By Park Hee-jeong
Through globalization, and technological developments such as the Internet and mobile phones, the world has changed so much.
The world is different now: nevertheless, poverty in developing countries continues. Has the tremendous aid provided by the international community been used properly? Has that aid helped raise the economies of developing countries? In other words, have the resources and funds been wasted.
Many countries ask whether the aid has actually encouraged their dependency on the help and caused inertia. Some people believe that, rather than helping developing countries to grow, aid has increased dependency on such support, because continuing aid reduces risk taking that would allow for economic growth.
We need to change the way we think in order to escape the vicious cycle of the recipient countries’ aid trap and the contributing countries’ aid fatigue. Furthermore, some statistics suggest a change in the overall distribution of poverty, a shift from a county or region (large-scale village) to an individual and community (small-scale community).
Even in advanced countries, we now see poverty distributed in various forms including immigration. In developing countries about 70 percent of the population and over 90 percent of the poor live in rural areas, which need to be revived. We need an approach that can help rural regions develop, so that rural dwellers can escape poverty on their own.
Before approaching the Saemaul (New Village) Movement theoretically, perhaps it is meaningful to look into the Saemaul Movement as I remember it. The first thing I remember is that everyone got up early and one person from each house gathered at the town center with a broom. The town leader, I remember, used to motivate people with a short speech stressing that if you work hard, you can do anything.
And then everyone participated in a short exercise period before cleaning the town. Music, played all over the town, and uplifted the people’s mood. Neighbors greeted each other and talked, often sharing valuable information. Getting up early and cleaning the town together, we learned diligence and cooperation. Exercising together in the morning, we learned to care for our health. Listening every morning to a speech asking for ``change,’ we were motivated and energized.
I also remember the movement’s symbol signifying ``Head-Heart-Hand-Health”. At the entrance to each town, each of the 4H’s was carved in the form of a bronze leaf. And we used to remember every morning that we should ``always study and learn,” ``be honest and virtuous,” and ``work hard as we reap what we sow”. ``If we lose our health, we lose everything, and health is the most important thing.” The symbol visually reminded us several times each day of those messages.
I remember that we built new houses and roads. At that time, most of the houses in the rural areas had thatched house roofs built with straw and clay. Almost all the houses were given new, tile roofs. I remember that we built or expanded roads, bridges, and playgrounds in the town to improve the community for everyone. Of course, people did not have to pay much as there was a government subsidy available. Although there were some people who consistently opposed fixing their houses most of the houses were renovated.
And then, there was a government employee who came to the town as part of the movement to explain about fertilizer that could double or triple production and also to introduce agricultural products that were marketable.
Basically, the Saemaul Movement was a government policy to initiate town spirit and develop rural areas in the 1970s. I personally define it as an integrated modernization project. In other words, it was an effort to eliminate poverty and empower communities, combining the people’s desire to escape poverty with the government’s determination to promote modernization by integrating economic development with the awareness of reform.
It was promoted in towns through active support from the government and the voluntary participation of residents. More than anything, the Saemaul Movement focused on reforming the mindset of people mindset by motivating them to believe that ``you can do it” through diligence, self-help, cooperation, and good competition.
The national government promoted continuing improvement for these rural towns by helping them nurture a Saemaul leader to help each town develop independently. People tried to eradicate poverty by improving town environments and houses, along with raising agricultural productivity, and incomes.
The writer is a law and entrepreneurship graduate from the Duke University School of Law. He is also a strategist for the President’s Office of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. His email address is heejung.park@duke.edu.