Arierang

 

REGION SERVED: Netherlands

YEAR FOUNDED: 1991

IKAA MEMBER SINCE: Founding Member

MISSION

Arierang (아리랑) aims to represent the interests of Korean adoptees living in the Netherlands and their families; in the broadest sense.

Arierang supports research on adult adoptees and the importance of post adoption services on national and international level. Our extended network includes adoption-agencies, Korean companies and government bodies, research and counseling institutes and (inter)national adoptee associations. We also improve the visibility of adoptees in the Netherlands and their specific needs and circumstances by involvement in special art projects and finding media exposure.

HISTORY

Founded in 1991, Arierang has seen approximately about more than 1,000 Korean adoptees through the last 25 years. The first generation of Korean adoptees has reached the 50s and the youngest generation is still in their early childhood. Arierang has struggled with changing of board members many times and still depends on the unpaid volunteering efforts of her members. Furthermore, the financial position depends on the membership fees, donations and gifts. Many Korean adoptees in the Netherlands shared their experiences as a Korean adoptee with each other and made friends for life. Most important is, there is such an association as Arierang where Korean adoptees can meet any time when they want and when they reach that point in their life they start getting interested in discovering their Korean adoptee identity and decide to meet with other Korean adoptees.

PROGRAMS

  • Quarterly meet-ups in a different province each time.
  • Children’s activities take place once or twice a year.
  • New members are welcomed once or twice a year at a special Introduction Day.
  • Adoption related discussions and or movie screenings take place regularly. We try to match up every event with an adoption related discussion or lecture when possible.
  • Sometimes we meet just for fun and go cooking, something sporty or nerdy.
  • Seollal (Korean New Year | 설날) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving | 추석) are celebrated each year, often in collaboration with the Korean Society in the Netherlands.

PUBLICATIONS

  • A beautiful magazine called Uri Shinmun (our newspaper | 우리 신문). The Uri Shinmun team is independent of the Arierang Board to support their objectivity and to prevent censorship.
  • There is also the Arierang newsletter which you can sign up for at our website.
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