She said her power comes from the words and it truly is since her message of hope has been echoing the real confrontations.

Zana Fraillon and her book, the bone sparrow

Please briefly introduce yourself. Zana Fraillon Hello! My name is Zana Fraillon and I am a multi-award winning author of 11 books for children and young adults. I have degrees in History and teaching and am currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. I live in Naarm, Australia. Your book, ‘The Bone Sparrow’ was truly impressive not only because it was based on the refugee camp but also because it brought the readers to the deeper ground of the lives of the refugees. What motivated you to write this book? Zana Fraillon I was motivated to write The Bone Sparrow in protest against the mandatory and indefinite detention of asylum seekers, including children, in Australia. In Australia, we have had a succession of governments who have implemented a series of increasingly inhumane immigration policies, resulting in children being kept indefinitely in detention centres. Their human rights and the rights of the child are being routinely denied, they are surrounded by mental illness and suicide, and there have been repeated allegations of physical and sexual abuse. These conditions are mirrored in refugee camps and detention centres worldwide. Recent reports have suggested that over 10,000 unaccompanied asylum seeking and migrant children have disappeared since entering the UK, and that the children in the camps are extremely vulnerable and at a high risk of abuse and exploitation. We are at a point in time, where there are now more forcibly displaced people than at any other moment in human history. An article about a child born in detention horrified me, as did the continued use of statistics and government policies to dehumanise people seeking asylum, and the deliberate attempts by our government to destroy all hope for those people. I did not know how people could survive in a situation where hope is deliberately being destroyed. I wanted to find a way to survive. I wanted to find hope in the darkest place. When I write, I am often drawn to the shadows – those dark, silent places that are hidden away from most of us. I write to explore those places, and discover what is there. And it felt to me that one of the darkest and most hidden places in the world at the moment are the refugee detention centres where innocent people are kept, and where their futures are so uncertain. I desperately wanted to find some hope for these people, and to encourage all the rest of us to look more

deeply behind the statistics to discover the people and their stories. I wanted us all to imagine, and I wanted us all to understand. In 2014, when I started writing The Bone Sparrow, there was a video message played to all new arrivals on the Australian run offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island. It was spoken by the immigration minister Scott Morrison (who is now, currently the Prime Minister of Australia). This is what it said. ‘You have been brought to this place here because you have sought to illegally enter Australia by boat. The new Australian government will not be putting up with those sorts of arrivals. If you have a valid claim, you will not be resettled in Australia. You will never live in Australia. If you are found not to be a refugee, you will remain in this camp until you decide to go home. If you choose not to go home, then you will spend a very, very long time here.’ So I suppose I was motivated to write The Bone Sparrow because of my shame at living in a country that seeks to lock up innocent people in conditions the UN has described as torturous, in camps likened to the concentration camps of WW2, and in which allegations of child abuse against the guards are rife. I wrote it in response to the people dying in boats, stranded at sea, washing up on beaches, freezing in tent cities, and trafficked into slavery while politicians of the world argue over whose responsibility these people are. What message did you want the readers to sympathise with through this book (especially through the friendship between Subhi and Jimmie)? ana Fraillon I don’t really think about mesZ sages that I want readers to take from my writing. Instead, I want to show the reader a situation, so that they are able to make up their own mind about a situation. With Subhi and Jimmie, what was important to me was to show the power of true friendship. Jimmie and Subhi were both there for each other when the other one needed it. They cared deeply about each other, even though they came from such different backgrounds, they also had so much in common. I think though that the main message in The Bone Sparrow is for readers to remember the people behind the statistics, to listen for the voices, and the stories rather than just seeing policies. I wanted the reader to be able to imagine a Some-

day where refugees and asylum seekers are treated with the respect and compassion we all deserve. Then we, as a community, will be one step closer to a future I want to be part of. The story centres on the children in the refugee camp. I believe that this choice was central in developing the story with the subtle balance between the innocence of children and tragic confrontation. What was your intention for this? Zana Fraillon I honestly believe that children and young people are the ones who understand. Children and young people have the imaginations and the insight to be able to really step inside someone else’s shoes in a way too many adults have forgotten how to do. Young people aren’t distracted by the issues that politicians fool us into thinking are more important than human life. And more than that, young people have the courage to question all those absences and silences in our worlds, and to imagine our future in a way adults no longer can. So I knew from the very beginning that I wanted my main character to be a child as well, to carry the story so that it would appeal to other young people, and also because the immigration policies in place at the moment are punishing innocent children. The innocence of Subhi was also central to me being able to tell this story in the way I wanted to - it was very important for me that this book was a book of hope. Actually, the first time I wrote The Bone Sparrow, I wrote it from Queeny’s perspective. This made

Zana Fraillon

for quite a dark novel, which did not leave the reader with much hope for the future. After realising that this approach did not work, I then spent a long time trying to find Subhi’s voice. I knew that I needed a younger character than Queeny, so that they could have a degree of hope that Queeny was missing, but I could not put my finger on what else would work. Then I came across an article in the newspaper about a woman who was placed in indefinite detention in a detention centre in Australia. She had two young children with her, but two days after being placed in the detention centre, she realised she was pregnant. As soon as I read that, I knew I had my character. One thing I have learnt from working as an integration aide and as a teacher in schools, is that so often, children do not realise how terrible their situation is, because for them, that is the only reality they know. This is true of adults too. Often when we are dealing with a situation, all we can do is deal with it as best we can. It is not until later that we look back and realise just what we were up against. So reading this article, I realised that for a child born into, and growing up in a detention centre, the centre is their reality. It is their entire world. For these children, the world inside those barbed wire fences is normal. And that outlook made all the difference. As a reader, as an onlooker, we know that what Subhi is going through is not what childhood should be. But for Subhi, that is all he has, and all he knows. This allowed him to maintain his hope and dream of his Someday. This made him the perfect narrator

because he could see the small moments of joy in his life and look forward to the future. As soon as I discovered Subhi’s circumstances, his voice came to me very strongly. I didn’t struggle to write from his point of view at all. Mostly, the struggle was typing quickly enough to get his words down on the page. I have always worked with children, and have young children of my own, so I am constantly surrounded by the ideas, language, thoughts, and perspectives of young people. For me, writing in a child’s voice comes very easily. More often the problem lies in convincing adults that children are capable of incredibly insightful and intelligent and creative ideas and language. What do you think is your role in social issues such as the refugee crisis as a writer? / What kind of impact did you expect for your book to have for the refugee crisis? (We have interviewed people from various fields/occupations concerned with the refugee crisis - even we are one of them. We are aware the ultimate goal would be similar, but we are curious to know the particular aspect of the role of the writer.) Zana Fraillon I think for me, as an author, my power is in my words. I am able to create stories and char-

acters that can enable people to experience different lives, different stories to their own, and through my books, see the world in a different way. I wrote The Bone Sparrow in protest against what my country stood for, in protest against my government’s policies, and as a way of standing in solidarity with those who were being abused and tortured in our name. It was to make people who were turning away stop and listen and to break through the lies and propaganda that was being spread by the government and mass media. We were supposed to forget that these people even existed. We were supposed to believe they were criminals and cheats and liars and to accept that the treatment of these people was justified. But my story could show the truth. Words have power. When I first wrote the book, I did not expect my story to have an impact on the refugee crisis at all. But I have since discovered that simply raising awareness can be hugely impactful. Every action, no matter how small, makes a difference, and seeing my book being taught in schools and read by young people around the world shows how open and receptive people are to untangling issues, and how eager young people are to hearing and actively looking for the truth.

Environmental Refugees

Plate hunger by WFP Photo by Jonas Gratzer, photographer, 2015 in Kiribati

Jonas Gratzer Capturing moments of silence Jonas Gratzer is living in Sweden, and is a freelance photographer and have been capturing humans and environments. He has been to many places, including Asia - Bangkok, India, Kiribati and even North Korea! He even took photos of Kiribati environmental refugees- due to the sea level rise. Can you introduce yourself and your works? Jonas Gratzer I moved to Bangkok back in 2009 and started my work as a freelance photographer. I was covering south, south east and east Asia from my base I Bangkok. My main focus as a photographer was on the human and the environmental aspects of the development in the greater region* that I was covering. The decade from 2010-2020, the region was undergoing enormous development and change and it was exciting times to be a young freelance photographer. I used to travel about nine to ten months a year at assignments I the region*. Unfortunately it all come to an end when the current covid-19 crises hit the world and it made my work impossible with all the closed borders and ongoing restrictions. So I had no other choice then to leave my new home in Asia / Bangkok in september last year and move back home to Sweden again, where I’m now currently based. *south, south-east and east Asia

What made you decide to travel around the world and take photos? Jonas Gratzer Good question... First of all, I think I was driven by the hunger to experience the world and find the great adventures of our time. But when I was young I was also driven by idealism and I thought I could improve the world with journalism. But over the years I became more of a realist and pragmatist and saw that a photographer's great gift to the world is the archive it leaves for future generations and that what drove me for the later years of my career. It was very interesting that you have been to North Korea (as one of your photos is taken from Pyeongyang). Can you tell us more

Photo by Jonas Gratzer, Kiribati island in 2015

about this? Jonas Gratzer North Korea was a very sad place in my opinion. The population was kept in ignorance and where told lies by the ruling elite of the country. The poverty and backwardness were enormous and it felt like going back sixty years in time. We were constantly monitored and were never allowed to move freely, which made my job as a photographer extremely difficult. Several times I was told by our "guide" / supervisor to delete pictures or I would face consequences. But despite the terrible circumstances I must say that I feel privileged to have seen it from the inside and witnessed such an absolute oppression, it is an important knowledge to get that perspective and I still carry that experience with me trough life. From an article about environmental refugees, I have a photo of Kiribati where large parts have succumbed to flooding from the sea, taken from you. Can you tell us your experience in Kiribati how it felt when you were there? Jonas Gratzer Kiribati is a very special place on our blue planet, one of a kind, but it is also extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels. I think the highest point in the country is three meters above sea level. When I was there I could see how a small villages were flooded by sea water when a high tide came. So for the people of Kiribati, there is nowhere to go if the sea levels rise, no mountains or highlands to take shelter in, their only alternative is to flee. Life at the island nation is very traditional and you live basically the same kind of life as you did five hundred years ago. On the island I visited, for example, there was almost no currency but they used barter at the market. All the women sat and crocheted palm roof tiles which they later exchanged for food items at the market. The where living in traditional huts with out walls, only roofs, the grownups where out fishing and harvesting their coconuts all day long while the kids where playing in the clear water from the pacific ocean. I really hope that they can keep their paradise and continue with their traditional lifestyles for at least another five hundred years and not be washed away. Looking at your works, you seem to take photos of various people such as an American photojournalist shot in thai violence and rohingya refugees. What message do you want to deliver through these photos? Jonas Gratzer I believe that preserving a testimony of events enriches our common human creation. And can for future historians provide an insight and understanding of our time. As the cliche goes, a picture says more than a thousand words. It is not for Leonardo da Vinci's books that we remember him but for his works of art.

We interviewed Kichul Oh, a secretary general of Green Asia Network. He dedicated his life to environmental issues from his first encounter with climate change 23 years ago. We could see his passion during his interview for initiatives of founding various activities or projects in order to solve environmental issues and the refugee crisis.He discussed the concerns and hope he has retained for a long time. He emphasised that hope is the key to overcome the concerns and pressures as an environmentalist.

Concerns and Hope as an

Environmentalist Desertification in Mongolia in August 2000 forced the nomads who made their living by grazing to move to strange cities. They have the status of environmental refugees. Although desertification arises as a critical issue in Mongolia, Mongolian authorities do not have enough financial resources or will to resolve this issue. At the same time, ‘Green Asia Network’ initiated a campaign of planting trees in Mongolia and was awarded the first place of the ‘Land for Life Award’, which is regarded as a Nobel prize in the field of the environment. It is common to think of complex plans with politics and international relations when it comes to the solutions for the refugee crisis. However, you made a huge contribution just by establishing a sustainable environment at nine yellow dust sources and raising hope in desertification areas of Mongolia. What do you think is the significance of simple afforestation as a solution for the environmental refugee crisis? Kichul Oh Mongolia has a low population density: Green Asia Network

The size of the land is seven times the size of the Korean peninsula while the population is three million. There are not enough industrial facilities either. However, the average temperature rose by above 2 degrees and the ice storage under the ground has been disappearing as a result. The country with the largest prairie zone lost its grassland due to climate changes. In Mongolia, deforestation is growing at a rapid rate . In order to contribute to solving this problem , Green Asia Network started to plant trees. This project did not merely involve planting trees but also solving the issue of food, clothing, and saving lives while 20% of the population became environmental refugees. As the number of trees increased, there were more food sources that would save more people. I would like to summarise this project as a life-saving activity as the lives of the people in the village have been restored. This could be possible because of the model of citizen community. This model is based on the international

Breathing Nature by Marcio Flausino

companionship between different countries. It is also applicable to other Asian countries or Africa as they would have similar conditions when confronted with climate change. These days, environmental issues such as climate change, global warming and pollution have become an everyday topic. However, there is a lack of discussion or education that deeply explores the environmental issues and solutions for them. This is particularly the case because the issue is not tangible for some people and people are not aware of the magnitude of the problem. What would be some ways to raise awareness of environmental refugees and climate change such as global warming? Kichul Oh I think this is a really good question to ask. People often misunderstand that the climate issue is a distant one. For example, when I had a lecture on climate change, one of the listeners was working for one big company located in Incheon. If the average temperature rises by 1.5℃, the company would sink in water. This was a big shock for everyone there. They realised that the environmental refugee crisis and sea level rise are issues which impinge on them . It is significant to relate one’s life to environmental issues like this. However, Korea has no countermeasures. It might be in the near future when Koreans become victims of global warming. It is a huge assignment that has to be addressed by the global community altogether. Many environmentalists say that the climate crisis is at a serious level while people are indifferent because they do not witness a clear difference due to climate change. What do you think are the future prospects of environmentalists and when do you feel rewarded , fulfilled? Are there any negative aspects of this activity?

Kichul Oh I encountered climate issues 23 years ago. At that time, few people in the global community were interested in the climate crisis. Asian citizens are concerned about the climate crisis and financial crisis and they set up 30-year plans for reform. More than 1000 people from each country have to participate in this reform. I believe 30% of the whole global population has to be involved. It is important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to solve the climate crisis. There were times I felt despondent when I observed indifference to this issue, but when 14 trillion dollars from global investors were taken away from the fossil fuel industries from 2014 to 2020, I could see hope. There are not many leaders with a clear aim when I try to initiate a big project. However, I could continue doing this because I always had hope in my mind. Do you have any last words for students regarding the environmental refugee crisis or the movements around the world? Kichul Oh It is important to raise awareness of the fact that the number of environmental refugees will continuously increase and the mortality rate of environmental refugees will also increase. Accordingly, I often give a lecture for students and receive questions from them. Some German teenagers took the government to court for not announcing any specific solutions regarding greenhouse gases. The Supreme Court responded with specific solutions and guarantees of fundamental rights of the teenagers. The court’s decision was a historic decision for youth’s rights. Students should have a right as a citizen to make the government reduce greenhouse gases rapidly and solve the environmental refugee crisis and identify problems related to it.

Climate change centre: Concerns on economic disparity and climate change We interviewed Jun Seo Hee, working in Mynmar refugee part in the Climate Change Centre. She have written articles about environmental refugees,while she is in charge of the CDM project,which is a greenhouse gas reduction project by the UN. Let's hear what she thinks about the environmental refugees!

I understand that you are currently working at the Climate Change Center. May I know what you're doing with your self-introduction? Jun Seoohee Hello, I'm Jun Seohee, the team leader of the Myanmar office of the Center for Climate Change Developing Countries Cooperation. I am in charge of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project of the Cooktop in Myanmar conducted by the Climate Change Center. The CDM project is a greenhouse gas reduction project developed and approved by the United Nations (United Nations) and it is called as a clean development system in Korea. The Kyoto Protocol adopted at the 1997 General Convention on Climate Change allows developed countries to take their greenhouse gas reductions into CER (certified emission reduction) where there is relatively much room to reduce greenhouse gas reductions. As far as I know, you work in the Myanmar office, what kind of work do you do in this department? Jun Seoohee Three Korean employees (including me) of the Climate Change Center, five Myanmar employees and one Myanmar-dispatched Agriculture Ministry official are stationed in Myanmar's office. The main task is the operation of the Myanmar Cookstove CDM project mentioned above, and in addition, I am working on the site of projects related to Southeast Asia that are promoted within the Climate Change Center. The major task, Myanmar Cookstove CDM Project, is carried out in cooperation with the Climate Change

Center, Myanmar's Environment Ministry, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through investment by companies subject to the domestic emission trading system. We distribute about 900,000 high-efficiency cookstoves produced by Myanmar's domestic companies annually, manage the status of use, and conduct all the overall tasks necessary to operate CDM projects locally in Myanmar. How did you come to write an article about environmental refugees? Jun Seoohee Recently, interest in refugees seems to have increased a lot in Korea. However, many people still think that refugees usually occur for typical reasons such as race, religion, and war. Of course, I thought so in the past, and I often heard the word environmental refugees during my bachelor's and master's degrees, but I don't think I was interested much. I worked in the Myanmar office and went to many rural areas in Myanmar to understand the current use of Cookstove, which naturally led to interest in environmental refugees. The area where we supply and use Cookstove is basically a rural area without electricity and without systematic maintenance. (For Koreans, it is impossible to imagine that there is no electricity…)Those who had already managed to keep the lowest standard of living under poor conditions were threatened with greater livelihoods due to severe drought and desertification. (The Myanmar Department of Environment is aware of this seriousness and has created a separate department to cope with the desertification of the Dry Zone Greening Department (DZGD)…) For me, who lived in Ko-

rea and cities all my life, climate change is simply a matter of whether tropical nights can be prolonged, sudden rain, or tropical fruits can be grown domestically so that tropical fruits can be eaten cheaper. However, even with the supply of high-efficiency cookstoves, the price of trees is too high due to extreme desertification, and when I saw people who save it in person, I naturally thought of the word environmental refugee in my head. And not only is it a problem that can't be ignored, but I also felt that the Myanmar government could not solve it on its own. As you may have heard, climate change is not limited to borders. In this process, I became interested in data on the current status and response to environmental refugees in non-profit organizations such as the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and published newsletters on this issue. You said that there are clear differences in how to deal with environmental refugees in developed and developing countries. What do you personally think is necessary to reduce this difference? Jun Seoohee My job is not enough to be an environmental refugee countermeasure, and I think I don't know a lot of things yet. However, I think developed and developing countries have significantly different capabilities not only in dealing with environmental refugees, but also in dealing with them. Basically, environmental refugees are concentrated in developing countries. Developed countries can minimize risks to climate change based on solid finance, research systems, and government support, and respond to environmental refugees by focusing on recovering the damage that has already occurred. But developing countries, like naked climbing the Himalayas, must accept the unpredictable disasters of climate change without any preparation and capacity to respond. This leads to more environmental refugees than developed countries, but the level of damage recovery is insufficient, budget, manpower, and technology restrictions make it difficult to respond to essential causes, and over time, this surface response leads to another environmental refugee cycle. In this situation, the most important issue I want to talk about is who is responsible for the lack of ability to respond to environmental refugees in developing countries and who should compensate. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) of the United Kingdom says, "Climate-related disasters can be found in advanced countries where people live

high-energy consumption lives based on fossil fuels." We need to pay off ecological debt to environmental refugees at the global level.' Developing countries around the world, as well as Myanmar, have not had the opportunity to develop their capabilities to respond, but they have already taken the toll of climate change caused by developed countries. Developed countries and global international organizations are approaching the problem by saying that the causes of climate change have already occurred, and that we should all focus on the phenomenon and protect our planet by applying the same eco-friendly standards from now on. But is it possible to apply the same level of climate change response strategy as developed countries? I think this approach will only widen the economic, environmental, and ecological gap in the country. Of course, it is also important that every country 'for the sake of the Earth' minimizes its environmental load. However, I don't think it's reasonable to put the same responsibility on developing countries that lack competence. In particular, globalization is more important than any other industry, research, or technology in response to climate change or measures against environmental refugees. Personally, I think developed and developing countries should actively cooperate with global international organizations and move toward co-prosperity based on their sense of debt to the earth and global citizens, rather than being trapped at their own borders. How do you think the general public should be alert to Kiribati, Tuvalu and Myanmar's environmental refugees? Jun Seoohee First of all, I think it is important for the general public to recognize the environmental refugees. As Korea's environmental issues regarding plastic straw use and plastic bottle labeling have rapidly increased public awareness and become alert, response to this has recently begun to be actively implemented. Rather than insisting that we should be alert to "environmental refugees" that many people do not know from the beginning, raising awareness seems to be the first step to raise awareness of various views. Environmental refugees are clearly issues that can cause bigger problems, but I think it's time to focus on raising the public's awareness because their response or recognition is in the early stages.

DAEJAYON ,

Network between University Students and Environmental Refugees DAEJAYON is an NGO operated by college students around the world. They are actively engaged in local environmental refugee issues and take action to create networks between neighbours, university students, and environmental refugees. Their confidence and passion enhances the understanding and awareness of the difficulties faced by the refugees. Please briefly introduce the group DAEJAYON. Seo Mikyeong DAEJAYON is an NGO composed of college students around the world. We as a group focus on the role of college students - the main players of the future - in the environmental crisis. In order to cope with the climate crisis, DAEJAYON aims to respond by nurturing college students who have power, expertise, and passion to change the world. There are twelve branches established around the world and a total of 11,637 members, including undergraduates and graduate students. We are all striving for a common goal. DAEJAYON runs the program called <Green School, Green Campus, and Green World> to spread environmental experience education in connection with the free-semester system at the school level and lead future generations as a response to the climate crisis, which is the biggest task facing the global community. We also play a pivotal role in fostering next-generation global environmental leaders by producing content and campaigns tailored to younger generations who might be indifferent

to environmental issues. In addition, we put it into practice by providing opportunities for citizens to acquire and experience environmental knowledge. What motivated DAEJAYON to have an interest in environmental refugees and initiate various activities such as ‘Climate Refugees Day’ and ‘Korean Green Festival’ for the refugee crisis? Seo Mikyeong DAEJAYON provides a place for college students to raise global environmental issues by themselves and seek solutions. Among many problems, climate refugees always emerged as an issue for serious discussion. College students have considered various ways to solve the climate refugee problem. Climate refugees were not recognised as refugees under international law and were neglected. Bangladesh, in particular, is the biggest victim of global warming, and there are climate refugees in various areas with drought, floods, and rising sea levels in the country. After witnessing the appearance of a number of environmental refugees, DAEJAYON initiated activities for them.

Since then, when DAEJAYON took a role in the promotional mission of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, there were exchanges with the Chattogram Mayor group. Chattogram is a place with a large number of climate refugees. We had opportunities to cooperate with the heads of various institutions who were impressed by the interest expressed by the college students and the actions taken by us on climate crisis issues. Through a meeting with Bangladesh's ministers, mayors, and presidents, policies for the climate refugees have been established. An environmental club was also established to help climate refugees in high schools and universities in Bangladesh. What is DAEJAYON’s ultimate goal to achieve through these activities? Seo Mikyeong Bangladeshi people in general have a very low awareness of the environment. There may be many causes, but one of them is the absence of environmental education. The people's lack of environmental awareness leads to the lack of understanding of climate refugees and negative perspectives on climate refugees. Thus, DAEJAYON aims to raise awareness of climate refugees by providing continuous environmental education for future generations. We would like to resolve discrimination against climate refugees, and create a society where everyone lives together, through continuous campaigns by students. Bangladesh emits a very low percentage of carbon dioxide compared to developed countries. However, the country is dealing with the burden of climate disaster along with poverty. The key to the problem is the appeal of the Bangladeshi population with sincerity and earnestness: they will exert greater power on the international community than the voices of third parties. Most importantly, the most suitable solution can come from the voice of the Bangladesh people themselves. Reflecting on that belief, we would like to foster environmental leaders, so that Bangladeshi university students can inform the international community of the damage caused by their own climate disasters and call for a reduction in carbon emissions. DAEJAYON will continue to foster future generations around the world as environmental leaders with broad thinking and practical skills. With these movements and the voices of future generations, we will create a world where human society and nature can coexist harmoniously.

The most recent activity of distributing masks for the environmental refugees in Bangladesh was impressive. I believe environmental refugees would suffer a lot especially during Covid-19. Please describe this event in more detail. In the COVID-19 pandemic, an urgent problem was the provision of masks. This is because people could not afford to buy masks, while they are scraping a living for each meal. Even EMS is blocked in Bangladesh. Fortunately, with the cooperation of the Embassy of Bangladesh, 2,000 multi-use masks have been safely sent to Chatogram City Hall via private jet. The mayor held a donation event. On this day, many government officials, including local counsellors and women's counsellors, also attended, which brought climate refugees to the attention of many more people . Do you have any further plans for the environmental refugee crisis? Seo Mikyeong Currently, in Korea, we operate a used goods green shop on the university campus in cooperation with domestic environmental clubs. Both students and neighbours express a great interest and the participation rate is high: not only students attending the university but also neighbours living near the university donate used goods to the green shop. We are also conducting eco-friendly production classes for applicants, and explanations are given to visitors to inform them of the seriousness of the situation of climate refugees. The profits of the green shop are used for providing climate refugees with practical supplies such as food and solar lamps. In addition, during the vacation, we are taking the lead in improving awareness by holding 'Climate Refugee Day' so that a venue for the exchange of views between climate refugees and local university students can take place. We believe this will positively affect the refugee crisis by improving the understanding and communication between them. Based on this domestic experience, we would like to apply a similar style of environmental club operated by the local university students so that they can take the lead in helping climate refugees on campus. Furthermore, we will continue to provide environmental education for elementary, middle and high school students in Bangladesh by utilising the established local network.

Environmental Refugees, It Might Be Much Urgent Than You Imagine

We interviewed Jiseok Kim, the Greenpeace Climate and Energy Specialist. He pointed to the need for change in the whole framework to reduce greenhouse gases. Reducing greenhouse gases at an individual level might be significant, but that usually ends up being a mere relief of responsibility rather than a starting point for real change. Let’s examine his perspective of the environmental refugee crisis.

그린피스 미디어 라이브러리 링크: http://media.greenpeace.org/

Please briefly introduce Greenpeace. Jiseok Kim Greenpeace started as a team of activists to protest underground nuclear testing in 1971. It celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The focus shifted to rescue whales and the rainforest. Our campaigns are based on scientific evidence. Recently, as climate change has emerged as a crisis of the global community, we are initiating various activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the source of the climate crisis. Environmental refugees are not granted refugee status and people are not paying attention to the issue. Are there any significant aspects to be taken into account for the environmental refugee crisis? Jiseok Kim I would like to point out that you are also included in the term climate refugees. Unlike the past, you cannot go out whenever you would like to. Even if you go out, your scope of activities is limited. Environmental refugees who fled from environments that cannot sustain lives are not legally protected. However, it is truly a new and complicated problem. The absence of legal protection can actually be problematic. In fact, in Central and South America, parents let their children follow a guide to the US border and live there because the land that has been used for farming is being drained. Reflecting on the weather these days, I think this is something that is imaginable. As the temperature soars and rain continues incessantly, the crops do not grow anymore. How would they sustain their lives in this environment?

Syria is known for war refugees, but as the drought becomes severe, people who used to live there, regardless of the regime, had to leave too. The cause of climate refugees is climate change. The cause of climate change is the increase of greenhouse gases. Hence, Greenpeace aims to eliminate the underlying problems rather than providing instant aids. However, people should be reminded that the temperature has had no way to decrease in humans' history. The temperature will continuously increase and the situation will only get worse. It is the problem of either approaching the worst or delaying the progress just before the worst point. Reduction of greenhouse gases would prevent the explosion of the number of environmental refugees, but it would still

그린피스 미디어 라이브러리 링크: http://media.greenpeace.org/

unfortunately keep increasing. To sum up, Greenpeace regards greenhouse gases as the major factor of increasing numbers of climate refugees. As you said, other refugee crises embody various factors that can be partially controlled by humans. They usually stemmed from the conflict within the government or a strike against the government. In the case of environmental refugees, there are multifaceted factors that cannot be directly controlled. I think that is why it is so important to tackle the underlying causes. I have identified that ‘companion’ is emphasised several times in Greenpeace’s climate refugee crisis campaigns. What do you think is the significance of the word ‘companion’? I published an article about the word companion and Greenpeace is even drawing a companion with whales. Meanwhile, Greenpeace has been approaching this issue through the lens of domestic benefits these days. This is to raise awareness of the climate crisis and its severity. Given that people in general often lack sympathy, we do not persuade people just by that single concept. Emphasis of the companion is critical in reminding people that we are connected from birth. Unfortunately, people on the opposite side of the Earth are dying from hunger, while we have a full meal everyday. It is a natural effort to raise awareness of the issue and provide support for them. This can be again connected to the sense of benefits. Although people suffer from the scorching heat in Korea, the crops are not withering altogether. At the same time, a number of people are being killed by the climate crisis in Madagascar. Providing support from witnessing their situations can be possibly

beneficial for us as well. The emergence of crises at certain points tends to spread worldwide. The analogy of COVID-19 can be used. The developed countries vaccinated people rapidly, while other countries could not. As a result, mutated viruses moved to the developed countries and vaccination became ineffective. I believe that the climate refugee crisis is not a farfetched issue in Korea anymore. What does Greenpeace do in order to prevent the climate crisis? The climate crisis in Korea is not as urgent as other countries. The problem is that the crisis will become more and more serious. Do you think the slogan, “a small change saves the world”, makes sense? I believed it was true when I was young, so I turned off the air conditioner and endured beads of sweat in summer. When I thought about it seriously, I was doubtful of that. Yes, it does not make sense. Koreans are placed in the 4th place in the world’s greenhouse gas emissions per person. Each person emits 12.4 tons on average. It is mainly attributable to the industrial structure and consumption of Korea Electric Power Corporation rather than individual consumption. The Ministry of the Environment is conducting a campaign to reduce a ton of greenhouse gases per person. One has to practise about 30 to 40 protocols everyday to accomplish the campaign. It is a difficult job to be done, even for me. Then how would they enforce every single person to take action? Even if it is possible to make every person do it, only a ton of greenhouse gases can be reduced. By implementing this kind of action, we tend to take a relief from responsibility and do not make the effort to make

그린피스 미디어 라이브러리 링크: http://media.greenpeace.org/

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그린피스 미디어 라이브러리 링크: http://media.greenpeace.org/

changes. Korean industry, politicians, and the government assert that rapid reduction of greenhouse gases would have negative impacts. They are concerned about the stress in the economy and loss of citizens. However, they are not really aware that the citizens are really suffering from the scorching heat these days. The citizens have to labour outside and a warm breeze from an electric fan greets them at home. It is a deceptive framework: Their words seem to embody sympathy, but their intention is to retain power. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic change. What is the problem associated with the air conditioner? It is the usage of electricity. This is resolved if electricity is provided from renewable sources such as solar energy. That is how the government should support the citizens, while solving the climate crisis. The responsibility of the politicians is essential at this moment. Cars should be changed as well. 70% of domestic car production is taken by Hyundai and Kia. In order to increase the number of electric cars, Hyundai and Kia therefore have to put electric cars on the car markets. The government’s regulation should also be accompanied for them to take any action. The Korean government instead tends to blame the individuals’ efforts. The system of targeting underlying causes, I believe, should be prioritized in Korea. The Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the environmental/climate refugee crisis. How should the world respond to this?

This is a difficult task. The World Food Programme appeals a lot these days, but my application has not been approved several times. People are dying every moment right now, and I would like to see aid from the national level. They need aid, but the point is the focus on permanent problems that continue afterwards at the same time. Greenhouse gases should be reduced at a rapid rate. Do you have any estimations for the rate of reduction of greenhouse gases per year? It is 7.6% per year. 6~7% of it was reduced due to COVID-19 last year. However, it should be reduced in a larger gap over the years. The successful completion of that task is a sign of the possibility of preventing the worst of the worst-case scenarios. That is why the ‘Climate Strike’ is going on in Europe and students are not going to school. Education is unnecessary if they do not have a future due to the climate crisis. The land that is capable of growing crops has been reduced. That is the source of the environmental refugees. The size of the area will continuously increase. There will be areas where even staying at home or resting under the shades would threaten the lives of people. In that situation, people living in places where they can sustain their lives should accept people from other places. If that is undesirable, they have to reduce greenhouse gases more rapidly and not let people leave their home countries. Half of the greenhouse gases should be reduced in 10 years. Therefore, 7.6% has to be reduced every year. If it is not successful this year, it adds up to the next year’s task. This is truly an urgent issue and therefore, the greenhouse gases must be reduced.

Refugees around the World

Toronto: SOS by Ann Hirsch & Jeremy Angier - 25 figures cling to inner tubes on the water, each figure represents more than one million refugees in the world.

Photojournalism Alessio Paduano's

Alessio Paduano is working as a photohrapher in Naples, Italy and has been taking photos that are related to various global issues. He has a collection of photographs called "The Migrants Odyssey" and took various photos within the theme of migration, such as ' A second chance for trafficked Nigerian girls', 'Human trafficking: Nigerian prostitution in Italy', 'migrants rescue at sea', 'Syrians and Iraqis escaping the war', and 'migrants in Croatia'. You can find more of his photos at : http://www.alessiopaduano.it/the-migrantsodyssey-in-europe/

Can you introduce yourself and your work? Alessio Paduano My name is Alessio Paduano and I am 37 years old. I graduated in "Sociology" at the "University of Naples Federico II" in Italy and later I obtained a master's degree in "Photography" at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. I have been dealing with photojournalism for about 10 years, covering the main international current events. I have seen 'migrant odyssey' by you, what motivated you to take photos of migrants? Alessio Paduano Europe is experiencing one of the most significant influxes of migrants and refugees in

One of Paduano's photo on Kos Island migration: A group of Pakistani migrants arrive on the beach in a dinghy at dawn after making their way from Turkey in Kos island, Greece on June 14, 2015. Many migrants are continuing to arrive on the Greek Island of Kos from Turkey. The Island has recently seen a drop in tourist numbers which has been attributed to negative reports on the migrant crisis that is continuing to grip the area. Around 30,000 migrants have entered Greece so far in 2015, with the country calling for more help from its European Union counterparts. Bereket Alemayehu's artwork

its history. Political instability, poverty and civil war in North Africa and the Middle East are some of the causes of this enormous flow.The news broadcasts talk to us every day about numbers, leaving aside what is the real human tragedy experienced by thousands of persons, left to fend for themselves in the various makeshift refugee camps scattered throughout Europe. My aim, as a photojournalist, is to tell the hard journey of migrants in search of a better life. These are hard situations, with which it is difficult for a citizen to come into direct contact during his life. This is why I am committed to being as objective as possible in my work, while trying to restore the dignity they deserve to the people I photograph, often labeled as "enemies" or "different". Can you share with us a memorable event or an individual that you have experienced while taking photographs of migrants? Alessio Paduano Probably one of the events that struck me most happened on November 6, 2017. I was on board the ship of the NGO Sea-watch to document their rescue work for migrants who usually leave Libya and cross the sea to get to Italy. Before that day I had happened to watch dozens and dozens of video on tv, which talked about this topic. Strong images. But experienced firsthand, they were heartbreaking. As a photojournalist I always have to put my emotions aside and try to be as lucid as possible, but in that case it wasn't easy at all. On November 6, 2017, when Sea-watch rescuers lowered the lifeboats into the sea, the screams of dozens of migrants fighting between life and death were frightening. There were corpses floating in the water, people who barely managed to stay afloat because they could not swim, others, who had been recovered by the Libyan coast guard patrol boat, tried to dive into the water and escape so as not to be brought back. It was a very difficult day. That day I took a photograph that then went around the world, now known as “the drowning man”. It depicts a migrant who hardly keeps himself afloat and struggles to stay alive. Fortunately, that boy managed to survive, thanks above all to the incomparable work of the SeaWatch guys, who pulled him out of the sea. What is your ultimate goal as a photographer? Alessio Paduano I don't know if photojournalism is able to change the course of things. In some cases maybe yes, in others not. My goal is to get people looking at my photos to ask themselves questions. To reflect.

C O F F E E

DIPLOMACY Bereket Alemayehu is a photo artist from Ethiopia who successfully held exhibitions in Korea. As a person who faced challenges as a refugee, he developed his own ideas in “Coffee Diplomacy” as a means of connecting communities within coffee belt countries.Through a deeper understanding internationally and through pride in Ethiopian coffee, he hopes to remove misunderstanding and prejudice against strangers. Let’s listen to his story.Bereket calls himself a Photo Patternist, a photographer who searches for patterns.

I heard that you have opened an exhibition. What was it like and how is your life after the exhibition? Bereket Alemayehu I have done many exhibitions including various solo and group exhibitions. For the last three years, I have been doing many activities as a part of my project. It is quite interesting for me to meet, encourage, and appreciate people who enjoy what I have created. That pushes me to keep creating more art pieces and initiating more activities. I had opportunities to have exhibitions several times in Seoul, as well as in Daegu and Paju, and they were nice experiences for me. I have participated in an online exhibition in New York for the first time this year as well.

Bereket Alemayehu's artwork

Then how was the online exhibition carried out? I am interested in putting on some kind of exhibition but I think I will have to do it online due to COVID-19. Bereket Alemayehu There are various platforms. The last exhibition in New York was held on the government’s website. They created a page and invited international artists. They introduced each artist and their artworks - I personally liked it this way. That is one way you can participate. You have other options as well. You can either record a video for each art piece or make it into a virtual visit. It would be more interactive, but you would need to invest more time along with getting help from the experts. You can visit the site and enjoy the exhibition here: https:// www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/parks-at-home/poepark-visitor-center-9th-annual-whimsical-winterwonder-exhibition

Thank you for that great information. Now for my second question, how was your life in Ethiopia before coming to Korea? Bereket Alemayehu Ethiopia is a beautiful and huge country, but it has many problems, including political chaos and civil war. The country is poor, yet it has many resources. We have resources like gold and some experts even say that there are crude oil deposits and rare minerals as well. As well as the resources, there is a huge amount of land too - Ethiopia is five times larger than the Korean peninsula - and has a large population to feed. The country is really rich in agricultural and coffee production. Ethnic led politics is the main problem. This results in the country being divided with conflicts based on ethnicity, tribal, religious and cultural differences. Division can be explained by other factors too. We speak more than 80 languages in the country, so we have many ethnicities and tribes. It is difficult to unite the people as they belong to different cultural groups. Then how do those problems and conflicts affect the public?

One of his photo artwork, utilizing patterns in nature

Bereket Alemayehu Yeah, it really affects the public due to the lack of stability and peace. The country is economically desperate and people suffer from poverty. There are politicians who abuse differences in language and tribe as a means to propagate their politics. They do bad things to stay in power, even armed struggle. I have been concerned every day about my country, since I came to Korea. Every day I ask “What’s wrong with our people and country?” I visited four other countries before I came to Korea. Therefore, I can easily compare the development in each country -

their stability, peace and economical and political advancement. Ethiopia is very much at the bottom. I always think that we have some fundamental problems. Then after you came to Korea, did you face any challenges and how did you overcome them? Bereket Alemayehu Korea is a really safe country - I am safe all day, every day. I can go anywhere as well. That’s not possible in Ethiopia or in some African countries. You should appreciate what you have in Korea: a high level of security, development, systems, transportation, and communication. However, there are so many challenges, like cultural differences and hatred. Koreans do not welcome refugees, but no one is rude. Although people are polite, I still feel I am an outsider, no matter how long I live here. Whatever the challenges are, I have a pride in being in Korea, where Ethiopians sacrificed their life for South Koreans’ freedom, peace and prosperity. The war time history recognizes that 121 Ethiopian soldiers were killed in action and more than 500 wounded during the Korean war. I actually read a research paper on this - people have a lot of hatred towards foreigners and refugees. One of the solutions stated was to actually interact with them and have a conversation, so that people are aware that refugees are normal people just like them. I think this is more problematic in Korea since we have had only one cultural strand for a long time. Bereket Alemayehu Yes, I agree. Even in Korea, there are some politicians and media that abuse subjects such as refugees and foreigners who live in Korea, in order to create conflicts and tension in domestic politics. They use it for their own political agendas. Yet one thing to be remembered is that it is very natural for people to look at foreigners as strangers. For example, I am a big brown person, so it might be the first time for some Koreans to see people like me. It would naturally raise questions like “What is this guy?” or “Why is this guy here?” They are not typically hatred reactions - mostly it is simply based on confusion or curiosity. As a foreigner, I feel that many foreigners do not know that much about Korean history: what happened in the last 200 years in Korea, what was life like in Korea, why were there violent wars with other countries, why is there domestic or international hostility around, and what do Koreans feel about their own country. People naturally often make judgments so quickly. This occurs for both Koreans and foreigners - they quickly judge each other.

Berreket Alemayehu

If you want to fully understand the country or a person, you have to know the background history and cultural contexts. Koreans should also be interested in listening to the refugees from Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, and Africa. Based on basic understanding, they would recognize the common denominators Koreans were in the same position as the refugees during the Japan colonization era and Korean War time. That is why a common understanding of the historical background and cultural sentiments is significant. Yes, I believe understanding is the key to this issue. However, I think Korean education does not provide sufficient international contexts for the crisis. This results in students not really being aware of those situations and being confused how to deal with them. I think there should be improvements in the educational curriculum. Bereket Alemayehu I agree. Education is important. In fact more than mainstream education, my vision is to have multiple cultural exchanges through accessible platforms. We do appreciate various cultures in Korea. For example, I like having kimbap and makgeolli (raw rice wine). At the same time, Koreans love coffee from Ethiopia and other countries. Thus, we need public spaces for the exchange of cultures and traditions.

In one of the exhibitions that you have initiated, you have introduced a new lifestyle called Coffee and Diplomacy. Can you explain this in more detail? Bereket Alemayehu When people ask me where I am from, I usually reply “I am from coffee land”. Koreans consume a lot of coffee on a daily basis, so I have a pride in Ethiopia, where the coffee originated. Even the name “coffee” is also associated with the place we call “Kaffa” in Ethiopia and known by its scientific name Genus Coffea. The names such as “cafe” and “coffee” evolved gradually from the place called “Kaffa”, and the Arabs from the Middle East took the coffee beans with the origin name, but they did not pronounce it correctly and said “coffee” instead. Since then coffee has been a very popular drink and now one of the top products in almost 70 world countries. According to the coffee map which shows where coffee is grown, almost all the countries that produce coffee are in tropical climate areas. They are mostly not very developed - some of the countries are still poor, yet they have abundant resources and cultures with different languages and ethnicities. In developed countries like Korea, people consume lots of coffee every year, but they do not know much about the cultures, lifestyle, politics, and economics of the coffee-producing countries.

My “Coffee Diplomacy” project places emphasis on this fact. By linking the consumer and producer countries based on their demands and supplies, the project urges the international community to pay attention to each other with more interest. It would also help in people-to-people cultural relations, as well as with pressing issues like working for solutions to climate change and the environmental crisis. For example, if Korea imports coffee from Brazil, Ethiopia or Yemen, Koreans can find out about what life is like in those countries. I think the project is truly insightful and interesting. Do you have any plans to expand it further? Bereket Alemayehu I would like to create multiple platforms - social media or even physical ones - for active communication. I would aim to have a coffee gallery with my art pieces in Korea and then take this initiative to a global level, so that I can connect societies in coffee belt countries with the rest of the world. There are so many interesting things to know about both coffee belt countries and developed countries like Korea, Japan, and the UK. I am confident that this would work well, since people are interested in finding out more if they like something. In that sense, coffee is diplomacy.

One of his photo artwork, utilizing patterns in nature

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Save the Children

and its work with refugees

We interviewed Save the Children, a charity working at the forefront of refugee camps to provide humanitarian aid including medical care, mental health care, and education. Children in the refugee camps are the most vulnerable worldwide, but their living conditions can be improved by active support and raising awareness. What are some difficulties faced by volunteers during COVID-19 and what can we do as students? This article might help to answer those questions.

Save the Children Project

How does Save the Children help the refugee crisis? Olof Blomquist Save the Children works in several different ways around the world. I think one of our main jobs is to provide humanitarian and development aid to refugees, especially for the people who had to flee from their homes because of violence or persecution. We work directly with refugees and in camps all over the world. We provide everything from food and medical care to shelter. We also provide service to refugees, in particular education. It is often very hard to find quality education and it is sometimes one of the most significant services we offer. We also lobby governments for human rights of refugees - that is what I am working for - so we speak to the governments, and other decision makers and stakeholders around the world to try to convince them that they need to devote more resources to refugees and protect the human rights of refugees. This is something we do all over the world at the UN level and in individual countries. For example, we have Save the Children in South Korea. My job is to do that in Asia at a regional level, based in Bangkok, and work with Asian governments. Are there any particular projects that are going on right now to help the refugees? Olof Blomquist Yes, we have quite a few different projects across Asia.The two biggest interventions are in Afghanistan and in Bangladesh. In 2017 there was a crisis in Myanmar that led to a big flow of refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh. There were more than 800,000 people who crossed in just a few weeks. Therefore, Save the

Children works in refugee camps in Bangladesh where we provide education, aid, medical care and mental health support. Why do you think it is important to deal with the refugee crisis? Olof Blomquist The refugee crisis is really one of the most important issues in the world today. There are more than 26 million refugees around the world, and this is the highest number since World War 2. If we include people who were forced to leave their homes - the people who are forcibly displaced - it is actually 46million. It is obvious that they are amongst the most vulnerable people in the world. Refugees are living in very difficult and tough conditions. Children are affected to a great extent: we often say refugee children have been robbed of their childhood because most of them spend the majority of their childhood in camps, where they lack access to services and infrastructures such as healthcare, medicine and even privacy. It is often very hard for refugee children to anticipate a positive future. Sometimes the sense of hopelessness because of the obstacles they face is overwhelming. They find it hard to return to their home countries and build a decent life for themselves. The final point that I would like to mention is that even though more people are fleeing from their homes, we have not seen an increase in compassion or solidarity from the rest of the world. Sometimes people and governments turn their backs on refugees, often for political reasons, and many countries are refusing refugees and not allowing them into their countries. In Eu-

Save the Children Project

rope, for example, some countries have introduced some shameful policies that have increased the suffering of the people by blocking them from coming into Europe. The burden of hosting refugees often falls on poor countries. Almost 90% of refugees are hosted in lower-middle income countries. In Asia, the two countries that host refugees are Afghanistan and Bangladesh, which are among the poorer countries in Asia. Did COVID-19 have a great impact on providing aid? Refugees have been among the worst affected people by COVID 19. I think especially in the beginning, when the pandemic started spreading a lot of fear, there were concerns of how refugees might be impacted. This is because refugees often live in very crowded conditions and it is very easy for viruses like COVID 19 to spread. It is extremely difficult for refugees to access quality health care in the camps. Access to the internet is also very problematic, so a lot of children were not able to go to school. Even now when the vaccine is finally available, very often refugees are not included in vaccine plans. It is something that Save the Children is working on a lot. How can students help young refugees? Olof Blomquist I think there are a lot of things that students can do. Save the Children works with a lot of university and high school students. Students are often some of the best activists. Raising awareness is really crucial. First you can find out about the issues yourself and reach a greater understanding of what refugees are. Then you can raise awareness and there are multiple ways to do this. For example, you can organise events or work with the media to write articles. Students’ media publications like yours are another great way to become engaged. Something else I think is important is to lobby your governments. Make an effort to understand your government’s policies on refugees and put pressure on them to improve the policies.

South Korea is a strong donor country in Asia. It provides a lot of important donor fundings for the refugee crisis. It is also one of the few countries in Asia that has signed the refugee convention, which is a very important international treaty on the human rights of refugees. At the same time, we are concerned about the fact that South Korea often does not let in many refugees from other countries apart from North Korea. It is always great to get in touch with the governments, work with the media or stage events, because public pressure is effective in changing government policies. What are the main difficulties that young refugees experience? Olof Blomquist They have often had very traumatising experiences. Often children or families have had to flee from their home country because there has been a war or conflict or they have been persecuted for other reasons.They cross the border and are faced with growing up in a camp. It is very traumatising and a lot of refugee children really face mental health crises, so we need support to deal with those kinds of issues. Refugee camps themselves are often difficult places to grow up. They are overcrowded and accessing food and shelter is very challenging. It can just be very difficult to live a normal life for children. Like I mentioned before, one thing that’s really important is just a lack of access to education for refugees. I think it's only about half of all school age refugee students in the world actually have access to school. In Save the Children we work a lot with those in the Rohingya minority. I think it is close to 750,000 Rohingya children just in Asia that don’t have access to education so it’s almost a whole generation of children that are growing up without access to school and that will have long term implications.

We interviewed Anna Lekas Miller, an independent journalist. She has covered various issues including the refugee crisis. Up to now, we have mostly explored the refugee crisis from the perspective of Asia or the refugees themselves. Through Anna Miller, we can broaden our perspectives and answer the questions about the current status of refugees who fled to Europe. If you have any questions in your mind about the refugees after the 2015 migration, read this article and learn from Ms. Miller! Anna Lekas Miller

The Current Status of Refugees in

Europe

We read your articles about refugees. Why did you meet the refugees directly? Anna Lekas Miller As you probably know from running your magazine, there are more than a million Syrian refugees living across Europe. They have now been there for many years. In 2015, there was a huge migration of people from the Middle East to Europe. Now that was six years ago. It is a long enough period of time to learn a language, to have a job, or start a family. Some places have given protection or passed citizenship; other countries have created temporary residence permits which can then be renewed until someone can have citizenship. However, what the Danish government did was to take away the protection for some people because they decided that where the refugees came from is now a safe place for Syrians to return to. There are so many problems with that. The Assad regime is still in power - a lot of people in Syria fled the regime because they were standing against him and dared to speak out. Hence, it is truly shocking of

the Danish government creating these kinds of policies, especially for the refugees who have contributed to the Danish state. I once interviewed a Syrian woman who had two kids. She has been a care worker: she has taken care of old Danish people all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It is really important to keep an eye on the policies and be aware that the Syrian war with violence is not over. It is definitely not a safe place for people to go back to and work. Our topic is actually about environmental refugees. Have you ever met them or written articles about them, too? Anna Lekas Miller There are so many people who used to be farmers working on the land and all of a sudden the land is not suitable for growing vegetables anymore. Then, they cannot make a living by farming and have to leave their job. There is a lot of research and study on certain aspects of climate migration or the emergence of environmental refugees due to the climate crisis. Fortunately, there is a hopeful sign of multinational corporations coming to play in Latin America while Western countries are

Interviewing Anna Lekas Miller

trying to withdraw, since people are asking them for more protection. I believe it is so important to keep an eye on the international situation. What do you think the government in general should do as a response to the refugee crisis? It is a very broad question and we will be asking you more specific questions afterwards. Anna Lekas Miller Nowadays there are many criminals who used to be asylum seekers, causing problems in different countries. This uncomfortable relationship can be eliminated by a screening procedure. A fair immigration policy should be established. For me, a fair immigration policy is something simple and straightforward so that it would not take too much time. Given that a lot of people are placed in war zones, the fact that they do not have enough time to wait for a visa should be carefully considered. This policy would make sure there is a path in place. The reason why people around the world are migrating illegally, where there are terms such as ‘illegal immigration’, ‘illegal migration’, and ‘smuggling industry’, is because there is no other path for people to take. In your article about Moria Camp, it said that “The government and the European Union are letting people suffer to discourage against any ‘pull factor,’ as they say, and keep others from trying to reach Europe.” What do you think of the government and the EU’s measures and attitude towards the refugees? Anna Lekas Miller In the case of Moria Camp and so many other EU’s policies towards refugees, there is institutionalised racism and xenophobia. Their policies embody an overall desire of hatred

and therefore they make the refugees’ lives harder so that the refugees would not visit their countries. Sometimes their policies are so legalistic and seem normal, but they are actually incredibly violent. If you think about it, it is not normal to be stuck in a camp for more than six months. This question is a following question about the Moria Camp. In September 2020, there was a fire in Moria Camp, which left 13,000 refugees without shelter. Do you know if there are similar situations in any other refugee camps that force the refugees to be exposed to poor conditions? Anna Lekas Miller Unfortunately, there are Syrian refugee camps in very terrible conditions. They had to stay near the borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, because the borders were closed to prevent the spread of the virus. There were also regulations started on the informal camps where the Syrian refugees stayed. The camps were also hotspots of the COVID-19 with absolutely no care. Social distancing could not be kept for sure and there was no medical support. Unfortunately, these kinds of poor conditions for refugees were expectations rather than exceptions. I am sorry to hear that. In the same article, it is written that refugees coming to Greece from Turkey were very violently turned away, even before taking a few steps on the land of Greece. How violent was the Greece government towards refugees? Was the government exceptionally violent to refugees from Turkey? Considering that Greece is one of the nations that hosted the greatest number of refugees, is there any chance that the other countries hosting fewer numbers of refugees are more violent to the refugees?

In the beginning of the 2015 refugees migration to Europe, a lot of people were going through Greece on the way to different countries in Europe. Greece was not seen as a desirable destination. When I talked to people, they said they did not want to go there because their economic situation is poor and language was different. There was racism there as well. I looked carefully at the EU-Turkey deal that took place in 2016. That was essentially meant to close down the borders that people would cross to get to places like Germany or Sweden. People who arrived in Greece by boat were stuck. However, when people are stuck in a war zone, they do not have many options, so they were still coming to Greece and got trapped in the place. There is a very complicated process involved with permission to move forward with a possibility of being deported to Turkey. The Greek government became more violent and vigilant towards the refugees. It was not like this in

the past. They might have turned a blind eye and a lot of the Greek Coast Guard and even Greek citizens helped people several times. However, the situation has only become worse. Unfortunately, I feel that the media has really turned a blind eye now. This is the last question. Speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic, are there any worries and possibly any hope about the refugee crisis? Anna Lekas Miller Of course a lot of refugees and immigration communities are getting infected in disproportionate numbers. They do not have much access to governmental healthcare or another organised healthcare system. Thus, there is so much hostility associated with the government. There is also a fear about the government reporting people to the immigration services. I believe there are so many ways that you can look at the problem of COVID-19 and how it intersects with the refugee crisis and immigration communities.

Anna Lekas Miller's article on Moria camp

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