(Washington, D.C. March 30, 2000): The Institute for Strategic Reconciliation (ISR), a Washington-based think tank, appealed last fall to send wheelchairs and crutches to the disabled children and women of DPR Korea, the group ignored by the international humanitarian aid community.
The America Wheat Mission, Inc. (AWM), a Korean-American Christian service group for the disabled, has responded by kicking off a national campaign in March to send 150 wheelchairs and 500 crutches to disabled children and adults of DPR Korea. The Washington Chapter of the AWM has already pledged to send 20 wheelchairs. The AWM has appealed to numerous Korean American churches as well as its chapter offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. to Love the disabled of DPR Korea.
"On average, about 10 percent of a nation's population are the disabled," Reverend President Jung Taik Jung of the AWM notes. "The Bureau of the Census has indicated over 10 percent of Americans have a severe disability," Reverend Jung continues. He supposes DPR Korea may not much differ from such an international average of the disabled rate. "However, the disabled of DPR Korea has been ignored by the international aid community in the past few years," voiced Reverend Jung leading the AWM's campaign.
Rev. Jung has observed in the past two years how transparently and effectively the ISR's Reconciliation Ambassadors with Medicines (RAMs) has sent critically-needed medicines to treat over 700,000 patients in northern half of the Korean peninsula. "Substantial amount of ISR aid of antibiotics have reached the disabled of DPRK," Jung confidently notes.
President Asaph Young Chun of ISR had given a sample crutch for kid to DPR Korea during his February medical team visit to DPR Korea. "Korean doctors have appreciated such a gift for the disabled," Chun notes. ISR suggested to DPRK its humble desire to help the disabled with American aid of wheelchairs and crutches. DPRK pleasantly complied. The partnership of ISR and AWM is a small start to look after the needs of the vulnerable disabled of DPRK.
A compassionate assistance of an international medical relief organization enables ISR and AWM to ship a 20-foot container of wheelchairs and crutches this May to DPR Korea at humanitarian price. The third operation of medicine shipment this May to treat over 900,000 people of DPRK is named "Project Reconciliation for the Disabled" as its program focus is on caring for the critical needs of the forgotten disabled of DPRK.
"Reconciliation between DPR Korea and the United States comes slow as people-to-people contacts gradually help restore mutual trust," partners Jung and Chun note in one voice. "Patience is the modest approach."
Please Help Now
For more information or participation, contact ISR at 301.570.3948, 301.570.0911 (fax), or ISR@Ureach.com. You may help send wheelchairs and crutches to the disabled of DPRK by sending your generous donation (payable to ISR) to:
The Institute for Strategic Reconciliation,
Inc.
18510 Shadowridge Terrace, Olney, MD 20832, USA
E-mail: ISR@Ureach.com
Voice: 301.570.3948 FAX: 301.570.0911
Mission Statement
The Washington-based ISR is an independent think tank seeking to restore reconciliation where conflict exists by engaging in scientific, cultural, educational, humanitarian, and religious research. The ISR addresses policy challenges promoting international and national reconciliation, and facilitates conflict resolution policy research and studies in civilian and government programs.
Vision Statement
The Institute for Strategic Reconciliation shall be a most powerful source of information, research, and experience by the year 2002 to fulfill global responsibilities of reconciliation. These responsibilities will be carried out by a new generation of reconciliation builders empowered to give up their own comfort, volunteers prepared to build up a new generation of reconciliation leadership, and American private organizations transformed to use up their strength and diversity in producing sustainable reconciliation and peace.
Program Objectives
The ISR's program focus in 2000 - 2002 is on conducting both the humanitarian research and the U.S. public policy research. The humanitarian research includes research of food relief, sustainable agricultural development, and restoration of public health infrastructure in DPR Korea, and other regions in conflict in Asia.
The U.S. public policy research includes research of policy-educational programs in governments and think tanks to empower Asian Americans, and research of American educational resources to assist foreign students studying in the States. Other programs meeting the ISR mission are considered.
Legal Structure
The ISR's organizational structure consists of a board of trustees, and an advisory council. The ISR's research programs and management are implemented by fully abiding the U.S. laws and being transparent to the public.
Finances and Audit
The Institute's operating budget is provided by corporate and individual donors. The institute programs also are supported by grants and endowments made by private foundations and governments. The Institute's annual finance report is audited by a certified public accountant.
Institute Operations
The following centers and affiliated researchers implement the Institute programs:
Center for Humanitarian Relief and Development
Center for Public Health Studies
Center for Foreign Policy Studies
Center for Economic Studies
Center for Educational Programs
Center for Information Technology
Center for Legal Studies
Center for Survey Research
Institute Staff Directors; Associate Directors; Senior Fellows; Senior Research Fellows; Research Associates; Adjunct Research Fellow, Visiting Fellows, Guest Scholars Research Assistants; Research Interns
Institute Lawyer: John Lindow, Attorney at law
Institute Board of Trustees
Young Chun, President, Inhwa Sohn, Chairman, Baik, Soon, Vice Chairman, Senior Economist, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Jo, Kwang Dong, Editor-in-chief, The Korea Times Chicago Kang, Paul D., Associate Treasurer, President, Washington R & I, Inc. Kim, Linsoo, Professor, School of Business Management, Korea University, Seoul Kim, Sang Jin, Treasurer, CEO, Kwang Jin Trading Company Kim, Sung Jin, Senior Investigator, National Institute of Health Koh, Do Yim, Chairman, Sacred Heart Foundation, Seoul Lee, Kevin, Associate Treasurer, CEO, Kevin Lee Insurance and Co., TX Lee, Mahn Yul, Professor, Department of History, Sookmyung University, Seoul Nah, Kwang Sam, Vice Chairman, President of the 21st Century Joseph Movement Oh, Jung Hyun, Chairman of Operation Mobilization Korea, Paik, Won Kil, former Vice President of the National Council of Korean Presbyterian Churches Pak, James D., Secretary, Attorney at law of Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro law firm.