Writing Feedback / We are bombarded with news every day, ranging from the frivolous to the catastrophic - serious issue [3]

We are bombarded with news every day, ranging from the frivolous to the catastrophic. Take one current national or international issue and explain why it is important to you.

Years of working as a volunteer at House of Sharing has made "Comfort Women" become the most important issue to me, and it also helped me form my character and perspectives. House of Sharing is a home for former comfort women who were forced into becoming sexual slaves of Japamese imperial army during World War Ⅱ. I encountered this problem while attending middle school in Canada, and I was just mad at Japan's attitude towards history. I vaguely thought that Japan should apologize to grandmothers, and to Korea. However, attending high school, I realized that comfort women issue was not just a problem between Korea and Japan, but a problem of universal human rights. As a woman myself, this became a very important matter to me. Also, the grandmothers have been recently invited to the White House in US, which shows that 'comfort women' have become a universal issue.

With years of volunteering and contemplating about this issue, I could form an attitude towards my fields of interest. I joined a school club called 'Nanum(sharing)', and did my best to introduce this problem to my school friends. At first, it was not easy to raise my voice in public places, but I was motivated by the courageous grandmothers who didn't stop to give testimony, and kept trying to receive formal apologies from Japan. Determined to be of help to the grandmothers, I could engage myself thoroghly in various events for comfort women. In my sophomore year, I was nominated the leader of this club, and I planned numerous events within school. The most worthwhile moment was to see my fellow students participate in sharing and learning the pain of grandmothers through campaigns and fundraisings I planned. But presenting this, I could also learn to speak out with a critical mind, and realize the importance of making people aware of the problem that I became aware of. Also, I could develop a serving nature by working for the grandmothers for nothing. Donating all the profits from fundraising gave me a genuine pleasure, and I realized that sharing with others brought me a pure joy.

Also, In order to introduce 'comfort women' issue to many people confidently, I believed that I must have a thorough knowledge of comfort women, so with my club members, I studied the 'comfort women' system, and how they endured tough lives.

I feel responsible in resolving this issue for the grandmothers, and I am happy that international society, including US, are now paying attention to the issue of comfort women. As a member of future generation, I hope to give sincere apology and consolation to the comfort women survivors, who is now like my own grandmother to me. Even if they cannot receive a formal apology from the Japanese government, I believe that securing their side and endeavouring with them is what I can do as a student. The "comfort women" issue became the most important matter to me; I will keep exerting myself to give grandmothers a true comfort.