- How to make happy village as a social movement -
① The Korean situation
Since the 1960s, Korea had developed, from one of the Asia's poorest to one of the continent's most well-off with rapid growth in economy. However, as a result of fast urbanization and industrialization, our environment has been deteriorating rapidly. Until the early 1990s, pollution was considered just unfortunate but consequent outcome of achieving economic growth and eradicating poverty.
Under these situations, in the late 1990s, Korea suddenly went through a financial crisis and economic recession, resulting in massive layoffs, huge unemployment, homelessness, disintegration of families. Moreover, Korea also experienced the social symptom of the aftermath of the modernity such as consumerism, materialism, individualism, and indifferences. These conditions ultimately brought gradual collapse of a local society which is based on our livelihood.
② Resident Autonomous Center(RAC) in Korea
Under these rapid changes, the Korean government, in 1999, changed the existing village office's function into "Resident Autonomous Center"(RAC) as a strategy for enhancement of inhabitants' spontaneity and Reconstruction of local community with gradual transferring from the central government to the local government-centered autonomy. RAC is a basic unit for the realization of resident autonomy. However, in reality, Most of the local governments, especially RAC, have been still repeated its systematic inconsistency that is enforcement and accomplishment of the intrinsic nature of a local autonomous entity regulated by the central government one-sided policies. To improve function of RAC, above all things, should strengthen partnership including resident, experts, NGO and local government.
③ The Korean YMCA's response
Under the slogan "Bring a wave of Life and Peace to our Communities", The Korean YMCA has been working for the "Fullness of Life" for all creation in our own context since 2003. One of the Korean YMCA's various movements is just to make happy village in our own local district. In particular, "Making happy village" should be one of alternatives to live in modern times. Jinju YMCA also try to make happy village in our own situation.
▣ Strengthening residents' spontaneous participation
▣ Reconstruction of local community based reciprocal collaboration and trust
▣ Improvement of living conditions and quality of inhabitants' life
▣ Taking care of life environment for sustainable village
① Encountering with a village
- We discuss with a volunteer group, which composed of experts in Jinju YMCA, where is a suitable village for "Making Happy Village" programme. If a village is selected, first of all, we meet committee members of RAC in the village to explain purpose, meaning and activities of this programme.
At the same time, we meet our volunteers who live in the village to request their active participation and support.
② Official meeting with resident representatives
- After determining a village, we have official meeting with resident representatives of the village. At this moment, we coordinate and establish detailed curriculum with them. And we examine present circumstances of the village with a volunteer group.
③ "Resident Autonomous Civil College"
- "Resident Autonomous Civil College" is consisted of 6 stages, the following below.
◐ Understanding and sharing purpose, meaning and activities of this programme.
◐ Understanding and sharing history, culture and peculiarity of our village.
◐ Taking a field trip to a model village.
◐ Finding issues of our village through village working tour.
◐ Discussing measures to solve problems of our village.
◐ Designing our village to make happy village.
- Such "Resident Autonomous Civil College" does not only consist of a vertical one way lecture
but also horizontal bilateral discussion between experts and residents through field case studies.
④ Civil Forum
- We conduct civil forum regularly to solve main issues of the village. Through these forums we deduce various alternative plans and suggest new policies for the village to a local government.
⑤ Civil Festival
- We hold civil festival to share and spread new policies and to strengthen solidarity among residents.
⑥ Building Community network
- We build a new community network including residents, experts and YMCA staffs to make happy village. we can also develop continually "making happy village" movement with this community network.
Recently, Korean society is going to gradually move from centralized government to decentralized governance and Civil society movement, including the Korean YMCA, is playing an important role in Korean society. However Korean economy now exhibits a wider gap between rich and poor than it has at any other time since the late 1990s with financial crisis and economic recession. It is big issues in Korea such as massive layoffs, huge unemployment, homelessness and disintegration of families. Our local society which is based on our livelihood has collapsed gradually.
To prevent such conditions, above all things, we should reconstruct local community network. It is the strategic thrust of Korean YMCAs to respond to this by "Making Happy Village" across Korea as an important means for Korean people to live harmonious lives.
Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs 25th Advanced Studies Programme
In Hong Kong
30. Nov. 2007.
