KOICA-KYWA, Opening of KOICA Global Citizenship Education Center for Local Youth

Opening of KOICA Global Citizenship Education Center and Exhibition at Cheonan National Youth Center on the 24th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA and the Korea Youth Work Agency (KYWA) held the opening ceremony of the KOICA Global Citizenship Education Center on the 24th at the National Central Youth Center in Cheonan, Chungnam.

Key figures attending the opening ceremony included Lee Mi-kyung, Chairperson of KOICA, Lee Jung-ok, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and Lee Kwang-ho, Chairperson of the Korea Youth Work Agency.

The KOICA Global Citizenship Education Center is a space where youth can experience the meaning and practical methods of global issues such as international development cooperation, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and global citizenship through exhibitions, hands-on activities, and educational programs.

To cultivate global citizenship awareness among youth and expand opportunities for global citizenship education nationwide, KOICA signed a business agreement last June with KYWA under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to establish KOICA Global Citizenship Education Centers at the National Central Youth Centers located in Cheonan, Chungnam, and Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do.

The Global Citizenship Education Center at the National Youth Center in Cheonan, Chungnam, which opened first this time, will operate a free ongoing exhibition titled "Global Citizens Bloom" starting from the 24th. This exhibition is planned to introduce the concept of global citizenship with a focus on human rights and democracy, conveying the message that youth can create a sustainable world together through small actions on their own.

The exhibition hall is divided into sections: "Seed - Sprout - Leaf - Flower - Fruit," allowing youth to experience the process of growing into global citizens through participatory digital content and explanations by youth instructors. The main exhibition contents include ▲ videos and discussions related to globalization, human rights, and democracy ▲ SDGs and KOICA’s projects in the human rights and democracy sectors ▲ raising awareness as global citizens and practical methods in daily life ▲ SDGs-themed mission challenges and photo zones ▲ global citizenship career exploration. Educational materials can be downloaded on-site via QR codes.

At the opening ceremony, Lee Mi-kyung, Chairperson of KOICA, said, “In today’s world, facing unprecedented crises such as poverty, inequality, environmental destruction, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of global citizenship education that fosters the spirit of global solidarity and cooperation is emphasized. I hope that youth at the Global Citizenship Education Center will recognize global issues as ‘our’ issues and realize that small actions by themselves and their communities are the starting point for solving global problems.”

Lee Jung-ok, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stated, “In the future society, not only talents equipped with high creativity and emotional convergence capabilities but also qualities as global citizens who communicate and understand each other will be important. I hope that KOICA and the Korea Youth Work Agency will collaborate and strive for more systematic global citizenship education for youth.”