Global Saemaul Leadership Forum 2015 Attracted Thousands

Under the theme of “Sustainable Development with Saemaul Undong,” the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Korea held the 2nd Global Saemaul Leadership Forum (GSLF) in Daegu, Korea from November 24 through 27. The GSLF gathered about 6,500 participants including Saemaul leaders from home and abroad as well as government officials and international organization officials.

Participants from abroad amounted to 550. Among them, 200 were Saemaul leaders from 50 countries and the rest were minister- or vice minister-level government officials from 16 developing countries, international organization officials from OECD, UNDP, and IDB, academics, and people from Saemaul Undong-related organizations.

On November 26, the last day of GSLF, the National Convention of Saemaul Leaders was held in a large scale, and what made the National Convention special this year was that not only Korean Saemaul leaders but also those from abroad all took part in the event. At this unique event, participants showed their unity and solidarity as a group that supports the same cause represented by the Saemaul Undong movement. They agreed that Saemaul Undong is a global asset that can contribute to sustainable development of the world.

Minister Adolf Mwesige for Local Government of the Republic of Uganda stated, “Saemaul Undong is a useful tool to tackle global poverty and proved its potential to serve as a global model of sustainable development.”

Saemaul Undong has basked in limelight from the international community, and many countries around the world officially requested the Korean government to help them adopt the movement. Given the popularity of the movement, participants of the GSLF discussed and came up with key success factors of Saemaul Undong that can be applied universally to development efforts of the international community.

Adopted during the GSLF, Daegu Declaration, in particular, is of much significance in that participants promised united efforts to make Saemaul Undong a useful means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in the UN General Assembly earlier this year. As Saemaul Undong emerged as a paradigm for sustainable development, it gained momentum to further spread to the international community as a global model for development.