Report from Korea |
A Multi-faceted Approach
to Advancing the Merciful Diet
By the Seoul and Busan News Groups (Originally in Korean)
[Seoul/Busan] After receiving Master's instructions to promote Her "Alternative Living" flyer, Korean initiates immediately set about printing 970,000 copies, which they distributed around Korea through a variety of means in two months.
During the Lunar New Year season, some initiates distributed the leaflets to people on their way home for the holidays in train stations and express bus terminals. While others are continuing to hand out the flyers on their way home from work and around their hometowns on a daily basis.
In Busan, local initiates spoke with an officer from the Korea Highway Corporation about distributing the flyers at highway toll gates, and after learning that the contents of the flyers were non-commercial and simply promoted respect for life, the officer happily granted his permission.
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Alternative Living" and "Vegetarian Nobel Laureates and Scientists" were posted in 250 subway vehicles |
Also, initiates involved in online sales placed copies of the leaflet in the mail order packages they shipped, practitioners who are teachers put the leaflet on their schools' bulletin boards, and sisters who are housewives handed out the flyers at shopping malls and exhibition sites, and organized themselves into groups to take turns in daily distribution at metro stations.
While disseminating the flyers the sisters and brothers have had many pleasant experiences. For example, children love the cute animal pictures on the flyers and adults respond favorably to their fresh, loving message, with some inquiring about the group responsible for producing the materials and seeking more information about Master and the Quan Yin Method. So the initiates have begun distributing sample booklets along with the pamphlets to such individuals.
Another effective communication tool the initiates have used is the Internet, where they have loaded the "Alternative Living" image onto homepages, blogs and online communities, and even introduced the contents to the bulletins of Blue House, the executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea, and of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
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Moreover, thanks to initiates' brilliant idea of using the back side of the flyer to present a list of "Vegetarian Nobel Laureates and Scientists," this information was printed on the reverse side to appeal to the Korean people, who place great emphasis on children's education. For example, Ms. Park Seo-Young, president of the Yook Young Foundation and daughter of an ex-president of Korea, saw the "Alternative Living" flyer, found it to be very informative and said she would distribute it to about 600 children from her Foundation, which began the Children's Center in Seoul in 1970.
Besides, on January 26, a group of Seoul sisters and brothers went to
downtown Seoul to spread Master's teachings on "Alternative
Living" at a vegetarian-related gathering. They put up many large
banners explaining various reasons for becoming a vegetarian, along with
posters featuring "Vegetarian Nobel Laureates and Scientists"
and the "Alternative Living." The sisters and brothers also
offered abundant, delicious dishes containing soy meats to the public
so that meat eaters could experience an alternative to their standard
diet. Some of the recipients thought the food was real meat, but after
discovering that it was made of soybeans, they were surprised and enjoyed
it very much. For instance, one gentleman said, "I like a vegetarian
diet, but sometimes I eat meat to get protein." Then after learning
that soy protein was sufficient to meet his nutritional needs he realized
it was very good for him.
Other comments by the recipients included these by a local businesswoman:
"I thought it was real chicken. It's so tasty that people
will like it very much. Meat is no good because of high cholesterol. This
is the best because it's protein from soybeans. This is a really
good deed you're doing. Thank you for taking the initiative to do
it. I have a shop in Yongsan Station with huge human traffic. I invite
you to come to my shop to advertise these good foods to people. This is
really good for our health."
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Initiates performing in cute animal costumes attract many passersby. |
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As "Alternative Living" is an ongoing project, the Seoul Center purchased cute costumes of a dog, pig, chicken and cow and initiates wore them to attract passersby, who loved the animal characters, approached them to say "Halo" and thus naturally became interested in the vegetarian campaign. The initiates wearing the costumes also gave public talks about why people should be vegetarian and carried out a performance depicting the suffering of animals and why one should be vegetarian.
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Children happily pose for pictures with the animal characters. |
Additionally, due to Master's wonderful arrangement, a Mongolian sister-initiate who happens to be a famous singer was visiting Seoul and sang many songs in English and Mongolian during the initiates' campaign. The music made the atmosphere extremely cheerful and attracted many people who thus became more interested in the "Alternative Living" ideal.
In conclusion, Korean initiates have come up with a wide variety of
ways to distribute Master's "Alternative Living" flyers
on the importance of the vegetarian lifestyle and are continuing to work
diligently and joyfully, knowing they are helping to foster the ideal
of equally valuing all forms of life.
