NEW TACTICS IN SOUTH KOREA: A Participant Reflects on Benefits of Asia Regional Training Workshop

Ms. Jee Hyeon Kim has worked as a grassroots activist working on women workers issues for over 9 years. She is currently the Director of Publicity & International Solidarity for Korean Women Workers Associations United. She has also worked for Korean Women’s Trade Union. In her role as a campaign coordinator she has worked directly with the media and created many successful campaigns over the years. Recently she served as chief director in organizing the international workshop entitled "Women Workers’ Initiative to Challenge against Globalization" held in June 2005.

Jee Hyeon Kim is the author of Engaging The Media: Building Support For Minimum Wage Reform, the latest tactical notebook available. She participated in the New Tactics Asia Regional Training Workshop held in August 2005, and New Tactics asked her to reflect on her experiences in the year since the training.

[Read the interview] with Jee Hyeon Kim, Korean Women Workers Associations United (KWWAU), Seoul, South Korea (http://www.kwwnet.org/) 

The New Tactics project is very interested to learn how you have used New Tactics tools and resources in your work. Contact us and tell us your story: newtactics [at] cvt [dot] org

 

 

NEW TACTICAL NOTEBOOK: ASIA

Engaging the media: Building support for minimum wage reform
By Jee Hyeon Kim, Korean Women Workers Associations United (KWWAU)

Successful engagement of the media most often requires many other supporting tactics.  Korean Women Workers Associations United (KWWAU) shares the approaches they found were most helpful in engaging the media: credible documentation of the problem, petitions to demonstrate public interest in the issue, and visually engaging performances and demonstrations that are easily captured by the media.  With media interest, their campaign was able to expand, bring in new supporters, and provide them with leverage in our negotiation and lobbying efforts.

The KWWAU and its partners succeeded in raising public awareness and concern regarding the minimum wage system, and creating a social movement that has made it possible for many poor women to benefit from increasing minimum wages and greater protections.

This tactical notebook shares the efforts of KWWAU to engage the South Korean media to build public awareness about South Korea’s unjust minimum wage system.  As you will see, this was one of many coordinated tactics employed in their campaign to change the minimum wage law and system in order to provide living wages to the most vulnerable workers.

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[tactical notebooks]

[Understanding Strategy and Tactics]

 

NEW RESOURCES

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has compiled a list of resources for human rights advocates, including many from the New Tactics Tactical Notebook series. As stated on a CSIS page about campaigns with Russian human rights activists, "Human rights activism has traditionally revolved around a repertoire of monitoring abuses and releasing reports (naming and shaming).  But in recent years human rights NGOs worldwide have embraced public outreach and issue-based campaigns.  Please see this chart, compiled by CSIS staff during the summer of 2006, available here, for examples of over thirty campaigns used around the world. The chart is organized by region and includes information about the campaigns in the following categories: issue, description, message, target audience, methods, and results."

IN THE NEWSROOM: Event, Fellowship, and Awards

Upcoming Event

Help set a Guinness world record by standing up to poverty

Stand Up Against Poverty on 15 October 2006

Launched by the Millennium Campaign, STAND UP is a global advocacy effort to set an official Guinness World Record - the greatest number of people everto STAND UP Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals - on October 15-16 2006.

The Millennium Campaign in partnership with the Global Call to Action against Poverty and a large number of national and local MDG campaigners including people’s organizations, citizens groups, faith organizations, trade unions, local authorities, is planning a number of entertaining and energizing events in various cities around the world to mobilize partners and the general public to take part in the STAND UP Guinness World Record challenge. For more information, see http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=1806429

 

Fellowship

 

Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program, Washington, D.C.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites applications to its Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. The program is intended primarily to support practitioners and scholars from new and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Practitioners are expected to have substantial experience working to promote democracy. Scholars are expected to have a doctorate, or academic equivalent, at the time of application. The program is not designed to pay for professional training or support students working toward a degree. A working knowledge of English is an important prerequisite for participation in the program.

The fellowship year begins October 1 and runs through July 31, with major entry dates in October and March. All fellows receive a monthly stipend, health insurance, travel assistance, and research support through the Forum’s Democracy Resource Center and the Reagan-Fascell Research Associates Program. Full details here or visit us online here. Applications for fellowships in 2007-2008 must be received no later than November 1, 2006. Notification of the competition outcome is in April 2007.

 

Award Nominations

 

Radio for Peace Building, Africa, 2006 Awards

The Radio for Peace Building Africa seeks to recognize through its 2006 awards the best radio programs that contribute to peace. Radio for Peace is looking for programs that reduce tensions in groups and communities, enhance shared interests, break down listener stereotypes, and provide positive role models. The awards are open to all African radio broadcasters. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Drama, Talk-shows, and Youth Radio. Four prizes will be awarded in each category. First place is 800 euros and the others are 300 euros each. Candidates are limited to one program per category. Entries must be in English or French, or must be accompanied by a full translation in one of these two languages. Entries must have been broadcast in Africa in 2005 or 2006. Candidates must enter by September 30th, 2006.

To obtain an entry form contact: radiopeaceafrica [at] sfcg [dot] be

For more information on Radio for Peace Building, Go to: http://www.radiopeaceafrica.org/

 

St Andrews Prize for the Environment
Application Deadline: 31 October 2006
ConocoPhillips and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland are accepting applications for the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment. The aim of the prize is to promote a practical solution to an environmental problem, with particular interest in projects that can be replicated in several regions, thereby increasing overall effectiveness and help to those who need it most. Applications are invited from individuals, multi-disciplinary teams or community groups for the 2007 prize, consisting of an award of $50,000 for the winner and $10,000 for each of the two runners-up. For more information, see www.thestandrewsprize.com

 

International Activist Award
Application Deadline: 3 November 2006
The Gleitsman Foundation invites nominations for the 2007 International Activist Award, which honours exceptional individuals whose vision and courage inspire others to join with them in confronting and challenging injustice. The award is open to anyone residing outside of the United States. The 2007 Award will honour those who have struggled to correct social injustice. It is not awarded posthumously, nor is it given to groups or organizations. For more information, see www.speakout.org.za/events/main.html