English Posts — 국제전략센터/The International Strategy Center

Disability and Deinstitutionalization: Why Must the Disabled be Locked Up in Institutions?

Deinstitutionalization is not simply a matter of physical space that calls for the dismantling of large-scale care institutions. The institutionalized disabled must return to their families, and to society at large. The reality is that many deinstitutionalized disabled rely on the support of their families. However, care from their families is not enough, and society and the state must take responsibility. If the government simply postpones this process as it readies itself, then the process will never begin. The government must recognize deinstitutionalization as a responsibility and then actively begin its implementation.

There can be no dignity for anyone, without dignity for the disabled.

“ It’s very difficult to find any hope.” -interview with Volodomyr Ischenko

To help explain the crisis in Ukraine, the International Strategy Center (ISC) interviewed Volodomyr Ishchenko (Ishchenko), a Research Associate at Osteuropa-Institut Berlin and a member of PONARS Eurasia. Ischenko’s work on deficient revolutions and Ukrainian protest movements have made him a sought out left wing voice on Ukrainian politics, including interviews and articles with the Jacobin Magazine, Al Jazeera, and Truthout. Below is an excerpt of an interview with Ischenko by the International Strategic Center for our monthly Progressive Forum.

Progressive ForumInternational Strategy CenterFebruary 24, 2022crisis in Ukraine, Ukraine, Russia

Charting the Future of Korean Social Housing: Insights from the Dutch Example

Let us examine social housing in Korea. The Korean Social Housing Association was founded in 2015, and has supplied 4,389 (3,316 in Seoul, 883 in Gyeonggi-province) housing units in the Seoul metropolitan area as well as the Jeollabuk-do province, and the city of Busan. With cooperatives, schools, small and medium enterprises and non-profit organizations participating, the Association provides social housing appropriate to Korea’s conditions (revitalizing empty homes, collective housing etc.). However, still in its nascent stage, it is financially dependent on local government funding, thus leading to a very low supply. The current data casts doubt over the future sustainability of the Association, and a new direction of improvement must be sought.

How Dutch social housing reached such a high distribution

The Netherlands’social housing started in the 19th century to solve the housing crisis of urban workers. Through the World Wars, the urban housing shortage worsened, and the government supported the establishment of cooperatives to provide workers with social housing. However, unlike Korean public housing, which is limited to low-income households, Dutch social housing was universal, available to everyone. In addition, the Netherlands’ social housing is operated not by the government but by housing associations (80% non-profit, 20% for-profit). Currently, the Netherlands has 2.25 million units of social housing. And in its capital, Amsterdam, nine housing associations under the Amsterdam Federation of Housing Associations own and operate 190,000 housing units.

Is the Korean government really doing all it can for self-employed shopkeepers?

Like the rest of the world, South Korea is also experiencing economic difficulties due to COVID-19. In Korea, resentment among self-employed shopkeepers is increasing. This is because the government's measures for self-employed shopkeepers are not enough while the latter have to bear great financial losses due to the government's social distancing measures. The government’s compensation for the shopkeepers remains paltry and its social distancing measures are sacrificing them again.

Policy ResearchInternational Strategy CenterDecember 31, 2021COVID-19

[December Progressive Forum] How Vaccine Inequity Created Omicron

We invite Fatima Hassan, co-founder and director of Health Justice Initiative and discuss how to dismantle justice inequity and injustice and finally resolve the COVID19 pandemic.

Progressive ForumInternational Strategy CenterDecember 19, 2021COVID19, vaccine, Omicron

[ISC Progressive Forum] Berlin Historic Vote for Housing for All: Referendum Victory to Expropriate and "Socialize" Housing

The ISC, the Yongsan Citizens' Alliance, Justice Party of Seoul, the South Korean Network for Housing Rights and Solidarity for Housing Rights talk with Volkan Sayman (sociologist and researcher with the Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.) about the organizing that achieved the victory, the challenges and tasks ahead, and their vision of social housing.

Progressive ForumInternational Strategy CenterDecember 19, 2021real estate

Korean Feminists Shout “Ni Una Menos” (Not One Less)

Nov. 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The date was first selected in 1981 to honor three sisters who had fought against the Dominican dictatorship. In 2000, it was designated an international day by the UN.

The Case For the Green New Deal: Summary and Reflection of Key Points

As the world braces to deal with global warming, there is much focus on Green New Deals that can stimulate the economy, provide good paying jobs, and transition our economies away from fossil-fuel intensive production and towards sustainable production. Economist, activist, and co-founder of the Jubilee 2000 campaign (to forgive Third World Debt) Ann Pettifor describes how a Green New Deal might be funded by government financing and how it must radically transform our economies to be sustainable and equitable. This information deck summarizes her key ideas as well as critically evaluating them.

The Climate crisis “agenda”, “keeping” is needed

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, ended on November 13. The meeting, which began on October 31 and lasted for about two weeks, was a meeting where countries gathered and discussed how to "keep" the Earth's temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Ahead of the COP26, or during the course of the COP26, agendas on how much carbon emissions should be reduced and how to reduce them were at least mentioned and made the most important headlines.

However, it has only been a week since COP26 ended, and news about the climate crisis is hard to find. However, even at this time, the climate crisis is ongoing everywhere. Then, why does the agenda of the climate crisis disappear without being "keeped"?

International Strategy CenterNovember 25, 2021COP26, Climate crisis

“We Are Chun Tae-il!” - South Korean Workers Struggle Continues

It is a cloudy afternoon on November 13.

A young man steps out into the streets of Seoul, holding a copy of the south Korean labor laws. Gasoline fire consumes his body with every step. With labor movements suffocated by the regime, this is his last declaration against inhuman exploitation.

“We are not machines,” he cries through the flames. “Do not let my death be in vain!”

His name is Chun Tae-il.

International Strategy CenterNovember 25, 2021labor, Jeon Tae-il

A World without Hunger

It is not overpopulation that causes hunger as is often argued, but rather inequality and a profit-driven, agribusiness-dominated food system in which the basic material need for food for hundreds of millions of people – at minimum – is sacrificed to quench the hunger for profit of the few.

[Progressive Forum] Afghanistan: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

On October 7th, at 7pm, the International Strategy Center welcomed Vijay Prashad to the Progressive Forum monthly series. Vijay Prashad -- author, journalist, international solidarity activist, and director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research -- educated and engaged with us about Afghanistan's past, present, and future.

COVID-19 in the Two Koreas

A few countries have done relatively well in responding to COVID-19, and they all approach health care and public health very differently from the United States, even if their economies are capitalist. I focus now on one of those countries that I know best: South Korea. I then move the focus to that other mysterious, noncapitalist country on the same peninsula: North Korea.

Information DeckInternational Strategy CenterOctober 5, 2021COVID-19, South Korea, North Korea

[ISC online event] #Let Cuba Live

On August 22nd, the International Strategy Center held the online event, #LetCubaLive, with Ricardo Huaimachi in attendance. Interested in a more comprehensive understanding of Cuba that goes beyond the distorted mainstream media coverage, we discussed the historical context of the July 11th anti-government demonstration, Cuba's COVID19 response, and the status of Cuban socialism and democracy. The ISC plans on continuing exchanges like this in the future, as well as furthering our solidarity work with Cuba.

Solidarity ActivitiesInternational Strategy CenterAugust 23, 2021Cuba, Cuban revolution

Housing is Devouring Our Homes: Lessons From Abroad

Today, all over the world, housing is devouring our homes. More specifically, the real estate market is converting homes into housing to be sold and speculated at a profit, pricing out tenants, driving out residents, and stripping people of access to dignified and adequate shelter.

International Strategy CenterJuly 22, 2021housing, home, real estate, commodification

As they went ahead, the living now follow!

The lesson here is twofold. The first is that our struggle, wherever we are, is one. All across the world, we fight the same battle against the forces of power and violence that seek to rob us of our freedom and dignity as human beings. The bullets that murdered the Gwangju citizens, and the bullets that today murder Palestinians, are exactly the same down to the millimeter. Racial and sexual discriminations, imperialism, capitalism, are many heads of the same beast. The second is that our memories give us strength. To forget is to give up, and to give up is to fail. Without remembering our yesterday, we cannot organize today, and we cannot win tomorrow.

As a Progressive, I Voted for Biden, Though He’s Not the Answer

Joe Biden was recently elected president of the US. He was elected riding on a wave of anti-Trumpism. Yet, while different from Trump, Biden's political career, rhetoric, and transition team indicate no fundamental shift from Trump's policies. Few progressives and leftists actually expected him to. They still voted and mobilized for him. This article explores: why leftists and progressives mobilized for Biden; what's next when he takes office; and how to form and strengthen an independent US left movement in the process.

International Strategy CenterDecember 4, 2020

14th Seoul Women's Culture Festival

We participated in the annual Seoul Women's Culture Festival, organized by the Seoul Women's Association. This year's 14th festival was co-hosted by the International Strategy Center. This year’s festival theme was sexuality education which has been cited as a fundamental solution to gender discrimination and sexual violence. It was a time to explore and discuss the reality of sexuality education in Korea, examples of overseas sexuality education, and how to move forward toward equality and a safer society for all.

[Survey Report] UN Comprehensive Sexuality Guidelines and Cases from Abroad: Sexuality Education for a Better World

On November 21, the International Strategy Center co-hosted the 14th Seoul Women's Culture Festival with the Seoul Women's Association. The festival was held under the theme of sexuality education, and the ISC’s Research Team compiled the UN comprehensive sexuality education guidelines and investigated and studied overseas sexualisty education cases.

Research PaperInternational Strategy CenterDecember 3, 2020Feminism, SWA, Sexuality Eduction, CSE

[Contents Team] Lecture on 2020 Feminist Debates in Korea

On September 27, the International Strategy Center hosted a lecture on 2020 Feminist Debates in Korea with Ji-Ah Park. She is the head of the Seoul Women’s Association Gender Equality Education Center. The lecture kicked off this year's International Strategy Center feminism study, discussion, knowledge exchange, and event series. Together with the Seoul Women's Association, the International Strategy Center is preparing further lectures, educational opportunities, and festivals in order to work toward our dreams of a society of gender equality, free of discrimination.