When the urban poor participate in protests and rallies, some think they are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers. But people don't realize their need to be pro-active to see results. As the aphorism goes, the greasy wheel gets the oil. But it goes way beyond raising consciousness and making opinions heard. Speaking up against injustices is a necessity because, without action, the disenfranchised suffer the most and the perpetrators usually enjoy impunity. Community organizing allows the marginalized to assert their rights and empowers them to rise above their social status. Community organizers equip them to assume a more powerful role than what society would usually allow.

It is even more encouraging to know that LOCOA's work has raised CO leaders from Asian countries and is continuously growing. Grassroots organizing faces enormous challenges. But even with each minor victory, at least in this part of the world, we can see inequality crumble one brick at a time.

Human rights do not belong to only one classification; it is related to an entire social issues. Therefore, the all different fields of our society need to realize that Human Right Based Approach (HRBA) has great meaning, not only as social movement, but also as general implications.

It is very pleasing to see the webzine, pass over the limitations of a specified group using a ‘human rights’ slogan as well as express the effort of HRBA in social movements trying to make a just society.

I dearly wish this webzine will assist people to understand the importance of HRBA and to communicate the most pertinent information leading to the right direction in society, especially in the field of social movement.

I would like to congratulate BASPIA on their well-designed, informative and user-friendly webzine, Silk Road of Human Rights.

Silk Road of Human Rights is a true reflection of BASPIA co-founders, Dae-gyo Seo and Hae-young Lee, two very dedicated and focused humanitarians, whom I've known for more than two years.

When I originally met Dae-gyo and Hae-young during the summer of 2005, they were still trying to find their feet and asking many questions as to how they could implement their human rights vision in a practical way. By honing their skills with a human rights-based approach (HRBA) they have spread their wings and grown into a reputable, strong NGO that walks the talk.

The two well-rounded articles, "Community Organizing - Not Simply Work But A Way of Life" and "Being A Women's Rights Advocate In China", published in the September 2007 edition of the webzine are commendable. It is clear that a lot of research and thought went into the pieces before printed.

In the article on community organizing Maria Fides states that South Korean philantropic culture is growing stronger and developing a broader understanding in its current role with its Asian neighbors. BASPIA is an NGO that has recognised this need since their founding days and have to my knowledge built up a strong network with needy communities in adjacent states.

Reading about Wang Yi's activities in the article "Being A Women's Rights Activist in China" one realizes that women in minority sub-groups deserve all the attention and help they can get. The questions posed enforce the fact that human interactions arise not from the motives of people dealing with each other as individuals, but from the motives of groups dealing with other groups - in this case, the male gender dominating the female gender.

Extracting quotes in bold from both articles is a good idea which serves a two-fold purpose. They reinforce the importance of justice and equality in all societies and will draw hasty Internet readers to not only skim through the articles but to actually read them in-depth.

Mahatma Ghandi said: "Become the change you want to see." Human rights activists, such as Maria Fides and Wang Yi, which one can read about in the September 2007 webzine, are striking examples of individuals proactively striving to make the world a better place.

May BASPIA's webzine grow from strength to strength.