ISC this Month
Latin American Research and Study Group: Report back from Bolivia
On November 5, Chief Editor Dae-Han Song presented on the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Defense of Life in Cochabamba (in which he participated) which took place from October 10 - 12. In his presentation, he covered the conference’s goal of providing a democratic space for social movements to come together in one voice and demand from the COP meetings climate justice and respect for the Mother Earth. He also presented on how Bolivia, one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, is re-appraising the value of indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change and creating a sustainable alternative to capitalism. At the end, the Ambassador from the Plurinational State of Bolivia in the Republic of Korea took questions and presented on the purpose of the conference and explained the concept of “living well” rooted in indigenous knowledge.
2015 Venezuela Delegation
On November 16th, the 2015 delegation to Venezuela met with First Secretary Sergio de Leon for the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The delegation asked questions and learned about the current challenges facing the Venezuelan revolutionary process fighting off the elite’s economic war. Afterwards, Chief Editor Dae-Han Song presented at Bolivia’s World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Defense of Life, drawing connections to Latin America’s left tide. He then did a crash course in survival Spanish. In the last workshop, Director Haesook Kim presented on Venezuelan history, politics, economy, and 21st century socialism. The night concluded with a farewell dinner that included members from the first delegation in 2014. The next day, Chief Editor Dae-Han saw the delegation off to Venezuela.
Cheonan Corvette Sinking Open Lecture
On November 21, Kim Sang Gyun, a former producer for the public channel MBC, presented his PhD dissertation on the media coverage of the Cheonan Corvette and its impact. He covered the conservative media’s biased initial coverage accusing North Korea of the sinking despite any evidence. He then went to point out the government and conservative media’s efforts to block out alternative theories and explanations such as the possibility of a South Korean sea mine both by blocking coverage and by red-baiting academics that questioned or brought up inconsistencies in the investigation.
2nd Workshop by Climate Justice Action in Preparation to the Paris COP 21 Meeting On November 26, the Climate Justice Action, a coalition of environmental justice and climate justice group met for the second time to discuss and prepare for the 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change that will take place in Paris. There were presentations analyzing the possible outcomes at COP 21 as well as examining South Korea’s own responsibilities and committed actions. The meeting concluded with a declaration endorsed by the groups present to be taken to the COP meeting calling for ambitious, just, and equitable agreement from the COP 21 meeting and bold actions by the South Korean government to fulfill its own responsibilities and to avoid false market solution and nuclear power.
Mullae Garden Plot meeting: Harvest
We made and ate cabbage leaf pancakes while drinking makkeoli.
On November 28, we held our last Mullae Garden Plot meeting of the year. The director, chief editor, and one of our hardest working farmers, Christine, came to harvest the plot. The radishes and cabbage we planted were not as large as we’d hoped, but we were still happy with the results. Afterwards, we went back to the office to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We made and ate cabbage leaf pancakes while drinking makkeoli.