UCLA LiNK
What We Do and How We Do It
The mission of Liberty in North Korea at UCLA is to raise awareness about the human rights violations in North Korea and to be the forerunners for change by instilling urgency and empowerment in individuals to bring North Korean refugees to freedom, safety, and increased opportunities. We accomplish this in three ways:
1. By changing the narrative: To mobilize support for the successful aiding of refugees, we must shift the public’s focus on North Korea from its “politics” to its people. By directing the UCLA community’s focus on North Korean politics to North Korea’s rigid socioeconomic hierarchy, social discrimination, sexual abuse, and rampant poverty that the North Korean people face in their everyday lives, we can and will accelerate groundbreaking change.
2. Raising funds for refugee rescue missions: The most tangible way to support an oppressed North Korean individual seeking to escape the regime is to physically rescue him or her from the government’s grasp and transport them to a safe location, which costs $3000. We raise funds through fundraisers throughout the year and deposit a one-time amount to the LiNK headquarters at the end of the term.
3. Through Linking Minds: We aim to empower North Korean refugees to pursue higher education, advance their careers, and engage in meaningful cultural exchange through regular communication and exchange with the UCLA community.