Technology is ever evolving, like smartphones, tablet PCs and laptops. At any time, we can talk to friends across the world through SNS. Today we can do a lot of things with just one touch on the screen.

Every day, our life is getting more and more convenient.

However, there are some people who are excluded from such conveniences.

This child’s entire family has to work very hard on a farm. 

However, they make only $2 a day.
During the drought, they sometimes have to starve for several days.

They have to walk 10km to get water to drink.

They cannot boil their water because wood is scarce.

At night, they are harassed by mosquitoes.

Many children die of malaria.

This family needs hope.

What would bring them hope?

A smartphone or a laptop?!

There are some unique technologies that can give hope to families like them.

They are very affordable and simple, but they will definitely change their lives for the better.

[LifeStraw]
It changes the lives of people who have limited access to drinking water.

A filter inside the straw purifies the water and makes it safe for drinking.

[Q drum]
Q drum is designed to make it easy to transport water by rolling the drum.

Using Q drum, people can transport water more easily.

[Fuel from the Fields Charcoal]
Fuel from the Fields Charcoal is made from agricultural wastes.

This fuel saves people time searching for wood.

Using this fuel, they can easily boil their water.

[PermaNet]
PermaNet protects children from malaria.

This net maintains its protection from insects even after 20 washes.
It allows people to have sound sleep without annoying mosquitoes.
 
These technologies bring hope to people in need.
They are called “appropriate technology.”

[Appropriate Technology]
It refers to technologies that are designed to meet the economic, cultural and functional needs of people and thereby allow for more sustainable production and consumption.

It was originally called “intermediate technology,” the term coined in 1966 by Dr. Ernst Schumacher.

Appropriate technology is for those who are excluded from advanced technology.

Such technologies help those in the greatest need. 

However, was it really 1966 when appropriate technology started?

“A fundamental principle of politics is to love the people, prioritize the public welfare, and enable the people to pursue their own aspirations.”
- King Sejong, the fourth king of Joseon (reign: 1397-1450)

King Sejong deeply cared about the difficulties of the people.

He was always interested in finding solutions to the problems of the common people.

He established a research institute called Jiphyeonjeon in order to study local environments and the lives of the people.

Scholars developed technologies for people who were suffering from poverty and hunger.

They recognized that China’s agricultural techniques were not well suited for Korean farmers.

They researched agricultural techniques that would fit Korean soil and weather.

Nongsa Jikseol (1429)
This agricultural book was made easy to read for average people

King Sejong also developed many instruments that would help people’s daily life.

Angbuilgu (1434)
A sundial that was designed for even the illiterate to know the time
Jagyeongnu (1434)
A water clock that was designed to automatically signal the time even during cloudy days

Accurate predictions for rain were critical for farming.

King Sejong recognized the suffering of people caused by drought and flood.

So, he invented a scientific instrument to manage natural disasters.
The world’s first rain gauge
Cheugugi (1441)

King Sejong also recognized the importance of literacy.

Without the ability to read, people would be limited in learning knowledge and technologies.

So, he invented the Korean alphabet, widely regarded as the most scientific writing system. 
Hunmin Jeongeum (1446)

Hunger and poverty
Natural disasters
Lack of knowledge and technology
These conditions made the life of average people more challenging.

King Sejong wanted to understand their suffering and find solutions to help them.

That was the real beginning of appropriate technology.

Now young Koreans are following his example.

Young Koreans care not only about Koreans, but also about their global neighbors.

So, they are now developing technologies that will bring hope to people.

Korea’s appropriate technology #1
[G-Saver]

G-Saver was developed to help Korea’s neighbor, Mongolia.

Winter in Mongolia lasts for 7 months a year.
Below zero temperatures continue for a long time.

Fuel is critical to the lives of Mongolians.

Mongolians spend the highest amount of their living expenses on purchasing fuel.

Due to the smoke of burned fuel, the sky of the country has turned grey.

“When we can’t afford to buy fuel for the heater, we live by boiler tubes inside of a manhole.”
 
“Because of fuel expenses, our kids can’t afford to attend school. We sometimes have to starve.”

Koreans wanted to help Mongolian families who suffer from severe cold.

So, they developed the G-Saver, which is a heat accumulator that has high energy efficiency and produces less exhaust.

“If 100 thousand G-savers come into use, we can save 27 million dollars and 2 billion tons of fuel.”
- Good Neighbors

G-savers have helped Mongolian families to have a meal in a warm house.

G-savers have also helped Mongolian children go back to school.

Someday, they will clear the exhaust and recover the blue sky.

This is not just an advanced technology.

It started with a genuine care for global neighbors.

It was the result of strenuous efforts to overcome challenges together.

So, we call it a technology of hope.

“Business leaders today spend all their time trying to serve the richest 10% of the world’s customers. We need a revolution in business thinking.”
- Out of Poverty (2008) by Paul Polak

Technology is improving at a rapid speed.

However, only 10% of people enjoy the benefits of such technologies.

The other 90% of people remain out of the reach of such technologies.

What they need is not advanced technologies, like cars, computers or the internet.

What they need is something that helps them to overcome poverty, hunger and disease.

This is a technology of hope.

VANK wants to bring hope to the 90% of people.

We are looking for young Koreans who will lead this change. 

Follow the example of King Sejong.

Develop technologies, scholarship, politics and arts that will bring hope to people.

Then, you will become world changers!

Money and power aren’t everything.
Young Koreans pursue becoming sincere friends with people around the world.

Young Koreans will be the hope of the world.

VANK’s New Dream, Korea Becomes a Friend of Africa.

AFRICA
The continent of the world’s poorest countries

The continent of malaria and AIDS
The land of never-ending conflict and war
The world’s most dangerous destination

Africans have suffered from the lingering legacy of long colonial rule.
The black continent of Africa has lost hope.

One day, VANK received a special invitation from Africa.

“Please come to Zimbabwe, and give hope to young people here!” 
“I hope to initiate cultural exchanges between the youth of Korea and Zimbabwe.”
“Such exchanges will encourage Africans to build a better future.”
- From Lew Kwang-chul, Korean ambassador to Zimbabwe

Here began VANK’s African dream. We went on a trip to Zimbabwe for 10 days.

Zimbabwe, a spectacular ‘kingdom of animals’

Zimbabwe hosts the Victoria Falls, one of the world’s three most remarkable waterfalls.

Glorious history and culture
‘The Great Zimbabwe’
Beautiful nature and abundant natural resources

However, the international image of Zimbabwe is quite different.
AIDS, corruption, poverty, starvation, and malaria
Zimbabwe seems to have no hope for the future.

It still suffers from the wounds of exploitation and oppressive rule during the imperialist era. Its proud history had been forgotten in the hearts of young Zimbabweans. We went there to start a friendship with them. 

Zimbabwean traditional dance, Korean traditional fan dance

African children wrote their wishes on paper airplanes.
We wrote about our dream of becoming their supportive friends. 

We became one during a group circle dance. Korea and Zimbabwe became friends that will support each other.

After becoming their friends, we started seeing hope in Africa. 
Africa occupies 20% of the world’s total land area.
It is a vast land of potential and opportunities to realize many new dreams.

A billion people, one seventh of the world’s population, live in Africa.
It is a large enough group of people to bring great changes to the world. 

The world is turning to Africa for ‘abundant natural resources’.

Around 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 24.
Africa is a continent of youth and a healthy future.
Africa is a vibrant continent that has great natural resources and traditions.

We realized that Africa is not a black continent with a dark future.
Africa is a continent of hope with boundless potential.
Korea doesn’t want to just be an aid donor to Africa.

We want to help them break the widespread stereotypes of Africa.

We want to become Africa’s true friends, and help them create its new international images. Korea overcame the legacy of Japanese imperialism and the devastation of the Korean War.

Koreans brought Korea to the center of Asia. Korea is a good example for Africa, who suffered from western imperialism.  Africans are now pursuing to change negative images of Africa.

Please guide us with your experience of promoting Korea to the world for the last 10 years.
- Joice Mujuru, Vice President of Zimbabwe

Promise of friendship between Korea and Zimbabwe
‘Friends of Africa, Korea Project’

For the last ten years, VANK and its Korean members have promoted Korea to the world. VANK promised to support Zimbabwe’s effort to promote Africa’s potential to the world.

Our promise was publicized to the people of the country through Zimbabwean newspapers.

‘Friends of Africa, Korea Project’

As their friends, we will help them combat negative stereotypes of Africa. Our promise was a seed of hope! What we will do goes beyond economic support. Through the internet, we will build friendships with Africans.We will help our African friends promote their culture and tourist assets to the world.

Our effort will prove the power of citizens’ public diplomacy. We believe that encouragement and support are the best ways to help Africans.

Africans will soon start dreaming again of a new and better Africa.

VANK will be a friend of Africa.  Now we begin a new project to support our new friend. Let’s begin our new project, Friends of Africa, Korea Project.

We found our African dream in Zimbabwe. We will help our African friends have a better future. As a friend of Korea, Africa will no longer be a hopeless black continent. Africa will reborn as a hopeful continent of new opportunities.

Open your eyes to the new Africa. Share their emotions.

Please extend your hand to Africa, and help them promote the new Africa.

With VANK, you will achieve the African dream.
You will be world changers!

The world’s superpower
The world’s strongest economic power
The world’s strongest military power
The world’s most desired country to live

The land of opportunity, America
American dream
The country where people of the world go to achieve their dreams

Africa
The continent of the world’s poorest countries
The continent of malaria and AIDS
The land of never-ending conflict and wars 
However, abundant natural resources are hidden behind those difficult conditions. 
Beautiful natural scenery
The continent of time-honored culture and traditions

In this hidden land of opportunity, VANK found an African dream.
African children and teenagers are struggling with poverty, disease and war.
As a country that achieved both democratization and urbanization in only 50 years, Korea can bring hope to Africa.

VANK members have changed their country and the people through their dreams.
The African continent has hidden values and cultural heritage.
We want to help Africans discover their unique values and feel proud.

Young Koreans will take the lead.
This is a new dream that VANK has found.

The first step in achieving this African dream
VANK’s visit to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, the animal kingdom in southern Africa
The host of the Victoria Falls
The repository of abundant underground resources
Glorious history and culture
The Great Zimbabwe

However, the international image of Zimbabwe is quite different.
The poorest country, North Korean ally, Malaria and AIDS, political instability and a former British colony
During the European imperialist era, Africans suffered from exploitation and oppressive rule.

Through that sad period, Africans forgot their brave and proud history.
Children and teenagers in Zimbabwe live everyday in despair.
VANK decided to become their friends and bring hope to them.

Most people in Zimbabwe didn’t even know where Korea is.
Some just knew of the Korean drama, Daejanggeum.
We presented the culture of Korea to people in Zimbabwe.

Fan Dance in elementary school

Fan dance performance
Korea’s traditional games
Ganggangsulrae, Group circle dance with Zimbabwe people
Our friendship began like this in Zimbabwe.

Korea has emerged as one of the world’s top 10 economic powers from being one of the poorest countries 50 years ago.

Dreaming of a better future for Zimbabwe, we flew paper airplanes into the sky. 
Zimbabwean Children wrote their wishes on those paper airplanes.

We got on a bus to leave Zimbabwe to return home.
Zimbabwean children followed our bus and screamed.
“Hey, friend, please come back!”

Their voices never left our minds, and we began to have a new dream for Africa.
This dream became an unavoidable responsibility after our meeting with the vice-president of Zimbabwe.
We met a lot of people in Zimbabwe, but our meeting with her is unforgettable.

VANK director with vice-president of Zimbabwe

Her sincere request for our help
Koreans still have the wounds of the Japanese imperialism that made them suffer 100 years ago.
Africans also have the wounds of the European imperialism that made them suffer in the past.
Through that time of suffering, Africans forgot their brave and proud history.

Today, they live the life of subservience and servility.
Although it went through a similar experience, Korea managed to become the center of Asia.
Young Koreans can plant seeds of hope in the hearts of Africans. 
Give them the courage and hope for Zimbabwe to become the center of Africa.

Her sincere request moved us.
Internationally, Korea is less known for its 5000 years of history and cultural heritage.
Korea is more known as a former Japanese colony and a divided war-prone country.

Zimbabwe also has a great history and valuable resources for tourism.
However, Zimbabwe is mostly known for such negative images as AIDS and poverty.
Please guide us with your experience of promoting Korea to the world for the last 10 years.

She has a dream for Zimbabwe.

I hope young Zimbabweans regain their pride for the history of the Great Zimbabwe.
They can correct the distorted images of Zimbabwe in the world.

They should believe in their inner strength to promote the accurate history of Zimbabwe. One day, Africans will overcome the remnants of imperialism, such as the colonized mentality. They will regain their confidence.

When the day comes, they will appreciate the effort of Koreans to help them realize the value of the real Africa. Talks with the Zimbabwean vice-president and officials encouraged us to continue our effort.

We made a promise to them.
Friends of Africa, Korea Project

We are now going to do more than promote Korean culture and history to the world. We promised to promote African culture and history to the world with VANK members.
Our promise was publicized to all the people through Zimbabwean newspapers.

VANK and its members have promoted Korea to the world for over ten years.
Now, we wish to share our time to give hope to Africans through our promotional efforts. It can do what economic support and food aid cannot do.

We have another responsibility that is as important as promoting our culture and correcting historical distortions. Helping out our neighbors in need

VANK has laid a path that can guide Africans to promote their culture and history to the world. 

Friends of Africa, Korea Project

Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) invites young Koreans to this exciting project.
Korean government and corporations provide financial aid to Africa.
With VANK, you can provide promotional aid to Africa, the land of new opportunities.

Somebody may ask us.

“Why do you want to make friends with Africa, instead of developed countries like America and European countries?”

VANK will answer without hesitation.

“We see the hope of young Africans on a path where nobody has gone.

Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) is waiting for young Koreans, who will plant a seed of hope in Africa.

Walking this path with VANK, you become a friend of the world.

On every Wednesday, an unfamiliar rally takes place outside the Embassy of Japan. Most of the participants are ladies in their senior years. All of them were former “comfort women”, who were kidnapped by Japanese soldiers during the World War II to be forced to work as “sex toys” for Japanese army.

At that time, Japanese soldiers dropped in villages in the middle of the night, assaulting and kidnapping girls. Among the girls, the youngest were a 12-year-old child who had not had her first period yet. A whopping number of 200,000 Asian women were forced to become sex slaves to the Japanese Army without minimal human rights protection.

After the war, most of them were abandoned in the battlefield. Though seventy years have passed, the horrible past memories still haunt them as if it happened yesterday.

The Wednesday’s weekly protest first started in January 1992 and has been held for about twenty years, making 907th in March 2010. A large number of former comfort women, who staged the rally in the beginning, passed away. Their only hope is to receive a heartfelt apology from the Japanese government.

Japanese soldiers did not mobilize the “comfort women” by force 
-Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe-

Those women were sold as comfort women by their own parents!
- Japan’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary Shimonura Hakubun -

I have an opposition to have Japanese school textbooks cover the “comfort women” issue. 
- Japan’s former Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa -

These remarks clearly show that Japan completely turns away from the truth, its own making of terrible and despairing history. But history reprimand Japan’s wrongdoings in a stern voice.

A research conducted by the government of Japan revealed that an imperial order was issued in 1944 for the Japanese government and the Imperial Army to be involved in systematic recruitment of comfort women.

In 1977, Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, published a collection of photographs, showing that the Imperial Army at that time kidnapped young Korean women who had never been sexually active to be forced to work as comfort women. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) and court documents of the Netherlands also show that the Japanese Imperial Army coerced women into prostitution. The Supreme Court of Japan also acknowledged that the Imperial Army kidnapped, confined, and sexually assaulted the so-called “comfort women”.

Facing such an egregious distortion of history by Japan, the international community cannot keep silence any longer. In 2007, The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution on “comfort women, demanding that the government of Japan offer an official apology as well as assume responsibility for its conduct.

In 2008, the UN Human Rights Council urged that the Japanese government should acknowledge its legal responsibility for the “comfort women” issue and make an official apology to all the victims. International press, including Korea and China, delivered messages from the world to Japanese politicians, calling them to fulfill their responsibilities.

Nevertheless, the Japanese government paid a compensation of meager one dollar to former Korean comfort women in 2009. It was a mockery of human rights and critics of international community by Japan, which aspires to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council. The court of Japan also dismissed all the lawsuits filed against Japan by former “comfort women”, ruling that Japan does not hold responsibility for making compensations.

On every Wednesday outside the Embassy of Japan in Seoul. Former “comfort women” appeal to the conscience of human beings that such a violation of human rights shall not be repeated in the next generations.

Besides the “comfort women” issue, the world witnesses a great number of human rights issues. The disable also suffer because their human rights are not fully protected.

They find mass transportation too huge a huddle to overcome. Crossing the street at a crosswalk is inconvenient for them due to a raised sill. Violence against children takes place in every corner of the world. Women’s human rights are frequently violated.

North Korean defectors, who fled from the North in search of freedom, might risk severe torture or even lives if arrested. Human rights are the most basic form of right guaranteed for everyone. When we take interest in human rights, we will be able to help more people live more like a human being in a world where their precious human rights are protected.

- Amnesty International / www.amnesty.org
International human rights organization/ Founded by Peter Benenson, British lawyer /Conduct research on human rights from all over the world and generate action to help people in danger/2.2 million members from 160 countries.

- William Wilberforce, 1759 ~ 1833
British Politician/ Became the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire / Became a leader of the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade and led the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 in 1807/ Developed the complete abolition of slavery since 1818 Led the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

- Human Rights Watch / www.hrw.org
International human rights organization which was founded in 1978/ About 280 researchers including specialists, lawyers, journalists and scholars are conducting researches on human rights abusing cases in 90 countries and publishing research results or reports. Conducting international campaign to stop human rights abusing.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 says,
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

However…

A woman in her 30s got arrested at a hotel in Southeast Asia for having a beer. She was sentenced to six lashes and a fine of $1,400 for consuming alcohol. Caning is a dreadful corporal punishment for men that tears apart skins and leaves scars on the skin.

13 women were arrested while having a meal at a local restaurant in the Middle East. Their charges were to wear pants in the public place. These women were sentenced to 40 lashes and a fine of $200.

In some countries, it is against the law for women to walk the street alone. Besides these unbelievable cases, most of women in the world face discrimination.

Women take up 2/3 of labor hours in the world. While making only 10% of global income. Women face even severer discrimination in finding jobs. Not only that women find it hard to take up high-ranking or high-paying positions, but they also cannot compete in a level-playing field in terms of political participation and decision-making.

To produce sweet chocolate, child slaves in cacao farms in Africa have to work over ten hours a day, starting from 7 a.m. In Côte d’Ivoire, 310,000 children are exploited in heavy labor for meager pennies or for nothing to the extent that even adults find it hard to bear.

There lived a little girl born and raised as an orphan in Cambodia. When she turned 10, she was sold to an old man as a sex slave. When she reached 14, the old man sold her again to another man in his mid-twenties for marriage in orcer to pay off his debts. Soon after, her newly-wed husband left her and she was once again sold to somebody else and grew in the hell of violence and sex trade.

Many children in the world are being deprived of their rights, rights to receive education, rights not to be exploited, to be protected against violence, and rights to compete in a level playing field. A host of nations, organizations, and individuals are working hard to provide protection for women and children facing pain and discrimination.

On February 1, 2010, in the 14th African Union summit held in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia, UN Secretary General Ban Kimun pointed out that protection of women and children is a pressing issue that requires international attention.

In 1923, Bang Jeongwhan, who designated Children’s Day for the first time in Korea, declared Children’s Charter saying that every child has the rights to receive education and protection from a nation, society, and family.

- Mukhtar Mai, 1972~
Pakistani women rights defender/Became a victim of a gang rape as a form of honor revenge/ Won a three-year-long lawsuit at the risk of her life/ Found a school on the behalf of NGOs and with compensation.

- Jane Addams, 1860~1935 /www.hullhouse.org
Social Activist/ Founded Hull House which is the first social welfare organization in North America in 1889 / Dedicated her life to protect the poor, children, women, immigrants and African-American people/ Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

- RAWA /www.rawa.org
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan/ Founded to enhance women’s rights and freedom in 1977 by Meena/ Struggling for women in Afghanistan and spreading materials about the political and social situation to international community.

To drink a draft of water 
Some people have to walk 10km every day across deserts under scotching heat.
Children die from drinking muddy, polluted water.
4 in 10 in the world suffer shortage of water.
2 in 10 do not even have access to drinking water.
Since 1970s, 24,000 people die each year from lack of water.
The world population, which stood at 2.3 billion in 1940, 
more than doubled to 5.3 billion in 50 year as of 1990.
On the contrary, water use soared by 6 folds, causing a serious water shortage.
By 2025, about 10 years from now on when the world population will be expanded to 8.3 billion, 
2/3 of people in the world will be suffering from water scarcity.

Around 30 nations are already engaged in conflicts and wars due to water scarcity.
In 1967, Israel waged war against Syria, the 3nd Middle-East War, to prevent Syria from constructing a dam in Jordan river.

Egypt has come into conflict with Sudan and Uganda over its dam construction in the Nile river basin.

Syria declared war against Turkey as Turkey built a dam in the upper region of the Nile River.

In Bolivia, a capital city in South America, local people had a fight against a water supply company over water charges. The fight got so fierce that people even shed blood in fighting.

For the city of Busan, the 2nd largest city in Korea, water supply becomes insufficient by more than 7 tons at a time of severe drought.

To resolve this issue, the Korean government pushed forward a plan to provide water to Busan city from Namgang river dam. However, cities adjacent to the Namgang river opposed the plan, worrying that it would cause depletion of water resources and degradation of water quality. It was the beginning of regional conflict over water.

The main causes of water scarcity are 
First, skyrocketing water use due to population growth
Second, groundwater depletion due to rapid global urbanization
Third, desertification due to global warming

Advanced nations, including South Korea, are putting enormous efforts to address the global water scarcity issue. Thanks to such an effort, 35,000 people in Africa gained access to clean water. More than 10,000 people in Ethiopia will be able to have access to drinking water.

International relief organizations in Korea garnered support from citizens to reach out to the far-flung corners of the world and help people draw water for life. For those who have to trade a drop of water with their own blood, we hold it our duty to reach out our helping hands to them who are suffering from water-related diseases.

‘World changers’ ought to realize the severity of global water scarcity issue, and make efforts for water conservation.

- Charity: water http://www.charitywater.org/
International non-governmental organization which was founded to bring clear and safe drinking water for people in developing countries/ Conducting the campaign which let people to donate $20 for monthly to bring water for one person for 20 years.

- World Water Council, WWC: www.worldwatercouncil.org
Founded in 1996 to seek the way to solve water shortage problem in the world / Members are specialists about this issue, governments and international NGO/ Hold World Water Forum at every three years to discuss solutions and three prestigious water related Prizes.

- Unicef Tap Project / www.tapproject.org
Tap Project by UNICEF since 2007/ Started with 300 restaurants’ participation in this and now thousands of restaurants got involved / The total donation money have used to bring clean drinking water to millions of children and build related facility.

The most dreadful form of disease is war that hardens people’s lives the most.
What maintains peace is not mighty power. It can be attained only through understanding between each other.
In war, the most despicable and corrupted people gain power and glory.
Unless we have wars exterminated, we will be annihilated by them.
Those who love to see wars breaking out are just like mean-spirited children.

On September 11, 2001.
4 aircrafts were hijacked by Al-Qaeda, an armed Islamic terrorist group. Soon after, they made a suicidal crash to the World Trade Center in New York and State Department building in Washington D.C.
, which claimed 2,993 lives of innocent civilians. 
This incident came as a great shock to the whole world.

In September 2000
Pilgrims from Palestine and Israel threw stones at each other.
The repercussions from this collision spread out to the whole region of Palestine, leading up to the assassination of high-ranking officials from both sides through Palestinian’s suicide bombs and Israel’s retaliatory attacks. Such a deep-rooted conflict has its root in the founding of Israel in 1948 andcontinues to date taking even more victims.

The conflict between Catholic and Protestant in Northern Ireland, which started to emerge since Ireland achieved independence from the U.K. in 1921, seemed to come to an end as the Northern Ireland self-governing government was constituted in December 12, 1999.
At the dawn of the 21th century, however, an armed organization derived from Northern Ireland’s Irish Republican Army(IRA) recommit a terrorist attack, leading to the deprivation of Ireland’s self-governing rights. 80-year-long peace efforts fell apart at the seams in just 3 months. The conflicts are still ongoing to date with 3,165 people dead and 36,000 people injured.

On April 6, 1994, Rwanda, Africa, Rwandan President Habyalimana, a Hutu, was assassinated.
On April 7, the following day, the Hutus began indiscriminately killing Tutsis, who were behind the assassination, making it the worst case Civil War in Rwanda. The civil war continued for four years, having 1.5 million people massacred and 2.4 million people fled to neighboring countries as refugees. The war also got spread into other neighboring countries including Burundi and Jaire where refugees are being slaughtered in large numbers and the worst human rights violations are taking place.

In June 25, 1950
Korea experienced a painful war due to ideological confrontation.
As the only nation being divided in the world, South Korea is making ceaseless efforts for the past sixty years to find ways for reconciliation and co-existence.

The World War II was such a horrendous one with the highest number of victims and the worst property damage in human history while taking fifty million lives in total.
Despite the lessons learned from history, however, international disputes never cease to take place in every corner of the globe, leaving a great number of victims suffer in hell. 
Confronting violence and silly disputes that demand blood and death, It is time for us to become ‘world changers’, who win a war to find keys to peace and coexistence, reconciliation and forgiveness.

- Neve Salom / www.nswas.org
Peace village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs / Founded in 1970 in Bruno Hussar, educator/ Started in 1977 by settlement of the first family. 52 families are living in this by 2006.

-Jody Williams, 1950~ /www.icbl.org
American Social Activist/ Led the foundation of International Campaign to Ban Landmines: ICBL in 1991/ Led the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty which was signed by 123 countries in 1997 within 6 years activity/ Received the Noble Peace Prize in 1997.

International Crisis Group, ICG / www.crisisgroup.org
Founded in 1995 to prevent and resolve international conflicts/ Release monthly report, Crisis Watch which include research results of investigations / Propose policies or resolutions to governments or international organizations, including UN and EU.

AIDS, the infectious disease also called as the Black death of modern times, is extremely hard to cure and of very high mortality rate. The number of patient with AIDS is estimated to be around 40 million in about 170 countries and the number keeps rising. Each year Millions of people die in Asia and Africa because they did not receive treatment for AIDS. At least one in five people in Southern Africa are AIDS patient, and 1 in 4 children there lost one of their parents to AIDS.

Malaria takes lives of 3 million people a year half of the world population in 107 countries live in places susceptible to Malaria. Each year, 800 thousands children lose their lives to Malaria in Africa.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects the lungs and various organs of the body. It accompanies symptoms such as coughing blood and may lead to death without treatment. Tuberculosis is widespread in the world, infecting people through tubercular bacillus scattered in the air by means of coughing, sneezing, and dialogue with tuberculosis patients. Each year 9 million people get newly infected with tuberculosis. One in three of world population of 2 billion people suffer Tuberculosis. This disease causes even more severe damage to nations in Africa and Southeast Asia. Since polluted environment and poverty hinder efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

In 1948, global community established World Health Organization (WHO) with an aim to protect mankind from all sorts of diseases and pain.

Numerous international relief organizations take risks to help people suffering from diseases in the world.

Lee Jongwook, the 6th Secretary General of World Health Organization (WHO), dedicated his entire life to patients suffering from diseases and was in the forefront of vaccine development. He was also praised as ‘Schweitzer in Asia’ and ‘the emperor of vaccines’, as he contributed to eradicating Tuberculosis in 19 countries including North Korea. Traveling 300,000Km a year, Former Secretary General Lee Jongwook met with politicians and businessmen of the world, bringing out financial support and global cooperation. He was dedicated to the last moment of his life to the mankind suffering from diseases. His life still touches the hearts of many people in the world.

The former Secretary General Lee Jongwook did not give up his mission and dream to the end, protecting the mankind from diseases. His mission and dream have been renewed and handed over to us, the ‘world changers’.

- Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF / www.msf.org
Dail Community, a international charity founded in 2002/ Free hospital supported by sponsors without government subsidy/ About 80 medical staffs and 300 volunteers are Helping not only poor Korean people but also foreign labors and children in the third world.

International Vaccine Institute, IVI / www.ivi.int
Founded in 1997 to develop and provide vaccine for poor people in developing countries/ Conducting research and development of vaccine in 28 countries in Asian, African and Latin American continents.

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, IAVI / www.iavi.org
Founded in 1996 to develop HIV vaccine which is safe, effective, accessible and preventive/ Opened offices in 24 countries and conducting research and development of HIV vaccine and preventing movement.

The richest 1% holds 40% of global wealth,
50% of poor people in the world share only 1% of global wealth
20% of world population consumes 80% of energy
80% of people are even waging a war to secure the remaining 20% of energy
2 billion people in the globe have no access to electricity
While rich nations are fighting hard against obesity, 
1 billion people suffer malnutrition and shortage of food
35 people a minute
50,000 people a day 
18 million people die of starvation each year
malnutrition / the highest population growth rate of 15.4%
Global food shortage will only become aggregated.

In 2000, the world household asset stood at $125 trillion in total according to the United Nations University-World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER).

Over time, the gap between poverty and wealth widens to the historic highs.
Is this pain confined to them only?

Korea, one of the 10th largest trading nations in the world today, was one of the poorest nations in the world 60 years ago. 
Streets were flooded with people dying of hunger and orphans abandoned.
The whole world poured out donations to help the poor Korea.
Now Korea is the first nation to become a donor nation from a recipient of global aid.

3,500 staffs from Korea’s world-renowned aid organizations and NGOs are taking the initiative in relief work in about 60 nations around the world. Good-People, an UN-affiliated organization, is also spreading love toward neighbors in the world facing suffering.

There lived a girl named Kim Mandeok, in Jeju Island of Chosun Dynasty in the mid-1700s. This low-social class orphan girl was raised by an old geisha. Rather than being despondent about her circumstances, she made herself very rich out of merchant business. When people were nearly dying from starvation due to bad harvest in 1793, she donated all of her possessions to save lives of 1,100 people. The good deed of warm-hearted rich merchant Kim Mandeok set an example of Noblesse oblige 200 years ago. And her story reminds of us that each and every one of us is responsible for taking care of everyone in the world suffering a great pain due to poverty.

To spread out “donating culture”, To build a world without poverty and a gap between the rich and poor, it is time for ‘world changers’ to garner strength and put sharing into practice.

- Muhammad Yunus,1940 ~ / www.muhammadyunus.org
Bangladeshi banker/ Founded Grameen Bank which provide very small loans without collateral to the poverty in 1983 / Had loaned to 7.84 million poor people in 2500 offices in 2009 / Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

- Abbé Pierre, 1912~2007 / www.emmaus.org
French catholic priest who dedicated life to relieve poverty/ Initiated Emmaus Movement, a self-sufficiency community for homeless in 1949/ Emmaus Movement has spread to 40 countries till 2007 and became international homeless charity.

- Habitat for Humanity / www.habitat.org
Devoted to building housing/ Founded in 1976 for a goal, Building simple, decent and affordable housing for everyone/ Built 300 thousands houses in 95 countries till 2008 and donated to 1.5 million people to helping start new life at new home.

The Antarctic, July 2008
A satellite picture from European Space Agency(ESA) showed an image of Wilkins Ice Shelf breaking away. This shelf is huge in size of 16,000 ㎢, 7 times larger than Manhattan.
The global warming, which has been warned by scientists, has been proven true.
March in the same year, 80% of baby Adelie penguins lost their lives due to deadly rain in the Antarctic. 
With green shoots starting to sprout and rain drops falling on the ground, the Antarctic becomes warmer, turning it a land of death. 
This human-induced phenomenon demands that we take responsibility for our conduct. 
Desertification effects all around the globe at a high speed, engulfing forests and lakes, and the subsequent water shortage causes a great deal of pain to many. 
Korea and Japan suffer from the yellow dust caused by desertification in China and Mongolia. 
Whereas devastating flood, that accompanies enormous typhoons like hurricane and cyclone, hardens the lives of many in the U.S. and Southeast Asia. 
In striking contrast to melting icecaps in Alps and Mt. Kilimanjaro, heavy snow caused by unusual weather phenomenon nearly paralyzed cities in the Eastern part of U.S. in the early 2010.
A coral island of Tuvalu in the Pacific plans to abandon its land since the country is currently sinking under water.
which renamed the people of Tuvalu as “climate refugee”.
Each year, the number of casualties resulted from natural disasters outnumbers that from war by 5 times.
The pace of temperature rise in the East Sea that lies between Korea and Japan is 2 times faster than the world average.
It becomes rare to see Pollack and sardines, which once regarded as the symbol of the East Sea. 
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) point carbon dioxide as a main culprit of global warming.
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions increases due to oil, coal, exhaust fumes from automobiles, excessive energy consumption, and extravagant use of natural resources.
The world is trying hard to find counter-measures against global warming after realizing, though belatedly, the severity of its consequences.
The Korean government is taking an aggressive approach toward alternative energy development and eco-friendly projects and reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the Same-Day-Of-The-Week-No-Driving system and energy savings. 
Also, the government has designated April 5th as tree-planting day since 1949.
Korea’s tree-planting day movement is spreading around the globe in order to curb global warming.
For the mankind to coexist with polar bears, Adelie penguins, and precious fishes in the East Sea, all of us need to become ‘world changers’, taking the lead in curbing climate change and global warming staring from now.

- Wangari Muta Maathai, 1940~ / www.greenbeltmovement.org
Kenyan environmental and political activist. / Initiated Green Belt Movement in 1977/ Planted 30 million trees till early 2000 / Became the first African woman laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

- Greenpeace / www.greenpeace.org
Non-governmental environmental organization/ Established in 1971 / Having offices in 41 countries and 2.8 million members /Focused on climate change mitigation, Defending oceans and protecting ancient forests and eliminating toxic chemicals and genetic engineered products.

- World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF / www.wwf.org
Established in 1961 and one of the biggest non-governmental environmental organizations / Supporting around 1300 environmental projects in 100 countries / Conducted Earth Hour Project related to Climate Change in 2010.