Religion in Asia - Buddhism with Venerable Pomnyun

Co-Sponsored by USKI-SAIS and Good Friends

Tuesday, September 15
5:30PM Reception; 6:00PM Program

Location:
Johns Hopkins University - SAIS
Kenney Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.
(Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle)

Event Description:
Venerable Pomnyun will discuss the role of Buddhism in Asia, and the role religion played in fueling his work on North Korean human rights and refugees. This event is co-sponsored by the Dean's Office at JHU-SAIS, Good Friends, and Sejong Society.

About the Speaker:
Ven. Pomnyun has been Zen master of Jungto Society since 1988 and he is concurrently the chairman of three separate sub-organizations, The Good Friends for Peace, Human Rights and Refugee Issues; The Joint Together Society (JTS) for eradication of poverty in third world countries; and the Peace Foundation.
Being shocked at North Korea’s famine during his visit to the Chinese border in 1996, he began his movement for North Koreans. He established Good Friends in Dec. 1996, starting a supply program of nourishment flour for 11,000 children in North Korea in 1997. Afterwards, he sought to defend the human rights of North Korean food refugees in China.

The Peace Foundation is focused on peace in the Korean peninsula and its unification. From 1997 to 2004, he visited U.S. Department of State, U.S. Congress, U.S. Press, Korean Correspondents, Korean Embassy and leaders of Korean society to appeal humanitarian assistance to North Korea. He also made separate visits to U.S. from 2005 to 2007 to resolve the nuclear crisis in North Korea and to influence peace on the Korean peninsula.

In recognition of his efforts to promote peace and human rights, Ven. Pomnyun won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in Sept 2002.