Suwon Hosts 14th National Community-Building Conference

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The '14th National Community-Building Conference,' which brings together approximately 10,000 community-building activists from across the nation to share local community development projects and expertise, will be held from October 18-20 at the Gyeonggi Province Government Old Building.

Hosted by Suwon Special City and co-organized by the Suwon Urban Foundation and the National Community-Building Network, the National Community-Building Conference selects a new host region each year. Suwon City was selected as the venue for the 14th conference.

On the opening day of October 18, the event will begin with a gala dinner 'Suwon-eun-Blanc' (combining Suwon and dîner en blanc, where participants bring their own food to share), followed by the opening ceremony, community living lab (everyday experiment lab) competitions, and community activist awards.

On October 19, design conferences will be held on the lawn of the Gyeonggi Province Government Old Building, featuring themed sessions on community gardens and youth community living, as well as nine open-topic conferences. Additionally, site tours will visit six exemplary community-building activity areas in Suwon: Maessan-dong, Haenggung-dong, Jowon 1-dong, Maetan 3-dong, Yulcheon-dong, and the urban regeneration project areas surrounding the Gyeonggi Province Government.

Lively networking activities among community-building activists will also take place. Dialogue meetings for solidarity among community activists are scheduled for October 18 at the Haenggung-dong Eoul-lim Center and October 19 at the former Yurim Hall. Additionally, the October 18 regular meeting of the Local Government Council for Community-Building and the October 19 Regional Social Welfare Coordination Council sharing session will be held in conjunction with the national conference.

On the final day, October 20, free conferences will be held at the Gyeonggi Province Community Community Support Center, and the closing ceremony will present the activities and recommendations of the 14th National Community-Building Conference.

In addition, approximately 30 booths offering diverse experiences, promotions, markets, events, picnicking areas, and food zones will be operated.