Gyeonggi Province Public Interest Activities Support Center to Hold Forums to Revitalize Civil Society in Five Cities and Counties

Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Province Public Interest Activities Support Center will hold public forums and roundtable discussions to promote local public-interest activities in five cities and counties—Gimpo, Hanam, Yangpyeong, Hwaseong, and Goyang—by the end of this year.

The events are intended to bring together local civil society organizations, local councils, and administrative agencies to share local issues and discuss ways to cooperate. Depending on local needs, key agenda items will include establishing public interest activity support centers, forming civil society coalitions, and enacting related ordinances.

First, a public forum on establishing a public interest activity support center will be held at Gimpo City Council on November 18. Participants will review operating examples and relevant ordinances from other regions and discuss the direction for establishing a center suited to the Gimpo area.

Poster for a Forum on Promoting Civil Society in Gyeonggi-do

On November 19, at Hanam City Council, participants will discuss the challenges facing public-interest activities and how to sustain them. On November 21, at Yangpyeong Living Culture Center, they will discuss ways to cooperate on sustainable public-interest activities, drawing on the experiences of local organizations and activists.

On November 26, at Hwaseong Modunurim Center, participants will explore ways for local civil society and the Gyeonggi Center to cooperate, following the founding of the Hwaseong Civil Society Solidarity Network. On December 11, a forum will be held at Goyang YWCA to discuss the need for, and key provisions of, an ordinance to promote civil society.

Previously, on October 22, the Gyeonggi Province Public Interest Activities Support Center held a public forum in Siheung on establishing a public interest activity support center, discussing the state of local civil society activities and the need for a center.

Based on the local agenda items identified at these public forums and roundtable discussions, the center plans to continue supporting exchanges and cooperation among civil society organizations.

Yoo Myeonghwa, head of the Gyeonggi Province Public Interest Activities Support Center, said, "The process of connecting local stakeholders and bringing them together for discussion is an important starting point for revitalizing civil society. We will continue to help identify shared agenda items and ensure that discussions lead to tangible changes in local communities."

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