2013년 10월 28일 월요일

Seoul YWCA News in September 2013


Department of Planning 
Tea Time with Policy Suggestions
The Planning Department shares the results of the women policy monitoring group’s activities at the ‘teatime’s policy suggestions, hope spouts’. On September 11 (Wednesday), the first part ‘Seoul cooperative childcare service, present condition and suggestions’ were shared and discussed. Five people of the cooperative childcare team and policy monitoring team monitored the government and Seoul’s work and family compatibility and childcare policy. They also visited each local communal childcare centers, interviewing the person in charge, and proposing a cooperative childcare model ‘living ground’ that all third-generation together is doing autonomously. Teatime’s policy suggestions themes of mental health, father childcare will continue on in October.

Community Service Center
Member’s ‘Saving, Sharing, Exchanging, Re-using’ Bazaar
The volunteer community service center on September 14 (Saturday) opened a Bazaar to construct a shelter for female victims of family violence. Despite the rainy weather, 500 members and citizens participated and spent a significant time at the Bazaar. This day’s profit of 1340000 Won was used to construct the shelter for female victims of family violence.

Department of Consumer and Environment
Camping culture reform campaign
The Department of Consumer Environment organized a campaign in Mapogu Noeul camping ground on the theme of ‘Camping is caring- a lovely relation considering person, nature, environment’ to spread camping equipment business and consumer culture. At the campaign, an advertising pamphlet on camping equipment prices and 10 ways to be a considerate camper of the environment and neighbors was distributed trying to increase camper’s consciousness.


Bongcheon Social Welfare Center
People who hold the village: A photo exhibition
15 village residents who completed their camera training class at Bongcheon comprehensive social welfare center, held a photo exhibition ‘The Photo Making’ in Seoul station exhibition center from September 5th (Thursday) ~ 10th (Tuesday) to encourage their interest in the village. Their works in the form of collages presented the village’s landscape and daily life in a different perspective catching the interests of many residents.

Gangnam Youth Center
We are Gangnam expedition group
At Gangnam Youth Center, 20 elementary schoolers visited Gangnam-gu’s culture heritage. To protect and love cultural properties, weekend-happiness-experience ‘We are Gangnam expedition group’ was proceeded by experiencing the traditional culture. By visiting Korean culture house, learning about Korean traditional paper (Hanji) and learning how to make Hanji hand mirrors, it induced people with the responsibility of trying to protect past cultures that are disappearing.

Sungdong Youth Center
Safe food education
On September 14th (Saturday) the Sungdong youth culture went to Muhak elementary school to educate elementary students on safe food and proceeded with a program which kids made their own healthy drink. 15 elementary students who participated got to know more on safe food and by making their own healthy drink and sharing with family and friends, increased their understanding on safe foods.

Welfare Foundation
Community service work making cotton pads
Together with 18 community service workers, the welfare industry made cotton pads at a poverty area to increase women health on September 28th (Saturday). Community service workers made cotton pads and personal letters that will be sent to Myanmar and Tanzania. Cotton pad making community service work is realized every Saturday of the last month.

Yeongdeungpo Women's Resources Development Center
Advisory conference on job cooperative network

At Yeongdeungpo women development center on September 23rd (Monday), specialized job training ‘international trade worker’ on job cooperative network for women with career discontinuity was organized. Related organization and area of interest specialist were appointed as advisors. Training procedure was appraised and the present condition on the demand of labor and ways of job application was discussed.

Seoul YWCA members are Invited to Happy Dining

Event for Member's Day

Member's Day event took place by Department of Membership Management with 70 members of Seoul YWCA on September 25. Participants could have an opportunity to learn more about Seoul YWCA and understand Y's visions and dreams.

A short movie about Seoul YWCA's 90-year history was shown and participants could find numerous brave women made YWCA of today. After that, President of Seoul YWCA, Ms. Cha Gui Sook gave her opening remarks and a play introducing YWCA was performed by senior play club.
Participants could experience YWCA's various program briefly. Line dance, one of the representative physical education classes, make women's body healthy. EM(Effective Microorganism) class made us think about environment protection.

While the event is going on, participants could look around exhibition on YWCA's sharing movement at home and abroad. They had lunch together talking with other members and wrote some messages to YWCA to hang it on a tree.

Yoon Soo-jin, a member who visited YWCA building for the first time, said, "I became a member of Seoul YWCA because my colleague recommend me to be a member. And it has been 3 years already. I could learn much about YWCA and I am really proud of that I am a part of YWCA."



Remember the Moments of Summer School

20-year history of the Seoul YWCA Summer School for Korean Adoptees in Europe

The World Fellowship Department has published and opened a publication ceremony on September 24 at 2 p.m. about the foreign adoptee summer school that has been organized for 17 years starting in 1990.

The start of the first domestic adoptee program
There was no place that had any program on adoptees in 1990 until Seoul YWCA started its summer school program. When adoptees were sent overseas, there was no other follow-up management. After Seoul Y started this adoptee program, it has started to work on other special adoptee agency’s program of visiting home countries. This raised awareness and lots of places started to have adoptee programs which caused a decline of participants. Therefore, Seoul Y had to unfortunately stop its program in 2007.
In 2010, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Summer School, a Homecoming Day inviting back the adoptees who participated in Summer School was proposed. It was started on February by the World Fellowship committee and subcommittee. 500 invites were prepared and personally sent out but there wasn’t many participants for many addresses and contacting phone numbers had changed. Therefore starting in 2011, the 20 year anniversary of summer school was decided to be recorded which took 2 years until it was published.


Back to the moment
At the publication ceremony, there were 50 participants. Adoptee participants at that time, college community service participants, instructors, past and current world fellowship committee members, and other Seoul Y members were present. Ji Bok Im world fellowship committee member, who was the host, introduced all guests. President Cha Gwi Suk presented a plague of appreciation to Dr. Han Tae Dong, a sponsor and counselor, and to honorary director Hong Geun Pyo. A very touching speech was given by Lee Wong Hee, world fellowship department member, describing the progress that took this booklet to be published. Lastly, through the short clip, I felt the strong urge to go back in time to when we presented each adoptee a chance to visit their home country.



Teens Talk about Human Rights

Project to improve human right sensibility of teens through film

The Y-Teen department organized a project to improve human right sensibility within teens through film. 70 Y-Teen members met on Saturday afternoon (September 7th) to see a film on human rights and to share each other’s thoughts.


Before watching the movie, the bill of rights for students (an ordinance established by each school board to ensure student dignity and worth in school curriculum) was observed with the members. Next, the PD and writer of the film, Esther Kang, explained how and from what perspective the film should be looked at.
                 

“This film considers the question ‘What changes are happening in school after the 2010 Gyeonggi student human rights ordinance was enacted?’ The film further looks at arguments and the current human right ordinance by observing conversations, and conflicts that happens between professors and students in a classroom at Gyeonggi High School. As you watch the film, think about the different situations that are happening in your school.”

New Changes in School
The film takes place in Gyeonggi province showing a very familiar image of high school. After the student human right ordinance was enacted, the film shows images of students going to school and the individualized and personalized uniforms and hairstyles. No punishment was given even if students fell asleep or used their cell phone during class. Every month, students and teachers that received the most penalty marks went climbing at Mt. Jirisan. The principle memorized all of the students’ names and greeted each and every student when they came to school. During the film, interviews were inserted showing the difficulties that students and teachers undergo and professional commentaries which further portrayed the message the film was trying to deliver.



After the film was over, questions students had about the film was written down on memos. Different questions such as “Was there any scene that was staged?” “Did the protagonist of the film go to college?” “Was the film made because someone asked it to be made or was it made voluntarily?” were some of the questions that were asked. The film’s director Esther Kang responded to each question thoroughly and added that she wanted to portray each of the student’s and the teacher’s position. Teenagers responded positively saying that they didn’t have the chance to encounter documentaries so it was a new and refreshing opportunity, and that they hope the film is shown in school as an opportunity to further reflect about the image of school.”

Anyone who is a teenager is welcome
Any teenager living in Seoul could participate in this program that tries to increase sensibility on teenage human rights. Human right sensibility is improved naturally by watching a human rights film, and discussing the meaning of the film with the director and writer of the film. Starting from September, 3 films are prepared which will be shown on October 12 (Saturday. ), and November 9th (Saturday. ).
Those who wish to participate should register at the SeoulYWCA homepage and call us at 3705-6009.