Reflections on providing aid in North Korea and other authoritarian settings

SPEAKER: Christy Gavitt

DATE: Tuesday. October 24, 2023. 7:30PM (Seoul)

VENUE: KOTE in Insa-dong (Insadong-gil 7, Jongno-gu, Seoul)

ADMISSION (Online & In-person): Free for Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)

• If you would like to attend online Zoom, please RSVP by October 23 (Monday). We will email you the link on Tuesday.
• To attend in-person, RSVP is not required.

SUMMARY:

Increasingly, international non-governmental organization (NGOs) provide humanitarian aid in countries with authoritarian governments. NGOs must ensure that the most vulnerable receive the allocated aid while concurrently liaising and coordinating with government entities who may not prioritize the needs of their at-risk populations by diverting funding or commodities to members of the military, influential entities, etc.

Despite these obstacles, NGOs should make every effort to ensure that they can be physically present in the country during the project life. The benefits to be gained by both the NGOs and project beneficiaries can potentially exceed the obstacles experienced.

During a six-month period in 1998 and 1999, the presenter was employed by a consortium of five US NGOs.  She conducted project assessments and monitored the distribution of US food commodities through 152 food-for-work projects throughout North Korea targeting flood- damaged public works projects. This job entailed repeated contact with as many as 300 North Korean senior officials.

The presenter will discuss her experiences during the North Korean consultancy and lessons learned.

VENUE: Online Zoom & In-person