Shirley's Newsroom

Tough to love: trials of a volunteer

By Shirley Han Ying

Thirty-nine-year-old Ron Fowler, an English teacher from the United States, has spent the last eight years in Korea focused on helping orphans. His critics, however, say he is also focused on himself, with one accusing him of being narcissistic and even delusional.

Fowler first came to Korea in 1985 as a U.S. serviceman. After he was discharged from the military in 1990, he returned to the United States to continue his studies, but was back in Korea three years later.

Fowler told The Korea Herald he started his volunteer work with an orphanage in the Gangnam area of Seoul. "These children obviously needed help."

And by chance, it was a hobby that inspired Fowler to begin raising awareness of the problems and provide the help that was so badly needed.

"A few years ago, I did a cross-country hike from Seoul to Busan. The local people loved the idea of a foreigner hiking across Korea. After that I started long-distance walking to raise awareness of the orphanage system." Fowler said.

But there was an unexpected side-effect. "When you start to raise awareness about the orphanage system, you begin to raise awareness about yourself. People began contacting me. They wanted to help. I started to become the contact point (between them and the orphanage)," said Fowler. Fowler established a volunteer network, Y-Heesun Volunteer Support Group, mainly consisting of English-speaking foreigners to visit orphans. With time, the group was regularly visiting some 20 orphanages in Korea.

The growth of the group also increased awareness of the orphanage system and the contribution volunteers could make. The group now has some 3,000 members on its e-mail list.

The term "orphan" in Korea doesn't only apply to children who have lost their parents in accidents. Divorce and financial difficulties have long been a major cause for children being placed in the orphanage system.

The orphanage system in Korea not only provides a refuge for children who have been abandoned or who have lost their parents, it is also a business that often provides a lucrative income for orphanage operators, foster services and adoption agencies.

Fowler has authored a plan to reduce the number of children in care and transform the orphanage system, which he claims is "profit oriented" from being dependent upon keeping children in the system to support money-making enterprises.

To ensure the best possible care for the children, Fowler also proposed a retirement plan for the operators of orphanages who were 60 years old or older. He told The Korea Herald that some orphanages were being run by people in their 80s and even 90s - obviously not a satisfactory situation.

"The key to keeping these children at home and to prevent them entering the system in the first place is to provide more options to the parent. A basic cost of living allowance, educational costs, financial and parental advisers as well as neighborhood 'babysitting' and other childcare programs should be implemented."

On his website, Fowler says: "Single parents might otherwise keep their children at home if their personal situations were slightly improved. In many cases children are taken to an orphanage with the promise of being returned home when the financial situation improves. However, very few of these children ever leave the orphanage because finances rarely increase and the cost of living most certainly increases." He added: "Reform means the number of the children in the system needs to be cut by at least 80 percent, that means increasing the number of adoptions within Korea, getting more families to keep the children at home. It means taking the children out of the system."

Through his work with the government, Fowler said the perception towards adoption in Korea has already begun to change. There are fewer children actually coming into the system, and more children are actually going home or finding new ones here in Korea.

However, Fowler told The Korea Herald that while some of his suggestions are being implemented, there has also been a downside related to his volunteer work and that not everyone is happy with his efforts. Fewer children in the system will hurt the bottom line of those who rely on the orphans for a living, and disappoint childless couples seeking to adopt.

"Many of the new policies about orphanages that have been initiated by the government were first suggested by me," Fowler said, "but although I have received no official credit, I am facing a backlash."

Fowler told the Korea Herald that he is being persecuted by certain government and private agencies that believe their interests have been hurt by his actions, and even said he has evidence that his computer and website have been hacked. Former volunteers and other individuals have attacked Fowler, accusing him of being a control freak who rejects any form of criticism. Fowler says his critics are not seeing the big picture.

The bottom line, according to Fowler, is that if his proposals for reform are successful then many people who are making money from these children, including orphanage operators and adoption agencies, are likely to be put out of business.

"One orphanage I worked with was willing to arrange private adoptions. And adopting privately saves people tens of thousands of dollars rather than going through the agencies," he said.

Some agencies who offer Korean children for adoption overseas charge as much as $100,000 in fees. Fowler said the vicious attacks on him seriously affected his relationship with the orphanage operator, but he is confident the relationship is durable and will endure.

The attacks on him and those close to him have had a negative impact on his volunteer work, he said. "What I want to do is just help the orphans in Korea, and I hope these people can leave me alone."



Pictures:
Left: Volunteer plays with a child at an orphanage. [Shirley Han Ying/The Korea Herald]
Right: Ron Fowler [Shirley Han Ying/The Korea Herald]

Finding hope in the midst of chaos

By Shirley Han Ying

"I think a lot of people, they don't understand the immensity of what's going on there (in Iraq). I don't think they understand how hard people are working to make a country," said Bob Hildreth, an English-language teacher who left the security of Seoul to teach mature students at Camp Slayer located in a former Iraqi government palace near Baghdad airport.

Bob had been teaching English in Korea since 1995. He is married to a Korean woman, Catherine, who is also an English teacher and hails from Busan. About four months ago, however, Bob made the decision to go and teach English in Iraq, leaving his wife and two dogs in Seoul.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, Bob's wife said: "I think I saw him struggling with this decision for more than two months. But I just gave him the full right to choose what he wants to do. Even though we're married, I can't stop my spouse doing what he wants to do or wants to be.

So I said if this is what you need to do, what makes you happy, you have to pursue it." Even with the strong support of his wife, it was still a tough choice for Bob to make. He said the first thing that attracted him to go to Iraq was the money, but what tipped the decision was the adventure.

"There was a training period based in the States. Just before we got on the plane to fly to Iraq, there was a colonel that came in. We've been training, we were so tired, but he said something that always stuck with me. He said, 'you guys are about to be part of history in the making. That's something that not many people ever get a chance to do in their life.' He said to enjoy that and take advantage of that," said Bob.

"On a daily basis," Bob said, "I drive pass Uday Hussein's former palace, I was in Al Faw Palace, and was able to sit in a throne Saddam Hussein used to sit in. I was in Baghdad when Hussein was sentenced. That was a moment I'll never forget. It was amazing to see these Iraqis just going 'Yes!' They were so excited. So yes, it was an adventure."

The size of the class Bob teaches on average is about 12 students, with ages ranging from 25 to 70 years old. The life experience of Iraqi students obviously is very different from the students in developed countries such as Korea. Bob hasn't stopped being amazed by the Iraqi students' motivation and dedication to study.

"The first day I was in class, I was calling the roll. I'm going, okay, name, name, and I get this one guy's name and I say his name. And one of the other students says, 'Oh sorry, professor, he's been kidnapped.' I was going, 'Hmmm... I've taught all over the world and never had a student kidnapped. I wonder if that is an excuse.'

Well, about a week and a half to two weeks later, this guy comes walking in with a cast, he got a cast up here because his leg has been broken and his foot has been broken by the insurgents that kidnapped him. His ribs, he has been tied to a ceiling fan, they beat his ribs and kidney so bad that they didn't think he's going to survive. So these are all wrapped up. He is on medication. He came in and grabbed my hand and pulled me next to him, kissed me on the cheek and said, 'Sorry, professor, I'm late, let's start.' These are the guys who we have got to make this work for," said Bob, his voice betraying his emotion.

Bob also said this particular Iraqi student would drive 170 kilometers and walk up three flights of stairs to come to class, and walk down three flights of stairs for a break, and then come back to finish class.

Bob continues: "They are risking their lives to be there. In the class, every Iraqi student I had will speak, they will talk. They don't have a problem with saying things."

Bob had another student who one day got a phone call in the morning during the class break. Then he hung up and stayed completely focused on the class. The student was completely on track and was doing the conversation drills and everything Bob asked him to do. As the class was about to finish, this student got another call and turned around and said something in Arabic. The other students told Bob that in the morning phone call, the student had been told that his 4-year-old niece had been kidnapped on the streets of Baghdad, and in the afternoon phone call, she was found, safe, unharmed.

"It's not about the fact that his niece is kidnapped, but the fact that this guy stays focused, this guy would not let that interfere (because) he knew he had a mission, he knew what he had to do and he was doing it. And 99.9 percent of Iraqis are that way."

Maybe it is just this kind of strong dedication makes some Iraqis lean toward extremism. Sectarian attacks continue in Baghdad despite the execution of Saddam Hussein. But Bob said he saw a turning point in the Iraqi people.

He told The Korea Herald: "I interviewed a 60-year-old Iraqi man. First question I asked him: 'Are you a Sunni or a Shiite?' He said, 'I'm Iraqi and I'm Muslim.' So I looked at another teacher with me, and he looked at me. 'Maybe you don't understand, I said are you a Sunni or Shiite?' He said, 'I'm Muslim.' To me this is where people begin to change. I have Sunni, Shiite and Christian all in my class. They are all best friends."

Bob is doing a six-day workweek, 10 hours a day. The security where Bob is staying is very tight. He told us that on a daily basis, he needed to go through three checkpoints to get to work and three or four depending on the day to get back his accommodation. The place he is living in, what he calls a hutch, is a 10-by-10 square inside a trailer. Outside, there are 15- or 20-foot solid concrete walls. Bob said despite the tough conditions he functions very well in Iraq.

According to Bob, there have been 14,000 students in the school because of what the multinational forces are doing. There are also four orphanages that they work with. There are three different medical centers staffed only by American doctors. The Korean military has built five highways where there was only desert before. They have also created 72 deep wells, six sewage systems, two village parks, 10 clinics, 49 schools and five town halls in Iraq.

"We are not in Baghdad for weapons of mass destruction. We either got lied to or got bad intelligence or whatever. The bottom line is now we are in there. We'd better finish that job because those people are depending on it. I'm not going to be the guy, the last guy going on an airplane and saying, 'My students are getting killed because we were too chicken to finish the job.' I'm not going to do that." By now, tears were welling in Bob's eyes.

His wife has been very supportive of his work in Iraq. "Every month I sent him cookies to share with his coworkers and students and everybody. I send him e-cards every morning. I think he is doing a great job there. I'm really proud of him. I tell him every day. It's like a big support, some one is thinking about him at home."

Bob plans to stay in Iraq for several years. He also suggested establishing an Iraqi-American Friendship Association. He said: "I want to see my students get up on their feet and be successful. I want see the violence that is happening stop. I want see something finished that I started."


Visit http://findthegood.blogspot.com/ for more information about Bob's life and work in Iraq. - Ed.

Pictures:
Left: Bob Hildreth and wife Catherine [Shirley Han Ying/The Korea Herald]
Right: Football in Iraq [Courtesy of Bob Hildreth]

Panama Canal expansion offers greater opportunities

By Shirley Han Ying

The Panamanian congress recently approved a $5 billion plan to widen the Panama Canal. In a national referendum on the Panama Canal expansion in October, 78 percent of the electorate voted for expansion.

The details and background to the plan were revealed to journalists at a small and informal get together at the home of Panamanian Ambassador Daniel Abrego Echeverria.

Opened in 1914, the Panama Canal provides access to 140 maritime routes with destinations in over 80 countries, directly participating in 5 percent of world trade. However it can only handle ships carrying up to 4,000 containers, known as Panamax vessels.

According to the Fairplay Ship Register, an estimated 600 vessels are larger than Panamax limitations, amounting to approximately 10% of the world's active mercantile fleet.

To increase the Canal's capacity and capture more of the growing tonnage that demands an increased level of service, and maintain it's competitiveness as a shipping route, the project will create an entirely new lane of transit along the Canal through the construction of a new set of locks.

The ambassador's son, Daniel Abrego Davila, CEO of the Regional Office for Asia Pacific of ADIMEX Holdings, talked journalists through the plan with a detailed multi-media presentation, although he was frequently interrupted by questions concerning the feasibility of the project in addition to queries addressing life in Panama, in keeping with the informal nature of the gathering.

One lock complex will be located on the Pacific side to the southwest of the existing Miraflores Locks. The other complex will be located to the east of the existing Gatun Locks. The construction is expected to be completed by 2015 and the expansion will double canal capacity.

With the Panama Canal's main advantage - its geographical location - plus a friendly investment environment, the project has already attracted the attention of construction companies from China and Japan.

The project offers great opportunities for investors, Davila said. "The economic benefits of the expansion will not only come from direct income generated by the waterway, but also from the entire range of services and interrelated activities, which includes ports, logistics services, Colon Duty Free Zone economic activity, tourism, the airport and merchant marine service, legal and financial services, insurance services and telecommunications."

Panama is also rich in hydroelectric energy sources. Currently, the country has 12 hydroelectric projects under development, which will represent an investment of $680 million over the next few years. "There are still more than eight potential sites that haven't been developed and are waiting for concession requests," Davila said.

There are also two possible gas routes from Panama to Costa Rica, and two possible routes for a gas pipeline from Colombia to Panama.

Located along the Panama Canal, the land and facilities at Panama's Pacifico Special Economic Area (formerly the U.S. Howard Air Force Base) have an outstanding potential for business.

These areas comprise a total of 360,000 acres of prime quality real estate most of which are available to private investors for the next four years.

A pleasant evening of cheese, wine and power-point finished with a lively discussion about all things Panamanian, and a number of off topic subjects, including the ambassador's fondness for large motorcycles!



Pictures: Part of Panama Cannel (Courtesy Panama Embassy to Seoul)

Can the ceasefire hold in the Holy Land?

By Shirley Han Ying

Yet another Israeli/Palestinian ceasefire in Gaza went into effect last month. Palestinian armed factions agreed to stop their military activity and reinstate a truce reached in Egypt last year, while Israel in turn has agreed to halt military operations in the coastal strip. Given the fact that ceasefires between Israel and the Palestinians have come and gone in the past, will this latest one hold, and will it bring new hopes to the peace process in the Middle East?

“This is a very (fragile) ceasefire,” Israeli Ambassador to Seoul Yigal Caspi said in an interview with The Korea Herald, “In a way, I see it more as both sides are holding their fire. But there are some factions among the Palestinians that continue to shoot rockets. It’s true they are falling in remote areas in the desert. The Israeli government says we are willing to absolve them and do nothing, because we prefer that the ceasefire will continue, maybe there will be something like a momentum building that we could keep it.”

The latest ceasefire came after a telephone call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. According to Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin, Abbas said in the telephone call that he had arrived at an agreement with all Palestinian factions to stop all violence against Israel from Gaza.

Ambassador Caspi told The Korea Herald, “I think that after one year of violence, the Palestinians, including Hamas, understand that it’s impossible to continue the violence. They suffered as much as we suffered, and they suffered much more in the deterioration of their economy. Also at a certain point there will be an election and the people will remember who caused this damage. So I think they understood they had to do something to quiet down this situation. And this is what happened.” He added, “There are a lot of things behind the scenes which we don’t know. So the only thing we can do is pray is that this will continue. The Palestinians will understand that to reach the next stage we have to use political negotiation, because violence will lead to nothing. Israel never accepted to make a compromise under pressure of violence. We can always compromise in fair negotiations. We are really hopeful, but we are very cautious.”

Meanwhile, the recent demonstrations in Beirut by Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group with a strong presence in the southern part of Lebanon, could lead to a civil war or a new government that is close to Iran and Syria. Neither of the consequences will be in favor of Israel.

Ambassador Caspi said, “If the Hezbollah continue their demonstrations - but keep it to demonstrations, we see demonstrations in Seoul everyday - then it is acceptable in a democracy. Our only interest in Lebanon is to keep the border quiet. Keep the Hezbollah far from the boundary, from the border, not to have any friction with them. We don’t want to fight Lebanon. We have the border with Lebanon. So we only wish Lebanon to pass the crisis peacefully and together we can go to the next phase.”

Intense fighting did break out, however, in July of 2006. More than a thousand civilians were killed and nearly six thousand were injured during the war, mostly on the Lebanese side. Israel’s conduct in the war has been criticized by international and respected human rights group.

Ambassador Caspi responded the criticism by saying he thought the criticism was unjust, “I think a lot of the criticism was about our alleged disproportionate use of force. However, I think the majority of the country recognized our right to act as we did to the attack by the Hezbollah. It was an unprovoked attack by Hezbollah. They went into Israel, kidnapped two soldiers and took them. And then for one month, almost one month, they showered Israel with more than 100 rockets a day, hitting Israeli civilians. I don’t know any other government who would act differently. So I know there was criticism, but we believe that we were just and we did the right thing. We believe that after a certain amount of time the criticism will disappear.”

Former US president Jimmy Carter, who brokered the first ever peace agreement between Israel and an Arab country, Egypt, has recently published a book highly critical of Israel and its policies towards the Palestinians. Ambassador Caspi has not read the book, but had some strong opinions on the contents which have received wide publicity.

“About four years ago, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon came to the public and said ‘I want a two states solution, Israeli state, Palestinian state, side by side.’ You would expect the Palestinians who didn’t have any state in the past to jump on his proposal, ‘Okay! Let’s talk!’ however, what we saw was constant violence between Israelis and Palestinians since the year 2000.”

He added, “I know Israel is not completely we make mistakesw" we did things that might have been done differently. But you cannot accuse Israel or Israeli leaders of not offering the hand of peace. It was Prime Minister Begin who signed the peace with Egypt, Prime Minister Rabin recognized the PLO, and Prime Minister Sharon who said I am willing to have a two states solution. Even Prime Minister Olmert said he was following that. He said for peace he was very willing to be forthcoming in compromise. So we are really waiting for them to make the bold move on that.”

Moving on to the current situation in Iraq, Caspi said, “We would like a stable Iraq, it is now a mess. But it is the people of Iraq who should do the job of resolving it. People from outside can’t come in and tell them what to do, they have to do it themselves, the different sects have to do it otherwise they will disintegrate and they only have themselves to blame.”

Caspi said the only way forward is for people to learn to live with each other, “We hope they will come to their senses and realize that their future is living together, neither one of these different communities will disappear. Neither will evaporate, they have to live together in this big country. The same as we do in Israel. There are 5.5 million Jews and 1 million Arabs and we live together. Because we realized that if you don’t live together you kill each other.”

Iran is also once again becoming the focus of attention in the region with Teheran’s defiant stand on its right to a nuclear energy program which many fear will lead to Iran developing nuclear weapons.

Israel has long been assumed to have its own nuclear arsenal - and this was further reinforced by remarks made earlier this month by Prime Minister Olmert. Israel’s alleged possession of a nuclear capability has often been cited as a excuse by other countries in the region for their interest in acquiring nuclear weapons.

The Korea Herald asked the ambassador if Israel’s perceived possession of weapons of mass destruction made it more difficult, if not impossible, for the international community to force countries such as Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions?

“Israel’s policy on this issue is very clear and it has never changed,” Caspi told The Korea Herald, apparently denying claims that Israel possessed any nuclear deterrent, “Israel will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.”

Israel, the ambassador said, supports the ideas and proposals for a nuclear free Middle East, if they include all the countries in the region, including Iran, and if the verification and inspection methods are acceptable to Israel.

“Israel has never threatened to use nuclear weapons, and has never threatened to wipe any country from the map,” he said.

“This is the total opposite behavior of Iran, which is making efforts to acquire nuclear capabilities. At every possible opportunity, their leaders declare their wish to eliminate Israel from the map, deny the Holocaust, and support terror organizations that are fighting Israel, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”

Ambassador Caspi said Israel has no fight or territorial disputes with Iran. “We fail to understand why we can have peace treaties with Arab countries like Egypt and Jordan, and agreements with the Palestinians, while at the same time, Iran continues to threaten us.”



Picture: Israeli Ambassador to Seoul Yigal Caspi