Children carry buckets of love for water charity

Swedish skiing icon Anja Parson visited the Yeosu Expo to support kids’ efforts to raise cash for WaterAid this Sunday.The Olympic gold medalist made a speech at the U.N. pavilion and encouraged children to carry buckets of water to raise cash for the international non-governmental organization working to improve access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.At the event, Parson called for people around the world to share knowledge and experience to safeguard cl

May 30, 2012

Drawing contest held for autistic kids

The Autistic Children’s Drawing Contest, organized by the Europe-Korea Foundation, is being held from May 25 to June 3 at Gwanggyo Gallery, Chunggyecheon in Seoul, in order to raise awareness about autism in Korean society. The Europe-Korea Foundation previously organized drawing contests for autistic children back in 2008 and 2011. This year’s is the third contest that the foundation has organized to give autistic students the opportunity to express how they view Korea and Korean values.Almost

May 30, 2012

Angels to ride again for Daejeon charities

A charity motorbike ride is to be held on Saturday to raise cash for underprivileged children. The Daejeon Riders and events magazine Daejeon Access have organized the charity Angel Ride for the past three years to raise cash for local children’s centers. The fourth edition of the event will run from 12-8 p.m. at Seodaejeon Park and will include live music, international food and prizes as well as the motorbike ride. Bands Buzzard Luck, Like a Fox, Hajimama, The Billy Pilgrim Show, Jordan Stewar

May 30, 2012

Students get environmental scholarships

WeLoveU Foundation grants scholarships to encourage green campaignsThe International WeLoveU Foundation awarded scholarships to students from six different nations on May 23 to encourage environmental protection activities at universities around the world.The 10 students from Korea, Bangladesh, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia and the Philippines came to Seoul National University to receive the $500 scholarships. Officials from Korea’s Ministry of Environment as well as foreign dignitaries including Ga

May 30, 2012

Spain honors ‘piano-playing ambassador’

The Spanish Embassy has held a piano recital to honor the memory of Delfin Colome, who was the country’s ambassador to Korea from 2005-2008. He died of liver cancer at the Severance Hospital in Seoul in April 2008 following a year-long fight with the disease. He was aged 61. Colome, who was born in Barcelona, was respected in both politics and music and was known as “the piano-playing ambassador” in Korea.The Homage Piano Recital was performed by Spanish musician Alfonso Gomez at the Ilshin Buil

May 27, 2012

German community donates to single moms

The German-speaking Catholic community of Seoul has donated to support Korean unwed mothers. The community celebrated the Holy First Communion of a group of children on May 6, and the parents followed the tradition of choosing charities to benefit from the offerings made on the day ― opting for two NGOS supporting unwed mothers. They chose to give 700,000 won ($600) raised by the small congregation to the Korean Unwed Mothers Families’ Association and Ae Ran Won.“The motivation for supporting th

May 23, 2012

Human rights laureate tells school kids about his work

A Catholic priest awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has met with Korean schoolkids to talk about his message of spreading “true democracy” in Korean society.Father Mun Jeong-hyeon, who became the first Korean to be awarded the human rights prize on Friday, met with 34 high school students to take part in Korea’s first PeaceJam program. The international PeaceJam Foundation is a peace education and youth leadership training organization of 12 Nobel Peace Laureates, including the Dalai La

May 23, 2012

Animal charity calls for prosecutions on abuse

An animal charity is calling for prosecutions under Korea’s new animal protection law following a spate of highly publicized animal abuse cases. The Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth group is calling on Korea’s Director of Animal Welfare Seo Kyo-Young to take charge on recent cases including dogs being dragged by cars, beaten with metal pipes and axes, and even burned alive.The charity is asking people to sign a petition demanding maximum punishment for animal abuse, as well as writing to Se

May 23, 2012

Korea to help Jakarta on green education

A Korean green schools initiative is set to teach Indonesian kids how to better protect their environment. Student-led environmental group Daejayon signed a pact Wednesday with the education department of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to form a green schools network across the two countries.   Daejayon, which means “great nature” in Korean and has 2,100 members, has been running various campaigns including the Green Schools Initiative in Korea. University student volunteers have been helping

May 23, 2012

Mannam runs marathon, plans island event

Expats and Koreans have joined to run a marathon to support children battling cancer. More than 40 members of the MANNAM International Running Club, or MIRC took part in the Marathon for Child Cancer on May 6, with all proceeds collected from the event being donated to assist children at Seoul Samsung Hospital and Severance Hospital.The event started in Jamwon in Seoul and was hosted by Seoul Citizen Marathon Competition to Help Cancer Children. The run to support child cancer patients was the f

May 16, 2012

Second charity CLASH music night

A second CLASH music event in Seoul aims to unite Korean and expat communities for charity once again.“CLASH ― Two worlds collide for the greater good” was created with the purpose of bringing together not only two different communities, but also two different musical styles. The second edition of the event is being held to provide support to the Nabi (Butterfly) Fund. Created by victims of Japanese military sexual slavery Kim Bok-dong and Gil Won-ok in coordination with the Korean Council for t

May 16, 2012

Gyeonggi animal shelter trip Saturday

An animal charity is to take volunteers to help out at an animal shelter this Saturday. Those attending the shelter trip organized by the Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth will meet at 10:30 a.m. at Gangbyeon Subway Station Exit 4. The group will then make the hour-and-a-half bus journey together to the shelter. There are about 250 dogs and about 50 cats being cared for at the facility in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Visitors will help clean, care for and walk the pets before returning to Seo

May 16, 2012

Korea hosts Big Fairtrade Breakfast

About 3,000 people enjoyed a Big Fairtrade Breakfast in Seoul this weekend, in a bid to promote fairer prices for food producers in developing countries. The diners enjoyed food at the Gwanggyo gallery by the Cheonggyecheon on May 12, after about 70,000 people visited the Fairtrade picture exhibition which ran from May 7-13. It is the third year that the breakfast event has been held in Korea, as part of the international celebrations of World Fairtrade Day, held on the second Saturday of May ea

May 16, 2012

Japanese NGO teaching children life lessons

Japanese teacher Takamori Takuya is worried about his country’s students, as well as about South Korean kids.“In the last seven years the suicide rate of children in Japan has been steadily increasing,” said Takamori, who founded Japanese children’s NGO Futokoro to help tackle the problem.“The reason the crime rate and suicide rate is so high is because these students don’t value the meaning of life.” According to Japan’s National Police Agency, there were 30,651 deaths from suicide in the coun

May 16, 2012

Danish princess visits Korean unwed moms

Crown Princess Mary talks about social inclusion on trip to SeoulShe has supported projects to combat prejudice in her own country, and now the Danish Crown Princess has visited unwed mothers and their children in Seoul. Princess Mary took time out of her hectic schedule to visit members of the Korean Unwed Mothers and Family Association during the state visit with her husband Crown Prince Frederik from May 10-15. Mary and Frederik have four young children of their own, and the princess has long

May 16, 2012

True stories to help migrants

A Seoul storytelling event is to raise cash to help migrant workers. The Axis Seoul group is hosting a night true stories, with all proceeds going to support a new program providing medical care for foreign workers here. The initiative is being run in association with the Soonchunhyang University Hospital International Clinic. All stories will be told live on the theme of “Outrageous Fortune” at the event being held at Pier 8 bar near Itaewon’s Cheil BuildingPrevious Axis events have raised cash

May 9, 2012