Earth Day Online Youth Discussion
April 24, 2021 3PM EDT
To commemorate International Mother Earth Day, International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) will be hosting an online discussion on the topic of reforestation. Joining us on April 24, 2021 will be a guest speaker who has on the ground experience with tree planting in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) where severe deforestation has led to natural disasters affecting towns and communities. Join us for a chance to learn about the importance of including the care of our natural environment as we develop as nations and ask questions in the online chat! The livestream will be on our facebook event page and you can read more about our guest speaker below.
Guest Speaker
Dr. Seung Ho Lee
Dr. Seung-ho Lee is an expert in environmental management, critical thinking in governance and education, and the U.S. federalism and international relations. Dr. Lee was Senior Researcher and Adjunct Professor at New York University (NYU) Graduate School of Public Service. At NYU, he managed research related to the United Nations environment programs and taught students and government officials from China, Russia, and Eastern Europe on environment and information management and critical thinking in governance. He also worked for the New York State Legislative Commission on Critical Transportation Choices. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Albany.
Dr. Lee is the President of The DMZ Forum, Inc., a US-registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, founded in New York in 1997, that aims to preserve globally unique biological and cultural resources of the Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) as a “sanctuary” for peace and nature. He has promoted “Green the Conflict Movement” to turn the Korean DMZ into a UNESCO World Heritage Site and designate the area linking Mt. Keumgang in North Korea, the DMZ, and Mt. Seorak in South Korea a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. He conducted joint on-site research on such rare species as tigers, leopards, Asiatic Black Bears, red-crowned cranes and white-naped cranes in and near the DMZ. He also has worked on establishing a monument in the middle of the DMZ honoring all the dead during the Korean War resembling the Gettysburg National Monument in the United States.
Dr. Lee has helped plant thousands of tree saplings on many North Korean hills and mountains in dire conditions. He visited Sepodeungpan, Anbyon Plain, Wonsan Songdowon, and Masikryong Ski Resort and met with high-ranking North Korean officials to help them establish more tree nursery farms and agro-forestry facilities. His media interviews related to the Korean DMZ and North Korea have appeared in Science Magazine, Stars and Stripes, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, KBS, MBC, MBN, Japan Times, etc. He and his wife, Stacy Lee, have three children—Rachael Lee, Ryan Lee and Raymond Lee.