Jeongtae Kim of South Korea penned the second runner-up, Microwork-based Social Publishing for Empowerment, an idea on how to distribute specialized translation work for children’s books. The donor-funded model would boost parallel development in the areas of job creation, cultural reach, and child literacy. However, it would task workers to translate an entire book at a time, which is beyond the scope of microwork.

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http://www.ideasproject.com/docs/DOC-8938

To access the idea page,
http://www.ideasproject.com/ideas/16809 
 

My University Years

Being a university student was very meaningful to me, as I had many opportunities to broaden my horizons and create a new path for me to follow. So it might be worth elaborating on how I spent my university years according to the following five categories.

Travelling : experience to widen my points of view

It was amazing for me that there was a vacation every six months. At least once a year, I packed my backpack and went outside of my own world to embark for uncharted waters. Through this 'navigation', I have been to Japan ,China, Turkey, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the U.S. and Thailand. Due to these trips, I was able to set myself life-long goal. They revealed unknown prejudices I had, and gave me a new way to see this world in its proper perspective. I found that the knowledge I had about this world was distorted, and it felt as if I had grown up in a hothouse. Every time I visited each country, these thoughts were reinforced, and eventually I was inspired to dream that I would work for international organizations(NGO) which try to improve this world.

Leadership and Relationship : experience to nourish my spirit

Going to college in Seoul, I had many chances to mingle with friends from all over Korea. With them, I felt my spirit becoming more nourished. In addition to meeting classmates of the same major, and to experience a more vivid college life, I enrolled in a couple of clubs, one of which was 'CCC', the largest Christian student organization in the world. After army service in 2001, I was appointed as the president of 'Seoul Northern Area CCC' , which consists of seven universities, whose members numbered more than three hundred. This opportunity gave me an insight on how to manage, implement plans, and preside over the business of the organization.

Being involved with many activities and clubs, I formed supporting communities and made many new friends, including mentors, one of whom is 'Yoo Eun Hwa', who went to Iraq as a human shield to protest against the War. Whenever I feel lost and powerless, they always give me lasting inspiration and encouragement. Personally, I believe the relationships I have are much more important and valuable than my accomplishments, when seen from a life-long point of view.

Studying Abroad : experience to deepen understanding of two countries

The more I studied, the more attracted I was to the thought of studying abroad before I got a job. Thinking of foreign cultural experience as essential to work for an international job, I first decided to go to China. China is one of the countries we must pay a lot of attention to, because her every step can have an effect on Korea's future. Having lived in Beijing and studied Chinese at Qing Hwa University for one year, I slowly became aware of both the sad history she had in the past and the powerful potential she has for the future. This realization led me to decide that China would be a life-long subject of study, regardless of my ultimate career.

After coming back to Korea in 2003, I got up enough nerve to leave for the U.S., even though almost two years had passed since I graduated from university. English being an important method to communicate with people from all around the world, I did my best to improve my English. As well as taking regular classes at Baruch College four days a week, I participated in the International Center of Newyork, where I took classes concerning international affairs. I don't regret having spent nineteen months overseas before entering graduate school because I believe this experience will pay off.

Being a Would-be Reporter : experience to sharpen my pencil

I once considered studying journalism after graduation because I both love writing and believe it can help foster a better society if put to good use. Thinking that way, I tried to get a taste for what it would be like to be a reporter, and luckily I had a chance to work for a publishing company as an intern six months before I graduated. There, I learned how to write ariticles, interview people, proofread texts, and so on. When books, newspapers and magazines were published with my contribution, I was extremely happy and satisfied. I realized how enthusiastic I was when I wrote. Although I had to quit this job due to going to China, the company appointed me as the Beijing correspondent of 'Newspower.co.kr'.

The chance of a lifetime came to me when SARS was about to prevail across the nation. When things went from bad to worse, many Korean students fled to Korea. However, I decided to risk staying behind because I felt the Chinese goverment seemed to hide the truth from the people. At the time, the goverment did not confirm that SARS was prevailing in Beijing, nor give further information. Consequently, major media correspondents, who relied on such official sources, could not exactly point out what was going on underneath the surface of the city. Maximizing my networking there, I tried to write articles mirroring the voices and concerns of the people in general, not the goverment. And I sent them to both 'Ohmynews.com' and 'Newspower.co.kr', the result of which was greater than I expected.

This experience let me see the possibility of "NGO Journalist" in my career. In addition, I am negotiating with a publishing company to publish my book concerning "How to Prepare for Going into the Army: From the Perspective of A Christian".

Special Activities and Skills : experience to upgrade myself

One of my better characteristics is my love of gaining new skills and knowledge. So I made efforts to acquire as many those things as I could, four of which follow:

Firstly, being interested in foreign languages, I obtained four official certificates: TOEIC(score 945), JLPT(Japanese Language Proficiency Test : level 3), HSK(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi : level 7), and HANJA-Literary Proficiency(level 3). I will continue to improve my linguistic abilities.

Secondly, I minored in Lifelong Education while majoring in history. This included a one-month internship at the 'Korean Efficiency Association', where I assisted in implementing several lifelong education classes. As a result, by the time I graduated, I had obtained a certificate of 'Lifelong Education Facilitator(level 2)', which was goverment-issued. I believe in the near future, people will be more likely to pay attention to lifelong education classes after graduation, because the need for self-improvement grows over time. After I have learned lots of things about NGO, or International Affairs, I hope to create such lifelong education courses.

Thirdly, I studied one-year at the 'NGO Jisang-Youngsang College ' organized by both the Graduate School of NGO Stuides at Sungkonghoe University(GSNGO) and FES(the Friedrich -Ebert-Stiftung), which is a German non-profit private educational institution. Not only did I successfully graduate, but I also built basic knowledge about NGO.

Lastly, I was one of the founders of 'PEACE KOREA U.C.' in 2003, which aimed at promoting the ideal of peace among university students. I served as deputy-chief of the International Cooperation Department. Even though I did not know much about 'peace' and our idealistic trial turned out to be a failure, being with members encouraged me to study about 'peace studies' Some day, I hope to fulfill this desire.

Why I Want to Enter GSIS

I am really eager to enter GSIS, because I believe GSIS will be an incubator in which my small desire can grow. My dream made me choose GSIS as the incubator. I am interested in NGO, and am willing to spend the rest of my life doing such a job. As U.N. Secretary General Kofi A. Annan said, "This 21c will be the times of NGO". I agree with his remark because many problems, such as war, starvation, AIDS, racial conflict, global warming, environmental crisis, and so on, are of such magnitude and global consequence that the efforts of a solitary country could never be capable of solving them. It is really becoming a global village.

Here comes the important role of NGO. In the course of my university years, I came to the conclusion that this world is heading for more an unstable situation, and it is worth working for NGO, which tries to make this world worth living in. That's why I want to enter GSIS. I expect GSIS to enlighten me on the way to go.

The Field I Want to Study

What I want to study in GSIS is International Cooperation because my goal is focused on non-profit organizations. I think it is important to know a lot about international affairs before getting involved in such activities. Without knowledge, we can not make a difference. This is because through a precise understanding of what is going on underneath the surface of the world, we are able to prescribe the best solution for each 'illness' that plagues the world. During my seminary years, I will pay much attention to Internatinal Politices, International Business according to GSIS's curricula, as well as International Cooperation.

There are several critical fields that I must take into consideration during the course of my seminary studies. Those fields will supplement what I am going to study, International Cooperation. What I am going to be taught, by itself, will not give me the chance to make a difference. My goal is to learn within a paradigm of my own creation, concentrating on the following fields :

History

Having majored in History at College, I will be able to place what I am going to learn into a broader historical context. This is because everything happens for a reason, and if we look back to the history of the world, we may get to know how to deal with each problem. Looking back at history is like seeing the whole woods rather than each tree, and the importance of it will grow because many problems are interrelated. I want to apply what I learned in History to what I am going to study. In order to fullfill this desire, I will resume reading a variety of historical books.

Life-long Education

Being interested in Life-long Education, especially adult education, and being a 'Lifelong Education Facilitator' who can plan, implement, evaluate and even teach informative programs, I want to maxmize what I am going to learn in GSIS. This is because what I learn is reinforced when I teach it. I hope to make a website concerning International Cooperation for those who are interested. When I discovered that there are innumberable high school students who want to major in International Studies, I was surprised and inspired to think about ways to help them. In order to fullfill this desire, first I will seek those who have the same desire.

Journalism

Liking to write and wanting to be a NGO Journalist, I want to test whether or not this is actually possible. I want to volunteer to work as an intern for an organization to assist in public relations, while taking classes in GSIS. Also, I dream that some day a magazine will appear, whose main contents regard opportunities to make differences both in our society and in this world. Using my experience assisting in publishing a nation-wide student monthly newspaper at college, I want to publish magazines on a regular basis. In addition to this, I will continue to practice how to write articles as if I were a NGO worker, because many NGOs working under dangerous situations are required to inform people of their activities properly.
 

China

Asian countries have already shown dynamic developments and the possibility of a better future. China, especially, is rapidly starting to shine a huge light on the world in terms of both her economic size and political voice. In decades to come, China, I think, will be one of the most powerful nations in the world. Being located right next to China, and being increasingly dependant upon trade with China, Korea must be ready for the day. However, there are many advantages, such as cultural similarities, geographic Location and linguistic approximation. Using what I had experienced in China for a year, I will spend my spare time learning more about China to be personally prepared. I plan to visit there every summer or winter to improve my Chinese skills and get deeply involved in what China is. That GSIS has a good exchange program with Peking University in the summer is one of the reasons for me to apply for GSIS.

Peace Study

This world is growing more unstable, and the importacne of fostering the concept of peace is increading. When I was a university student, I got to be interested in autobiographies of famous peace figures, including Martin Lurther King Jr's "I Have A Dream", and Gandhi's "My Experiment With The Truth". Afterwards, I decided to study more about what they did. Even though GSIS is not a specialist place to study about peace, I think that while I am learning International Affairs, I would like to view it through the spectrum of the peace movement, and see if each subject fostered the concept of peace. Yoo Eun Hwa, promised me that she is willing to help me as a mentor.

Networking and Internship

One of the reasons that I prefer to enroll in GSIS rather than studying overseas is that I want to build strong relationships among Korean people who are in the same boat. NGO's business is accomplished not by a single person, but by a group of people. So, it is necessary to learn how to collaborate with other people and organize the network of fellow workers before starting real jobs. While studying in GSIS, I want to strengthen the relationships that I am going to have at school. In addition, I would like to apply for a U.N. internship, as well as summer programs and internship opportunities that GSIS and other organizations offer.

Plans after Graduation

My personal dream is to become an expert working for NGOs in Asia that seeks to improve people's needs. My career goals will concern Peace Study , Human Resource Development(in view of Adult Education) and Asian Development. So, after graduation, there are two possible paths to take. One is to continue my study applying for a Doctorate program, whether in Korea or overseas. But, I am not sure at this moment if I will continue my studies after graduation. My two-year course will show me whether to study more or not. The other is to get a job related to what I learn. The latter is probably more realistic, because I am going to seek an intern opportunity while studying in GSIS, which will lead me to realize what it is like to work for NGOs so that I may decide which sort of career to pursue.