Minhee Noh, S-CAR MS Student

Minhee Noh is currently enrolled in the Master’s program at S-CAR. Prior to joining the program, she worked for a non-profit organization,  called Japan Association for Refugees.  Through her work, she met with Kurdish refugees from Turkey, and through intaeractions with them, was shocked by their predicament. She said, "I gained an interest in refugee issues, especially those that result from social and cultural tensions, from those interactions."

Her encounter with refugees reminded her of her own experience.  Born and raised in South Korea, Minhee has been struggling with the conflict between Japan and her country.  Accroding to her, "I started to learn Japanese at the age of twelve, which was not always understood by my family and friends.  [South] Koreans’ reaction to Japan was sometimes very aggressive. Some do not even acknowledge the Japanese people.”  Having lived in Japan as well, she experienced the "other" perspective of the conflict.  She said, "while political relations sometimes harden the attitudes of both states, cultural exchange and interpersonal interactions have been definitely changing Japanese peoples' views, especially young generation, toward Korea." This experience led her to believe that a cultural understanding can be used to rebuild good relations that can resolve conflicts.  According to her, "perhaps if  Turkish society had been more tolerant towards Kurdish minorities and attempted to understand them, there would not be this level of conflict there. ”
At S-CAR, she is exploring cultural analysis in conflict.  “My school offers many classes in cultural and identity issues, and this has provided me with a lot of theories that can help me find possible solutions to my own conflict” says Minhee.

In the future, she has a strong ambition to work as a facilitator to promote understanding between culturally different ethnic groups.  She said, “people ideally know the importance of understanding, but on the ground, it is extremely difficult to take the first step.”  Despite the challenges she may face, Minhee is full of hope of becoming a "cultural liaison" to help people resolve conflicts.