'Songpa-gu Child and Youth Policy Forum' Held Online and Offline

From 11 AM to 1 PM on the 26th, over 100 district residents participate in the event titled ‘The Child and Youth Policy Values I Wish For! Together!’ ... Diversified participation methods for youth opinion gathering, live broadcast on SongpaTV YouTube channel

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) will hold an online and offline 'Child and Youth Policy Forum' with the participation of about 100 residents at 11 a.m. on the 26th in the 4th-floor auditorium of Songpa-gu Office.

The forum, under the theme "The Child and Youth Policy Values I Wish For! Together!", will be conducted in a way that about 100 residents including students and experts freely share their opinions both online and offline, and it will be broadcast live on the Songpa TV YouTube channel.

Through the forum, the district plans to promote social participation of children and youth, reflect their opinions in district administration, and set policy directions that guarantee the rights and safety of children.

From 11 a.m. on the 26th, 106 children, youth, and experts will engage in free discussions led by a professional facilitator. Mayor Park will also attend the on-site forum to encourage the youth and listen to the vivid voices of the residents.

The discussion topics were directly selected by the youth members of the ‘Child and Youth Participation Committee’ through prior deliberations to enable active participation in the policy-making and project implementation processes for children and youth.

The forum will discuss agendas in six areas: ▲ customized health services and health promotion infrastructure ▲ culture, arts, play, and leisure ▲ improvement of living environment ▲ reading infrastructure and cultural education ▲ childcare and educational environment ▲ education environment for vulnerable and at-risk children ▲ and support for out-of-school experiences.

43 participants will join offline, while 63 participants will join online (via Zoom and Kakao Live) to freely discuss and deliver final opinions on task selection.

After each team presents their final results, all participants will vote and experts will review the outcomes to award prizes. The selected key tasks will be reviewed and reflected in the child-friendly city policies.

In the first half of the year, the district conducted a child status survey and child impact assessment research targeting children, guardians, and child rights advocates. The research results and various opinions from this forum will be actively incorporated into the upcoming four-year basic plan (2021?2024).

For more details, please contact the Child and Youth Friendly Team of the Childcare and Youth Division at Songpa-gu Office.

Mayor Park Seong-su of Songpa-gu said, “It is very meaningful to have created a communication platform where students can actively participate in policy amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis that has restricted youth activities,” and added, “We will continue to build ‘Child-Friendly City Songpa’ where children and youth can grow happily and healthily.”