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BWM Newsletter #1, February 10, 2013

prepared by Sung Suh, professor at PUST and Director of R&D Center at PUST

Dear Friends and Supporters of Brighter World Movement (BWM):
Shalom!
One day prior to entering into PUST (Pyong Yang University of Science & Technology) for a
semester of teaching at PUST, last spring, 2012, I was told at an orientation meeting that the
electrical power supply at PUST was less than an hour a day and getting progressively worse. I
was totally dumbfounded to hear that and I wondered what would the power situation at the
other parts of the country be like when the power supply was so bad even at a university such as
PUST?

And I began to wonder what I could do to help those needy students and families residing in the
countryside. I made a decision to help them out by launching Brighter World Movement (BWM
www.Brighterworldmovement.org.), not only for those North Korean families but also in the
long run, for those who need lights around the world. The light for studying, for working and for
living or for whatever.. provide with the lights inexpensively. Like many others have realized
already, I immediately thought that the solar powered lamp is the answer to satisfy the needs. Its
now been almost a year since I dreamed of starting BWM.

Upon returning to the U.S.A. for a summer vacation in June, Ive
prepared a power point which tells the stories of BWM; did research as
to why solar lamps and who makes them inexpensively, reliably and
sturdily; plans for raising the funds; plans for how to use it to help
those who need lights; plans for providing needy with the lights easily
and inexpensively.

Ive told BWM stories to friends and families at homes, at churches, and restaurants, whenever
and wherever there was an opportunity and I sent out emails as well. Ive included in my talks
how serious the power situation was in North Korea as an example.

Many friends, church members and others supported the cause and ideas
of BWM. Some donated to purchased one lamp, many 10 and some 100
lamps; in total, the funds to purchase more than 2,700 solar lamps were
raised (each costs about $10 per unit from dlightdesign) during 2-months
of my summer vacation of 2012.

I would like to extend my thanks again to all those who generously
donated the money and time, practicing Love Thy Neighbors as well as
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to those who showed their continued interests in helping needy children and families in North
Korea and around the world.
Upon returning to PUST for the fall semester in September, 2012, I initially thought to purchase
and to bring in 1,000 units of solar lamps from dlightdesign Co. in Palo Alto, U.S.A. However, I
realized that I was not sure, first of all, how I could bring them to PUST without causing trouble
remember that the university is in a city which is located in a tightly controlled and isolated
country. Furthermore, even more importantly, I was not sure if I could deliver those lamps to the
needy in the countryside outside the city of Pyong Yang. Mind you that I was never allowed to
leave the PUST campus without a minder following me around during the entire spring semester!
Therefore, I decided to bring in only 500 lamps as a
trial and to see how the initial attempt to bring them
in and to distribute them to the children would work
out. So, I ordered 100 of S1 model and 400 of S10
model lamps, respectively, from dlightdesign Co. (See
pictures of S2 and S20 model, respectively). To my
pleasant surprise, I was able to receive those lamps in
three weeks from the date of order and was able to
store them in a temporary warehouse at PUST R&D Center (See the Pictures of the lamps arrival
at PUST). The pick-up and delivery of the lamps from Pyong Yang International airport was done
with the help of foreign affairs department at PUST-i.e.,
the department which is in charge of minders
operation.
To be honest, I was rather excited upon the delivery of
lamps without much trouble at all and with all the
necessary cooperation extended by the minders
department! Remember that they are assigned to
watch us over, not so much of extending any help to
us. And because it meant that the major hurdle of bringing in those lamps were executed with a
flying color. By the way, to top it off, I didnt even have to pay for any import duty for the lamps,
since I have pre-applied for a custom duty exemption document.
To my great disappointment, about this time I was told that any products brought into PUST
without paying the custom duty are not allowed to be removed from the campus; I suddenly
realized that the second hurdle was even bigger problem than the first and thought that the
lamps could be stuck at PUST, not going anywhere.
In other words, the lamps couldnt be sent to those elementary school children desperately
needing them unless I came up with a way out. Ive actively engaged in seeking a solution to this
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issue in-between my lecture schedules. Ive talked to the vice president of N. Korean-side, my
counterpart; I met and pleaded with the president of N. Korean-side as well asking for a solution
to this issue.
In about a weeks time from the delivery of the lamps to PUST, while I was agonizing about the
way of getting the lamps out of to those childrens hands, out of the blue an encouraging signal
came from an unexpected corner; that is, a proposal
came from N. Korean vice present if I would allow
sending 100+ lamps to temples in the mountainous
region; an idea struck me that this proposal might be a
door opener to other possibilities; I promptly agreed to
send the lamps to the temples. I assumed, of course,
those temples wont have any electricity anyway, being
located in deep mountains.
A team of people from National Heritage Preservation Association showed up to pick up the
lamps: they thanked me profusely and sent me a few
pictures demonstrating how the monks were making a
perfect use of those lamps around the temples; monks
reading the Buddhist scriptures under the lights as well
as lighting huge prayer rooms (See Pictures from the
temples: Pictures; the pictures shown is one of the largest
temple in Korean peninsula).
Within a week or so, I was allowed to send another 100+ lamps to an elementary school; shortly
thereafter, another 100+ to a middle school in the
countryside, respectively (See Pictures below). I gifted the
rest of the lamps to each of PUST faculty members, and
also to 30 of North Korean staff members (See pictures that
students and professors using the lamps in PUST lecture
rooms; Pictures #4-1; 4-2; 4-3; at PUST cafeteria and on
campus roadways; Pictures #5-1; 5-2; 5-3; also a happy girl
with the lamp: Pictures #6-1; 6-2). I was quite happy at this
point and able to breathe easily seeing that our first lamp
delivery overcame major hurdles, including those restrictions
imposed by unknowable regulations and was properly
disposed of to those people weve initially targeted.
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The long term plan
for BWM is to
develop PUSTs
own solar lamp
design, hopefully
one of the best in
the world, and
assemble them on
campus as a part of student training project. N. Korean side was in fact very enthusiastic about
the idea of on-campus assembly, and promised a full support for the project. Since many of the
parts needed for the lamps assembly are not available from/in N. Korea, one of the key tasks is
the sourcing of those parts from China: a quite useful experience to gain by the students, I would
say.
The cost of producing our own lamps would be
probably less than half of that of imports from China;
for example, the transportation cost alone is $2.20 per
lamp out of $10.00, total delivered cost to PUST. This
means that at least the double quantity of lamps could
be provided with the same amounts of funds available
for the project.
In summary, we are pleased to report that we are witnessing the small steps we have taken
through BWM projects begin to yield intended crops;
we ask for your continuing supports and prayers for
the success of these efforts.
Let there be light, and there was light (Genesis 1:3).
We are dreaming of a dream for many Einsteins
being born and many Steven Jobs being trained
under the BWM solar lamps.
**BWM is one of the Special Projects of ACEF (Asia Culture & Education Foundation). ACEF is
a non-profit organization; its website is:
www.Brighterworldmovement.org.
**If you are interested in PUST, please contact ACEF;
we will send you a DVD which introduces PUST in
detail. PUST urgently needs professors as well as
research workers at its R&D center.