This was a fascinating account of a young man to escape from Camp 14 in North Korea. North Korea, still has prisoner camps in which several hundred thousand people serve their time and do hard labor, and very gruesome conditions, and this young man, Shin Dong-hyuk, actually managed to escape from it, by going through some barb wire opening, that was actually an electrified fence that his colleague, fell across and electrocuted himself, and then Shin Dong-hyuk, actually crawled over him, using the body as insulation, and made his escape.
From there, he escaped in the North China, and eventually made his way down to the southern part of China and off to South Korea. Eventually made his way over to Los Angeles in the United States, and it was just a fascinating account told in a very riveting way, about an inside look of North Korea.
North Korea, invests the vast majority of its GDP into nuclear armament, and be in a military state. So many people there, are living in dire conditions, under an authoritarian rule, currently by Kim Jung Un. Keep an eye on North Korea, and let’s see how this all plays out over the next coming years.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
