Nodutdol for Korean Community Development
Seung Hye Suh, YOng Jun Choe, Eunhy Kim, Co-Founders
Nodutdol for Korean Community Development is a nonprofit organization promoting the “empowerment and unity of the Korean people through community development and grassroots organizing.” The word Nodutdol come from the Korean language and has multiple meanings; stepping stone; home, opening, entryway; bridging; love and longing in separation, reunification.” True to its name, Nodutdol’s goal is to “bridge the divisions of war, nation, gender, class, language, and generation” by building permanent progressive institutions in the Korean community. With a global perspective the analyzes “the impact of imperialism, patriarchy, heterosexism, racism, and capitalism,: Nodutdol also seeks “’to build solidarity between Koreans and the struggles of other People of Color and workers as part of the larger movement for progressive social change.”
Nodutdol was launched in 1999 to bring together the Korean community and to raise awareness about the struggle of the Korean people for self-determination. Nodutdol now has three program areas and over forty volunteer organizers. The Community Education Program runs a youth leadership projects, several adult language classes and is working to establish a community-based school for local immigrant families. In conjunction with Colombia-Presbyterian Hospital, the Community Health Program is conducting a health needs assessment in the Korean community and plans to establish “a caring community health clinic” for low-income undocumented immigrant workers. The Korea Solidarity Program organizes local film festivals, community forums, and other educational activities, as well as annual delegations to both south and north Korea to raise awareness and build solidarity with social justice struggles around the world.