Seongdong-gu Operates 'Dong Welfare University' to Enhance Residents' Welfare Capabilities

Majang-dong and Seongsu 1-ga 2-dong Pilot Operation of Resident Welfare Capacity Building Education 'Dong Welfare University'... Operated by Public-Private Consortium, Education and Implementation Projects from 2020 to 2021

On the 15th, a business agreement was signed to form a consortium for the operation of Dongbokji University.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is operating the ‘Resident Dong Welfare University’ course to empower residents to directly raise and solve welfare issues in their neighborhoods.

‘Dong Welfare University’ is a small-scale resident capacity-building education program operated by a consortium consisting of resident centers, welfare centers, and dong councils, where residents take the lead and center stage to identify and resolve welfare agendas in their communities.

This project was promoted after being selected in March for the ‘2020 Seoul Resident-led Community Security Council Activation Contest Project’ and is being piloted in two dongs: Majang-dong and Seongsu 1-ga 2-dong.

On the 15th, Majang-dong and Seongsu 1-ga 2-dong resident centers, Seongdong Comprehensive Welfare Center, Seongsu Comprehensive Welfare Center, and the respective dong Community Security Councils signed a business agreement to form a consortium for operating the Dong Welfare University. They agreed on the roles of each promoting entity, the curriculum and operational direction, and the composition of the Dong Welfare University planning team.

The education will be conducted over two years, 2020 and 2021. The first phase of education will start this October and consist of six sessions focusing on enhancing self-directedness and strengthening residents’ capacity to discover and solve welfare agendas. The second year will focus on the practical discovery of agendas, creating dong welfare plans, and directly implementing projects.

A district official stated, “Although the ‘Community Security Council,’ a welfare community at the dong level, is actively operating, continuous capacity-building education for residents, who are the main actors, is necessary to solve the diverse welfare issues arising from a diversifying society.” He added, “After this pilot operation, we plan to expand it to all dongs.”

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “True resident participation begins only when residents themselves raise local problems and needs, have the will to solve them, and find ways to implement solutions.” He added, “We hope that through this course, residents’ autonomous capabilities will be strengthened and the community functions of the region will be further revitalized.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.