 |
Civic movement to use natural lighting gains popularity
Several times a month, 38-year-old homemaker Yi U-seon reads stories to her children by candlelight. She likes to put them to sleep with the sound of their mother’s voice, in light that is as close to what is found in nature. She recommends to her friends that they try it, too. "My youngest was slow developmentally, but now he keeps up at school," she says. There are people who, at least once a month, unplug their lights, televisions, computers, and other electric devices and enjoy evenings by candlelight. Families gather in half-lit rooms to dine or just to talk. Those who live alone read or write letters. Some do nothing at all, and prefer to watch the flickering candles in quiet reflection. Last summer, the Korean Womens Environmental Network [sic] proposed something it calls the "Candlelight Movement" (chotbul kyeogi undong), in which participants "unplug civilization and momentarily sever links to the mechanized world, in order to harmonize one’s life in tandem with the time and speed of nature." An estimated 1,500 people have joined the movement, the group says.The idea originated in 2001, when Americans who wanted to protest what they saw was an overly nuclear-dependent energy policy by the Bush administration began "voluntary blackouts." Later, Japanese civic groups began encouraging "candle nights" that emphasize peace, the environment, and self reflection. Last year, the Tokyo Tower, the Osaka Castle, and 33,557 other structures momentarily turned off their lights. The trend is now spreading rapidly in Japan, thanks to a positive response by government and the private sector. Twenty-five-year-old Seo Yun-a decided last fall that she liked the "value of slowness" and began lighting candles once a month. She listens to music, meditates, or writes letters or in her diary. "It’s a time to stop the daily hassle instead of being overcome by the busyness," she said. Seo says that she enjoys getting together with friends to make candles, using them later to light their dinner parties. Even businesses are getting into the spirit. Stores and restaurants are choosing to run on candlelight alone the last Friday of each month, including the well-known Munhyangjae in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong, Marriane Cafe in Daehangno, and Raurian in Pyeongchon. "The idea began out of concern for the environment, but as time goes on, more and more people are joining in the campaign as a way to take a break from a highly competitive society and indulge in introspection," said Bak Eun-jin of the environmentalist group.
