Kwon Dan et al. - There Is No Village for Everyone
- Reason for Selection
In this suffocating world, I ponder what I can do. The process of that thinking often feels like an utterly incomplete, unanswerable question. Trying to express that incompleteness in writing, and pondering the questions, made the process of writing this essay feel even more difficult. I also worried needlessly whether this process of my own contemplation could apply to my fellow Tolerance students. Still, I selected this book because I believe that rather than struggling alone, if we ponder together and seek alternatives together, it could become an opportunity to get a little closer to the diverse world we hope for. I hope that through reading this book, writing essays, and engaging in discussions, we can learn about the various ways to change the world we live in and take time to ponder what we can do.
- Presenter's Notes I
often ask myself: How can what I do help this world? What must I do to change this stifling world, even just a little? Starting with these questions, I began searching for what I could do. Before I knew it, I was active in several community groups. Yet, the more activities I engaged in and the more people I met, the bigger my questions grew. Are these activities truly having a positive impact on the neighborhood, the community where I live? Can they ultimately bring about the changes in the world I desire? Am I just doing this for my own satisfaction? No matter how much I run around and try, won't people's values remain unchanged? To find answers to these questions, I began reading books and studying. They say community is necessary. They say living together, sharing, is important. Books compiling positive examples from Seoul, Jeonju, Okcheon, Wanju, Busan, and elsewhere are increasing, and now 'building village communities' is starting to appear as a major policy in local elections. But no one discusses why villages are important, why community is necessary, or whether this can truly change our lives. To explore this further, we selected 'There Is No Village for Everyone'. Through discussion, we aim to share thoughts on the meaning of 'community', villages and politics, the potential of villages as alternatives, and our own villages.