KOICA, Global Fair Trade Youth Leader Training... Idea Presentation and Awards Ceremony

1st Place Outstanding Team 'Jordan Syria Refugee Pomegranate Processing Fair Trade Project'
Conducting Fair Trade Youth Expert Training in Collaboration with Korea Fair Trade Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA, together with the Korea Fair Trade Association, announced that it held the final presentation and graduation ceremony of the ‘2020 Global Fair Trade Young Leaders School’ on the afternoon of the 19th at KOICA Innoport located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The ‘2020 Global Fair Trade Young Leaders School’ conducted by KOICA and the Korea Fair Trade Association was launched in October to nurture talent in the fair trade sector targeting developing countries, aimed at KOICA overseas volunteers and the general public. The program was conducted in three stages: online theoretical education, online-offline coaching, and final presentations, attracting about 300 applicants during the one-week registration period.

The first online theoretical education was delivered by fair trade experts including Song Jin-ho, Director of KOICA Social Value Management Headquarters; Kim Sun-hwa, Research Professor of Cooperative Management at Sungkonghoe University; Jang Seung-kwon, Professor of Cooperative Management at Sungkonghoe University; and Han Su-jeong, Secretary General of Beautiful Coffee. They provided lectures on international development cooperation and fair trade, understanding fair trade, fair trade and social economy, and fair trade business, covering both theory and practice of fair trade.

KOICA selected a total of 12 teams from those who completed the online theoretical education and provided them with intensive coaching opportunities to plan fair trade projects with field practitioners. Experts from various fields such as fair trade business founders, fair trade production site partnership managers, and fair trade researchers participated as mentors to guide the participants of the ‘Fair Trade Young Leaders School’ in planning projects suitable for the field based on their understanding of fair trade.

At the final presentation and graduation ceremony held on the 19th, the 12 teams shared and evaluated their fair trade project plans. Teams composed of various age groups presented ideas covering all areas of fair trade, and KOICA selected three outstanding teams to award certificates and a certain prize money. The first-place winning team, Hobbeu Allumman Team, planned a fair trade project for processing pomegranates by Syrian refugees in Jordan, receiving high praise for its originality and sustainability.

Song Woong-yeop, Director of KOICA Global Partnership Headquarters, said at the closing ceremony of the final presentation, “KOICA will continue to promote social solidarity economy (fair trade) volunteer projects to achieve global social value,” adding, “KOICA will support the ladder for nurturing experts so that our youth can become fair trade professionals and practically achieve employment and entrepreneurship.”

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