[MANNAM International] Hands to Hands:MANNAM Volunteer Association rallies to bring relief to Indian youth

Hands to Hands: MANNAM Volunteer Association rallies to bring relief to Indian youth
 

This Saturday, 6 July 2013, MANNAM Volunteer Association (MVA) held a donation drive at Jumong Elementary School. In May 2013, MVA began collecting stationary supplies for children in India. Following the catastrophic floods in the region, MVA expanded the project, collecting clothes, raincoats and shoes, which will be sent to youth in disaster stricken Uttarakhand. Already sponsors have stepped forward, providing some 200 pairs of shoes, clothing and other supplies.

In total, the drive brought in about 3000 units of stationary and 40 boxes, about 150kg, of supplies in Seoul alone. Around Korea, the 13 branches of MVA International will continue collecting supplies, and will ship them along with the other donations received. MVA is appealing to local and international shipping companies for help in delivering the goods to those in need.

One dedicated member commented, “The people of India are really suffering because of the recent disasters. I know the donations we send will not solve all their trouble, but I think we’d all be very grateful if something we did could help in some small way.”
“In India, the situation is such that relatively small donation from our side can have a very large impact in the lives of those suffering - especially the youth,” said a spokesperson for MVA.

One of the MVA’s members, and Indian citizen, Mr. Satish Kumar said, “ I have been with MANNAM for almost one year, I’ve been doing volunteer work... and I am doing my best... sacrificing time over the weekend - it’s not so easy, but it is all to help people.” Mr. Kumar expressed how hard it was to send encouraging words to people in such a terrible situation, but expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Indian military, who have been so supportive of the community devastated by the floods.
“They carried people through the waters on their shoulders,” he said holding back emotions, “It is very touching.”

The initial project was started at the suggestion of Mr. Ashok Shrivastav and Ms. Ritu Prashar, reporters from Doordashan News (DD News) that covered the World Peace Festival held in Korea in 2012. Inspired by the event, they have been working closely with MVA in India to promote world peace.

“Indian news agencies reported that even the Chief Minister of the region, Mr. Vijay Bahuguna said that he had been numbed by the sheer magnitude of the calamity,” said a spokesperson for MVA’s volunteer coordination team. At the event, Renuka, another Indian member of MVA told an interviewer, “We feel proud to be a part of this event so that we can be little help to others.”

[MANNAM World News] Asiana Airlines flight crash-lands at San Francisco airport

 (6th LD) Two killed in Asiana jet crash at San Francisco airport 

Asiana plane crash

Shown is Asiana Airlines's Boeing 777 taken on July 7, 2013,
 one day after its crash.
The plane carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members
crash landed at San Francisco International Airport,
leaving two killed and 182 others injured. (Yonhap)

SAN FRANCISCO/SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- An Asiana Airlines passenger jet carrying 307 people crashed upon landing at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, killing two Chinese people and injuring dozens of others on board, officials said.
 The Boeing 777 plane, which departed from Shanghai, China and stopped over at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul, was carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members, according to the airliner, which is South Korea's second largest.


Source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/07/07/0200000000AEN20130707002451315.HTML

I was sorry to hear about the bad news.
Sadly enough, two killed in asiana jet crash at san francisco airport.
Also, many people wre ingured.
MANNAM all lament their death.
I heard injured people arrive in Korea today.
I hope they may well be treated. Get well soon!
Let's all pray those people.

[Turkey news] Five things you should know about Turkey and the Istanbul protests

Turkey has been rocked by four days of protests and violence, in the biggest outburst of anger since the Islamist-rooted government took power. Ruth Sherlock has five things you should know.

1. Turkey's political ideology
Since the 1920s Turkey has been vigorously secular in its public sphere. Now protestors accuse Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of blurring the line between religion and state by trying to impose the Islamist values of his Justice and Development party (AKP) on society as a whole.
Last month the government introduced a new law cracking down on alcohol, banning the sale of drink between 10pm and 6am and forcing restaurants near schools or mosques to be dry.
The government has also tried to clamp down on kissing in public. Some have also perceived a state recommendation that everyone should have three children as too invasive.
The spark for the demonstrations was opposition to a government plan to turn Gezi Park, the last green area in Istanbul’s Taksim Square into a replication of an Ottoman style military barracks and possibly a shopping mall.

They have since morphed into nationwide outpouring of anger by critics who say Erdogan is increasingly “authoritarian”.

2. Erdogan's popularity and Turkey's increasing authoritarianism
Unlike in the dictatorships of Egypt, Libya et al, Turkey enjoys free and fair elections. Mr Erdogan has won three consecutive general elections, each time with a greater share of the popular vote. He also has the support of the United States and other western leaders. So popular is he among his people that he won the People’s choice for Time 2011 person of the year.
But recently a push for a new constitution that would enhance presidential powers, a role that he would then likely try to take for himself, have also caused widespread public anger. As has the prosecutions of journalists and intellectuals - more journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey than anywhere else in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

3. Turkey's economy
When Erdogan swept to power in 2002, Turkey was lauded by the West as an example of a successful, Muslim-majority, secular democracy.
The country's brand of "Islamic Calvinism" – spearheaded by Erdogan's pro-business and pro-free market reforms – lifted Turkey out of deep recession.
If the economy is a crucial factor to the stability of a country, Turkey’s is badly placed to spark a revolution: It is soaring. The economy grew by 5 per cent a year on average from 2002 to 2012. Turkey has avoided both the financial collapse of its neighbouring European countries. Inequality has been falling.

4. A guide to Turkey's protesters
The protests have spread to 67 cities, including the capital Ankara. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets. Many of the demonstrators are young, secular, educated men and women. They were largely peaceful.
It is clear that the protests have touched a nerve for Turks across a broad social spectrum. Demonstrators have also received a lot of support from other sections of society. Many taxi drivers in Istanbul beep their horns in solidarity and older residents, even in some of the poorer parts of the city have come to their front doors, beating posts and pans in support of the demonstrators.

5. Government response to the protests
Police initially cracked down heavily, seemingly hoping to smother the protests. They used teargas and water cannons aggressively, and hundreds of people were wounded. Amnesty International has condemned the crackdowns and claimed that two people have been killed.
Realising that this was only serving to fuel greater dissent, Mr Erdogan admitted the mistake. Clashes have continued in other parts of Istanbul, but security forces have pulled out of the central protest area Taksim Square.


Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/10095659/Five-things-you-should-know-about-Turkey-and-the-Istanbul-protests.html


I'm so sorry to hear that. Turkey and Korea are just like brothers country. I think we need to  be interested in and concerned about them. There are some people that they don't know this news yet.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan still wouldn't change his opinion for anything. Many people are in the hospital and in prisson at the moment.
I wish Turkey's protesets will stay bit by bit.... MANNAM Volunteer member also know this news correctly, let us to be interested in and concerned about them.

President Obama Delivers Memorial Day Remarks at Arlington National Cemetery

Today President Obama traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Memorial Day, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and delivering remarks.
The President thanked members of the armed forces and veterans for their service to the United States, and paid tribute to our fallen heroes laid to rest at Arlington:
     It is here, on this hallowed ground, where we choose to build a monument to a constant thread in the American character -- the truth that our nation endures because it has always been home to men and women who are willing to give their all, and lay down their very lives, to preserve and protect this land that we love.
That character -- that selflessness -- beats in the hearts of the very first patriots who died for a democracy they had never known and would never see. It lived on in the men and women who fought to hold our union together, and in those who fought to defend it abroad -- from the beaches of Europe to the mountains and jungles of Asia. This year, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the end of fighting in Korea, we offer a special salute to all those who served and gave their lives in the Korean War. And over the last decade, we’ve seen the character of our country again -- in the nearly 7,000 Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice on battlefields and city streets half a world away.

President Barack Obama participates in a Memorial Day wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 27, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Obama noted that, as of last year, Americans are no longer fighting and dying in Iraq, and that there is now a transition underway in Afghanistan as well. "This time next year," the President said, "we will mark the final Memorial Day of our war in Afghanistan."
The President closed by asking Americans to keep the fallen in their hearts:
    On this Memorial Day, and every day, let us be true and meet that promise. Let it be our task, every single one of us, to honor the strength and the resolve and the love these brave Americans felt for each other and for our country. Let us never forget to always remember and to be worthy of the sacrifice they make in our name.
Watch the President's full remarks.


 source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/27/president-obama-delivers-memorial-day-remarks-arlington-national-cemetery


June 6th is a memorial day for Korea. We have always kept our celebrations of Memorial Day.
Millions of people lost thier life in the war. Espeacially, many young men laid down their lives for the country.

"For without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived. " - John F. Kennedy

There are the last few remaining soldiers that took part in the conflict. One of the remaining soldiers was an acquaintance of mine. He is Man Hee Lee Peace Leader. He works for the world peace.
He was a war veteran. He knows war better than anyone. That's why he long for a lasting peace.



Man Hee Lee, Peace Maker, visited Ethiopian veterans of the Korean War to disburse compensation funds on 3 December 2012.

He visited Ethiopians of the Korean War to disburse compenation funds on 3 December 2012.
He is doing it no one to do it. Not only is this work it is also many working for world peace.

The time has come to think the World Peace. Memorial Day brings New Meanings to Peace.
Please, kept our celebrations of Memorial Day.

[MANNAM; Gamcheon Culture viliage] The House of Peace

<The House of Peace>

- room of bowl
 Title : can serve everything

peace is invisible to the eye and ear. But still, peace is the container can hold everything in the world. This work is the visualization of the peace as a container can hold everything

- room of moon
 Title : 1. to be fair everything
 2. with son
 3. face of meditation

Moonlight shines on everything fairly. It doesn’t care whether they are rich or poor, what race and religion. Peace is the basis of equal and fair living for the whole human kind.

The House of Peace is a place in GamCheon,
which is famous as a cultural village.
 Originally, it was once an ordinary small-town village,
 congruent to any other village in the area.
However, people began to decorate the walls of the village with a menagerie of paintings.
 As a result, the village and its paintings became famous and well known for their splendor.
 Today the village of GamCheon has become renowned
among tourists and welcomes those visiting Korea
wishing to view its celebrated murals.

I have personally toured the village guided by a map
bought locally at their convenient community center.
As I explored the village I noticed that many the houses were pretty old. But among the houses one house in particular caught my attention. This house was fairly old as many of the others,
 but there was a special beauty it – a beauty that arrested the mind and soul -- for this house, was a House of Peace.
An artist had decorated it simplistically with depictions of a bowl and moon. These objects were to the artist the very epitome of peace – and perhaps as I gazed upon them,
for just that fleeting moment,
 I felt the peace they so graciously shared.
 Has anyone else ever considered what peace is,
or would be if it were symbolized as an object?

We want to know about MANNAM

Q) What is the meaning of 'when light meets light, there is victory'?

A) Every single person is a light and should become a light. As these people who are like light meet, we can defeat the dark world. The MANNAM’s slogan is “when light meets light, there is victory!”

Q) What does MANNAM pursue in its “culture and art service”?

A) MANNAM is well-known for its strong volunteerism and outstanding cultural event planning ability. Delivering donation to the less fortunate is also a service that MANNAM is involved in, however, the delivering messages of hope and love through cultural and art performances is also what MANNAM pursues. Therefore, every MANNAM event is accompanied with an art and cultural performance of high standards.

 

Q) Why does MANNAM do country-related events?

A) It is very natural to dedicate time and efforts to those we love. As MANNAM loves its country and sincerely appreciates those who sacrificed their lives for the country, it is logical to give our time and effort. We do not see this as sacrifice. The question of “why do you do country-related events?” is equivalent to the question of “why do you love another?”

 

Q) Question to the Chairwoman of MANNAM: “What does volunteer work mean to you?”

A) I believe that the basic foundation of every ideology is filial piety, and this is not limited to only Korea. When one is dutiful to one’s parent, it is filial piety; when the same devotion is shown to a country, it becomes loyalty; and in religion, it becomes faith. This is based on sacrifice, thinking of others before oneself, which is related to the core mentality and spirit of volunteer service. Service in MANNAM is voluntary and dedicating oneself as he/she is doing work at one’s home, even when picking up garbage on the street. This is the spirit of MANNAM.

 

Q) What are the future plans of MANNAM?

A) For world peace, there must be the unification of Korea. Every MANNAM member sincerely longs for unification and is concerned with the issue. Hence, during the 65^th Anniversary of Korean Independence Day event, MANNAM announced the Declaration of Unification which expresses hope for a true unification of North and South Korea. Also, the Declaration of Unification monument was set in the east and west, where the north is in sight.  

Also, as the entire world must cooperate among one another for the unification of Korea, MANNAM will take the lead in forming and evoking the world’s consensus and support. For world peace, MANNAM pursues to become the ambassador of world peace and will host world cultural exchange events.

 

 

[MANNAM International] 54th Memorial Day

Love for Taegeuk,  and Love for Mugungwha

Let’s brighten this dark world by gathering people of light and bringing them together! 

  MANNAM Volunteer Association, which focuses on culture and art, has joined the world's 54 volunteer organizations. MANNAM mainly volunteered around Gangnam, Seoul, unnoticeably, but with a pure heart. In 2008, a bazaar was held for those in need at the Apgujung, Chungdam elementary school and ten thousand citizens, including local residents participated. Gangnam district office was surprised with the outcome and suggested holding another event together. So, on April 6^th, Memorial Day of 2009, a public patriotic event was held which one hundred thousand people participated on Yeongdong main-street (blocking eight-lanes) in front of the Coex Mall and MANNAM became known as a light of the world. From the spark of these events, MANNAM became a global volunteer organization by allying with 54 domestic and foreign volunteer organizations. The united volunteer organization is enthusiastically volunteering with many domestic and foreign regions. MANNAM, the pride of Korea, will spread the culture of love by lighting up the darkness with the light of love.