The participants of the 2009 Seoul Sister City Youth Project
visited the Work Together Foundation
Nine people among the participants of ‘The Seoul Sister City Youth Project (2009 BroSis Project)’, operated by Seoul and organized by the Seoul Youth Cultural Exchange Center (Mizy Center), visited the WT Foundation on Friday, July 3rd. The BroSis Project is an international study camp that provides discussion and research opportunities about ‘Sustainable Development of Cities’ for youth from Seoul and Seoul’s Sister cities across the world.
On Friday, July 3rd
The event began by introducing social enterprise and the situation and problems related to the youth jobless rate in South Korea to the visitors. The visitors included members of teams that focus on the subject of ‘youth unemployment in Korea’ from countries including Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Belarus, China and South Korea. The participants agreed with that it has become more difficult for youths to acquire employment since last year’s international financial crisis, and that the increased preference for youths to be employed in the public sector has a direct correlation to the youth unemployment problem.
After the meeting, the 9 constituents visited a youth social venture, Touch4Good (T4G), and practiced designing bags made from recycled matter. Through this activity, they were able to have a chance to really experience the life of Korean youth who are actively seeking a fresher life, while solving social problems and fulfilling public interests along with business models. The lives demonstrated by the youths at T4G are quite different from those who are being employed in conglomerates or preparing for the public servant tests.
The participants who are also youth themselves seriously tried to seek out solutions to the youth unemployment problem during the event. They also expressed their interest for the management of the Hope Network for the Next Generation to research the background and the situation of South Korea’s youth unemployment problem as well as to support the independent living of youth. Furthermore, it was mentioned that they hoped to apply the South Korean models of nurturing youth social venture in their homelands.
Translated by KANG Dae Woong
Edited by Tyler Hollinger & Marie LEE