Imagine a world without food, cell phones or freedom to live where you choose. In this world, there are no neighborhoods with perfectly mowed lawns, but thousands of inhumane concentration camps. There is no Papa John’s Pizza readily available, and millions starve.

This world is called North Korea.

Liberty in North Korea, Grand Valley State University’s newest student organization, has formed to bring awareness to the North Korean plight.

Hannah Hollandsworth, LiNK’s president, became enlightened and passionate about North Korea after viewing the National Geographic documentary “Inside North Korea,” which showed how through a combination of legitimization, brainwashing and force, dictator Kim Jong Il reigns as a god king.

Working with National Geographic, a team of doctors performed cataract surgeries pro bono, documented their procedures and were also able to show the world what they perceived as the true North Korea.

The doctors said the people are so programmed that they failed to realize who was fixing their cataracts. In fact, every one of the more than 1,000 patients who had cataract surgery lifted both hands and gave shouting thanks and praise to a large wall print of Kim Jong Il after the operation.

“This is our modern-day Holocaust,” Hollandsworth said. “It’s a situation that not many people know about, but when I heard the stories, I felt a personal belonging to the issues.”

She said 80 percent of North Korean women fall prey to sex trafficking, children suffer from malnutrition and everyone is told where to live based on class.

Mi-Su, a 23-year-old refugee, escaped North Korea by making it to a LiNK shelter. She dropped out of middle school to earn money for her family.

“In North Korea there is no trace of hope,” she said on the LiNK website. “You have to throw away the small amount of dignity left in order to survive, but I want to break out of poverty. I want to finish my studies and be my parent’s hands and feet.”

The LiNK organization was formed on a college campus in 2004. It has since then grown to 185 chapters worldwide, from Tokyo to England. This year their efforts have rescued 20 refugees.

GVSU’s chapter has 11 students and is currently seeking an adviser.

“The people who run away deserve a taste of freedom. I think we should help them in any way we can,” said Tedi Fatchikova, LiNK’s vice president.

“Our goal this year is to recruit more people and raise $2,500, which will save two refugees.”

The chapter is awaiting approval to officially become a student group, but it has already begun meeting and trying to fulfill the LiNK mission. The group meets every Thursday at 9 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center.

GVSU’s LINK chapter will showcase a film called “Hiding” on Nov. 2. It has LINK’s own footage of the inhumanities of the North Korean government. The film viewing is free and will be located in Loutit Lecture Hall 101 at 9 p.m.

“Making people aware is just the first step,” Fatchikova said. “Just because we’re an ocean apart doesn’t mean we’re not responsible.”

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