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315 pages
5 hours
Building bridges: Towards a peaceful future in North Korea
By
David Alton
and
Rob Chidley
---
About this ebook
How much do you know about North Korea? Depending on whom you ask, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is an international laughing-stock, a terrifying nuclear-powered war machine, or a humanitarian crisis of nightmarish proportion. For David Alton, the DPRK is Asia's tragic and prodigal son, long overdue 'coming in from the cold' and returning to the embrace of the international community. The obstacles are gigantic and the record of human suffering is almost beyond description, yet there is still hope for a better future, if only the political and military powers have the courage to seize it.
In this book, David Alton and Rob Chidley paint a practical and compassionate picture of North Korea, from the earliest history to the tragic division and right up to the present day. In doing so, they present a North Korea that we can understand, approach, and reach out to with a glimmer of hope.
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Format: Book
Publisher: Lion Books
===Publisher: Lion Books
Building Bridges: Is There Hope for North Korea? Paperback – 1 June 2013
by David Dalton (Author), Rob Chidley (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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How much do you know about North Korea? Depending on whom you ask, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is an international laughing-stock, a terrifying nuclear-powered war machine, or a humanitarian crisis of nightmarish proportion. For David Alton, the DPRK is Asia's tragic and prodigal son, long overdue 'coming in from the cold' and returning to the embrace of the international community. The obstacles are gigantic and the record of human suffering is almost beyond description, yet there is still hope for a better future - if only the political and military powers have the courage to seize it. In this book, David Alton and Rob Chidley paint a practical and compassionate picture of North Korea, from the earliest history to the tragic division and right up to the present day. In doing so, they present a North Korea that we can understand, approach, and reach out to with a glimmer of hope.
----
240 pages
Product description
Review
"David Alton has visited North Korea several times, questioned and challenged its leadership, learned about the terrible record of its prison camps, its tortures, its induced famines over the course of sixty years, and met many witnesses to the extraordinary survival of faith, generosity of spirit and forgiveness in [one of] the darkest places on earth. That evidence inspires him to believe there are ways out of this human hell. This is a book about brutality on a global scale. But it is also a book about hope." -- Baroness Shirley Williams
“A fascinating and eminently readable account of Korean history.” -- David Steel – Lord Steel of Aikwood
“Building Bridges is destined to be the `go-to’ book on the world’s most secretive nation. It is gripping, authoritative and accessible.” -- Danny Smith, Jubilee Campaign
About the Author
Lord Alton has had a distinguished career as a campaigning MP, both in the Commons and now in the House of Lords. He helped found the All-Party Street Children Group, the Movement for Christian Democracy, Jubilee Campaign and the All Party Parliamentary Committee on North Korea. He has written books on a range of ethical and human rights issues.
Product details
Publisher : Lion Books; New edition (1 June 2013)
Language : English
Paperback : 240 pages
4.5 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
Top reviews from other countries
Fran
5.0 out of 5 stars The least dry potentially dry book ever
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 28 June 2013
Verified Purchase
I felt bad for knowing so little about North Korea past and present. I decided that, although I don't usually read non-fiction books like this, expecting to find them history-heavy and fact-heavy, I would make an effort and stop being such a lightweight. I'm really glad I did. The book is so well-written with an easy style, notable for its clarity, and with many stories, examples and details used to illustrate the points made about what needs to happen if North Korea is ever going to make its way out of its current isolated position in world affairs. Many of those stories and details are disturbing - I did not know about the labour camps or the extent of the poverty and human rights abuses. On the other hand, the book outlines signs of hope of which I was equally unaware, and I will certainly keep a much closer eye on the news. The glossary is enormously helpful and there are ideas for further reading. An excellent, informative and surprisingly engaging read.
3 people found this helpfulReport abuse
F M. CULLEN-SKOWRONSKI
5.0 out of 5 stars Build bridges, not wallsReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 26 May 2013
Verified Purchase
Lord Alton insists in this book that there can be healing for North Korea, that there can be reunification between North and South, that the starving children of North Korea can be fed, that the 200,000 Korean gulag prisoners can be released, and that we all need to wake up and do our bit to make these things happen, for the sake of the courageous North Korean people and for the world. This book equips its readers with the facts they need to know in order to play their part. The harrowing evidence of the torture inflicted on child gulag prisoners, the descriptions of the constant hunger of those both in and outside the gulags,the clear descriptions of the signs of hope and the fascinating comparisons with other seemingly hopeless situations that were transformed (including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the USSR, the end of Apartheid)should make every reader pick up a pen or a smartphone or a computer mouse and start lobbying MPs and supporting organizations that stand up for and give practical help to the suffering people of North Korea. Don't imagine you can take 5 minutes to dip into this book. Once you open it, you will put everything else on hold. It rushes along at a great pace, drawing you into the history and character of a country you probably knew nothing about before. Read more at www.davidalton.net
Read less
11 people found this helpfulReport abuse
JackH
5.0 out of 5 stars Building Bridges: Is there hope for North Korea? A ReviewReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 10 July 2013
Verified Purchase
Building Bridges: Is there hope for North Korea is an absolutely fascinating and readable insight into the past, present and potential future for North Korea. In addition to providing a comprehensive analysis of the current situation, this book also offers direct and often bold practical measures into how the International Community can re-engage with North Korea. Lord Alton has been working on this issue for over a decade and what separates this book from others is the immensely interesting personal insight into the North Korean leadership and Korean people themselves. This shines through and is therefore more than just a well developed book on the situation in North Korea - it is in fact a unique manual offering suggestions for future change highlighting in particular the power of hope and Christianity to influence change and build a new society.
This book will lead and influence for years to come. For those who are interested in how policymakers may seek to change a regime which is responsible for some of the most barbaric abuses of state power and suffering of its own people in our World today should look to this book.
4 people found this helpfulReport abuse
Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars There is hope for North KoreaReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 22 February 2014
Verified Purchase
David Alton and Rob Chidley demonstrate lucidly and incisively why there is hope for North Korea. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand better the reasons behind the current parlous state of the North Korean economy and society as well as the path of hope leading to peace and reconciliation with the South. Where to begin with the process? Lord Alton says with a combination of head and heart - to build bridges not walls but never to shy away from addressing the hard questions in particular about human rights atrocities and the continuing oppression of the people of the DPRK by their own government. Very readable with many useful sources for further information, further reading and ways to get involved.
3 people found this helpfulReport abuse
kevin cobb
3.0 out of 5 stars . a.Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 5 May 2015
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.a.
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Verified Purchase
I felt bad for knowing so little about North Korea past and present. I decided that, although I don't usually read non-fiction books like this, expecting to find them history-heavy and fact-heavy, I would make an effort and stop being such a lightweight. I'm really glad I did. The book is so well-written with an easy style, notable for its clarity, and with many stories, examples and details used to illustrate the points made about what needs to happen if North Korea is ever going to make its way out of its current isolated position in world affairs. Many of those stories and details are disturbing - I did not know about the labour camps or the extent of the poverty and human rights abuses. On the other hand, the book outlines signs of hope of which I was equally unaware, and I will certainly keep a much closer eye on the news. The glossary is enormously helpful and there are ideas for further reading. An excellent, informative and surprisingly engaging read.
3 people found this helpfulReport abuse
F M. CULLEN-SKOWRONSKI
5.0 out of 5 stars Build bridges, not wallsReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 26 May 2013
Verified Purchase
Lord Alton insists in this book that there can be healing for North Korea, that there can be reunification between North and South, that the starving children of North Korea can be fed, that the 200,000 Korean gulag prisoners can be released, and that we all need to wake up and do our bit to make these things happen, for the sake of the courageous North Korean people and for the world. This book equips its readers with the facts they need to know in order to play their part. The harrowing evidence of the torture inflicted on child gulag prisoners, the descriptions of the constant hunger of those both in and outside the gulags,the clear descriptions of the signs of hope and the fascinating comparisons with other seemingly hopeless situations that were transformed (including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the USSR, the end of Apartheid)should make every reader pick up a pen or a smartphone or a computer mouse and start lobbying MPs and supporting organizations that stand up for and give practical help to the suffering people of North Korea. Don't imagine you can take 5 minutes to dip into this book. Once you open it, you will put everything else on hold. It rushes along at a great pace, drawing you into the history and character of a country you probably knew nothing about before. Read more at www.davidalton.net
Read less
11 people found this helpfulReport abuse
JackH
5.0 out of 5 stars Building Bridges: Is there hope for North Korea? A ReviewReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 10 July 2013
Verified Purchase
Building Bridges: Is there hope for North Korea is an absolutely fascinating and readable insight into the past, present and potential future for North Korea. In addition to providing a comprehensive analysis of the current situation, this book also offers direct and often bold practical measures into how the International Community can re-engage with North Korea. Lord Alton has been working on this issue for over a decade and what separates this book from others is the immensely interesting personal insight into the North Korean leadership and Korean people themselves. This shines through and is therefore more than just a well developed book on the situation in North Korea - it is in fact a unique manual offering suggestions for future change highlighting in particular the power of hope and Christianity to influence change and build a new society.
This book will lead and influence for years to come. For those who are interested in how policymakers may seek to change a regime which is responsible for some of the most barbaric abuses of state power and suffering of its own people in our World today should look to this book.
4 people found this helpfulReport abuse
Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars There is hope for North KoreaReviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 22 February 2014
Verified Purchase
David Alton and Rob Chidley demonstrate lucidly and incisively why there is hope for North Korea. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand better the reasons behind the current parlous state of the North Korean economy and society as well as the path of hope leading to peace and reconciliation with the South. Where to begin with the process? Lord Alton says with a combination of head and heart - to build bridges not walls but never to shy away from addressing the hard questions in particular about human rights atrocities and the continuing oppression of the people of the DPRK by their own government. Very readable with many useful sources for further information, further reading and ways to get involved.
3 people found this helpfulReport abuse
kevin cobb
3.0 out of 5 stars . a.Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 5 May 2015
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Joseph Spuckler
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Building Bridges: Is there hope for North Korea? by David Alton and Rob Chidley is a study of North Korea and world. David Alton is a former teacher and a long time British politician, life peer baron, and member of the House of Lords. Originally a member of the Liberal Democrats, he left the party over their pro-choice position. Alton is an outspoken supporter of human rights and has been appointed to two Roman Catholic orders of chivalry. Rob Chidley, also a former teacher, and former wrote for the British office of Habitat for Humanity and has authored the novel The Third Tribe.
North Korea has been receiving more than its fair share of attention lately. The world's only family communist dynasty is now in its third generation and not slowing down in its rhetoric. Still technically still at war with South Korea, it now has nuclear weapons and the capability to launch them beyond their borders. North Korea has the disastrous mix of one of the world's largest army and one of the poorest economies. It is the text book example of a rouge nation.
The problem has been how to deal with North Korea. America is not a viable party in peaceful debate. North Korean leadership has indoctrinated the public to believing America is the force of evil. School children attacked and beat effigies of Americans as a popular recess game. South Korea is seen merely as a pawn of America. The authors introduce a new dimension to the mix: Christianity. South Korea has a sizable Christian population, but in the North, Christianity is effectively outlawed. It is seen as a connection to America and South Korea and although freedom of religion is guaranteed in North Korea, Christianity is seen as treason.
Another topic is food. Food cannot be used as a weapon because it only causes the poorest to suffer more and allows the ruling government to blame those imposing the sanctions. Sanctions, often portrayed as a humanitarian option to war, usually always fail. US sanctions in Cuba probably did more to prop up Castro than bring any change. In other countries sanctions had a devastating effect on the people and little effect on those in power. Food should never be used as a weapon; as a weapon it has failed miserably in North Korea, only adding to the deaths.
China needs to be a major player in the the region. Finished with exporting Marxism/Maoism, China finds itself growing in world prestige and power. China however has attached itself to North Korea half a century ago and cannot find a way to break the bond. It has a policy of mandatory deportation for all North Koreans crossing the border. China has this policy to keep itself from being flooded by refugees, but all the deported refugees are sent to prison camps or die before they get there. China no longer unconditionally supports North Korea any more which is further isolating the country.
The authors suggest something like the Helsinki Accords for North Korea. The Helsinki Accords were a declaration between thirty-five European states, the United States, and Canada to reduce tensions between the the West and the Communist Bloc. The authors support this type of thinking for North Korea. South Korea has repeatedly tried to better relations, and some times they were successful. China and the US (under Clinton) have tried also. The problem with a Helsinki-like solution is that when it was tried in 1975 many people in the Eastern Bloc remembered freedom and the pre-Soviet era. Eastern Europe was also bombarded with the Voice of America and even shortwave BBC. The people knew what western life was and many wanted it. In North Korea, no one remembers living in an open society, and very, very few listen into South Korean radio. There is no outside influence to North Korean life; many people believe that they have a higher standard of living than most of the world because that is what they are told. Opening North Korea would expose the regime for what it is and that will not happen under the current government. The people in Eastern Europe knew they lived under tyranny and wanted to end it. There are no visible cracks in the North Korean regime and no popular dissent among the people. A Helsinki type accord would probably only add legitimacy to the regime and human rights abuses.
It is easy to poke holes into other people's theories and ideas, but what are the options. Invasion is not the answer. No matter how much you think you are liberating a people, they will still see you as invaders as the US found out in Iraq. Aid in exchange for stopping the nuclear program did not work. South Korea's olive branches usually end up broken. North Korea is something unique; it is a non-rational player in the world. There can be no reasoning with the regime. It is like trying to talk with a delusion paranoid.
Building Bridges does several things right. First, it provides a detailed history of the Korean peninsula, rather than starting at the end of World War II. Secondly, it includes the Christian tradition in the Koreas; something that is usually not thought of in a Far Eastern country without Western colonization. Third, they offer new ideas on the Korean situation. Lastly, and most importantly, they remind the reader that million of innocent people are victims of some of the worst human rights violations. People, particularity Americans, forget that countries are not just governments, but other people-- men, women, children, families. Solutions to international problems must also reflect the impact on the people. Starving a country with a blockade or sanctions is generally as well received as an open invasion. I fully support the authors compassion and their Christian ideals. I appreciate the fact they bring new ideas to the table, but unless there is an improbable change in the regimes thinking or equally improbable popular uprising, I fear there will be no meaningful solution the the Korean question for some time. The authors know this is a difficult problem and it is reflected in the title. It is easier to build walls than bridges; the authors chose the more difficult path. Building Bridges offers a refreshing change form the usual solutions of military power and sanctions. I would recommend it to anyone interested in North Korea or current foreign affairs.
The reviewer hold a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX
british
political-science
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Helen Murray
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September 26, 2013
As someone who has an interest in North Korea but not much of a grasp of either history or politics, I needed a book that would explain things clearly and simply and 'Building Bridges' does just that. It provides detail when necessary and offers well-thought out and sensitive insights into the current tensions and possible paths to resolution.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a greater understanding of this fascinating and enigmatic country.
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