On the teaching methods of the Juche idea

by: Nikolai S. C. Aamand, Head of the Juche Study Group in Denmark

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The juche idea is illuminating the world, and is famous in almost every country on earth. Ever since the theoretical developments of the great leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il , the global interest in the Juche idea has grown immensely. We are now living in a day and age, where the masses of the world are looking towards the DPRK as the bastion of socialism, and are eager to learn about the ideological and philosophical foundation of this people-centered nation.

However, there are still many who are disillusioned about the Juche idea, having been lied to by capitalist propaganda, and thus maintaining an ignorant or hostile attitude towards the DPRK. It is an essential task to fight the reactionary propaganda against the DPRK, and teach about Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism in a way that will enlighten the masses. Even though more and more people are turning their heads towards the DPRK and the Juche idea, there’s still much work to do.

In his work “On preserving the juche character and national character of the revolution and construction” , the great leader Kim Jong Il underlines the importance of the national character of revolution. That is, in every act of revolutionary work we must take the material conditions of each nation and its people into account. Educating people about the Juche idea is also an act of revolutionary work, and in order to be scientific in our approach, we must acknowledge this so-called national character. We must acknowledge that the approach in the imperialist countries will be very different from the approach in the exploited nations. Not only that, there’s also several secondary contradictions inside the imperialist camp, that we must acknowledge when dealing with revolutionary work. In the exploited nations, Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism must be made into a fighting doctrine for anti-imperialist struggle, and the fight for total independence.

For most people in the imperialist countries, having a revolutionary doctrine like the Juche idea, can seem arbitrary and redundant. That is why we have to present the Juche theory in relation to its practice, and spend much time debunking the lies of the imperialist propaganda machine. It can seem obvious, but it is essential to burst the bubble of lies that is floating around in the imperialist countries, and show the reality in the DPRK. It is only when the people can see what amazing results the Juche idea has achieved, that they will get an interest in learning about this magnificent philosophy.

One of the most important tools to utilise in the spreading of the Juche idea, is the internet. The internet age has allowed millions upon millions of people to see the reality in the DPRK, and thanks to the efforts of several Juche study groups, allowed everyone to easily read about the Juche idea. It is especially thanks to several DPRK information accounts on various social media, that thousands of people each day are being educated about the reality in socialist Korea. We must continue to dedicate our efforts to the social media front, and share information about the DPRK and the Juche idea in various forms such as articles, images and videos. This type of information campaign is essential in our further work with educating people about Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism .

There has been invested a lot of great work into preparing the Juche idea for a english-speaking audience, but one must also know how to present this philosophy in a way that is easy to understand for the masses. In this regard, one must look to the theory of memetics. Even such a complex and advanced philosophy as the Juche idea, is best understood when presented in a short and plain manner. The great leader Kim Jong Il states that “the juche idea must be taught in a plain language” , in his work “on further improving party ideological work”. So we must always remember that an ideology for the masses must be taught according to the material conditions of the masses, that is, we must acknowledge that long and advanced lessons on the Juche idea isn’t suitable for the masses. Instead we should bring about the Juche idea in a more memetic manner, meaning in a short and easily shareable manner. Concretely this means that short texts, videos and lectures are preferred to longer ones. Of course, longer and more complex material on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism must not be disregarded, but it should be paired with the shorter and less complex material.

The Juche idea provides a scientific worldview and a doctrine of justice to follow. In teaching about the Juche idea, we must take departure in the concrete reality of the masses we are speaking to, and address their struggles. One such example can be the internationalist outlook of president Kim Il Sung , and his support for many freedom fighters all over the world. By aiding the struggle of the global masses, they will be more eager to learn about this Juche idea, and why it’s essential in freeing them from the capitalist world order. This doesn’t have to be on a large scale, but can also involve local struggles. In proletarian neighborhoods for example, we must show support for the masses against greedy landlords and corrupt politicians. By focusing on the struggles of the masses it will be much easier to teach about the Juche idea, as it goes from the abstract to the concrete, and as it goes from something far away, to something that can be used as a tool of understanding right here and now. That must be our approach in spreading the Juche idea.

To summarize, a scientific philosophy like the Juche idea, must be taught in a scientific way as well. The great leader Kim Jong Il states that we must teach the Juche idea in a plain language, considering its an ideology for the masses and not the intellectual elite. Philosophy had been reserved for the cultural elite for too long, until scientific socialism came and brought ideology into the daily lives of the masses. We must continue to adhere to the mass line, by spreading the Juche idea in a manner that everyone will be able to understand. We must apply creative methods suited for different audiences, in order to ensure that the Juche idea is understood in a correct manner. That is the essence of the scientific teaching methods that the Juche idea presents, found in the very ideology itself.