Q1. Please introduce yourself briefly!
A. Hello! I am Shin Yu-rim, who joined as a volunteer this March. My dream is to build a society where differences do not lead to discrimination and every human being is welcomed.
Q2. Please tell us why you joined MAP and what you do.
A. A few years ago I developed a personal interest in migration and refugee issues, and I also had the chance to work at a related nonprofit. But I felt regret that the knowledge and experience I had gained stayed at an abstract level. While thinking that I wanted to go to a place where I could interact directly with the people concerned, I learned about the “Human Library” run by MAP.
The “Dialogue with Refugees (DR)” team, the new name of the “Human Library,” creates a space for dialogue where refugees and citizens, who live together in the same society whether they realise it or not, can gather and interact. As a coordinator, I help run the “Dialogue with Refugees” events and take on the role of letting more people know about “Dialogue with Refugees”! I am excited to think that from May we will be visiting various schools, organisations and institutions in earnest~
Q3. What do you think our society needs most now in order to become a better society?
A. I think we need “peace of mind.” Rather than driving ourselves without a clear purpose, if we look carefully into our own hearts and become more generous when dealing with others, I wonder whether the tension and cynicism spread throughout modern society might lessen.
Q4. What gives you small but certain happiness?
A. The first is taking a nap with my cat. A warm cat is no different from a fast-acting sleeping pill. The second is listening to my favourite music. These days I listen to songs by a singer called “Zior Park” all the time. I cannot go often, but I also like visiting good restaurants. A cup of coffee that suits my taste exactly, or a bowl of food, melts away all my stress.
Q5. Is there anything you have never done before but would like to try in order to discover yourself?
A. I would like to go on an unplanned trip (with only accommodation and transport arranged)! I have always gone on trips after calculating the route, the places and even the food for each day weeks in advance, and I recently realised that I get stressed whenever the plans go wrong. I became curious about what kind of enjoyment might arise if I followed impulse and intuition, so I would like to take a trip where I just set off without any plans or advance research!
Q6. Finally, what “change” do you want to bring about through your work at MAP?
A. Personally, I want to use my time at MAP as an occasion to discover what I lack and to fill it in. At the same time, I want to create an environment in which more people, including me, can experience communicating directly with the diverse individuals within the refugee community, instead of seeing refugees only as a superficial group. Shall we start by getting the DR team’s Instagram followers into the hundreds? @dialogue_with_refugees We would appreciate your interest and support! 😊
