Resident-led initiatives expand following school violence prevention education program; generation-spanning community activities continue across Wiryeo-dong
"Wiryeo-dong is a community where residents identify the problems they face in daily life and work together to find solutions. 'Neighbor Lawyer' also grew out of the needs of residents struggling with legal concerns," said the chair of the Wiryeo-dong Residents' Autonomy Committee, describing the thinking behind the initiative.
Seoul's Songpa-gu, led by District Mayor Seo Gang-seok, announced it will launch "Neighbor Lawyer" — a community-based legal consultation service — in July, operated jointly by the Wiryeo-dong community center and the Residents' Autonomy Committee.
The program is designed to give residents easy access to legal advice on everyday issues such as unpaid wages, financial disputes, traffic accidents and real estate conflicts. In-person consultations covering labor, civil and criminal law will be held on the first Thursday of each month at the Wiryeo-dong community center.
Residents who wish to apply can visit the community center in person or submit a request through the "Neighbor Lawyer" KakaoTalk channel. Two applicants will be selected each month after staff review the submitted inquiries. Each session lasts up to 30 minutes and will be conducted by attorneys who live in Wiryeo-dong, including Bae In-cheol, a lawyer who also serves on the Wiryeo-dong Residents' Autonomy Committee.
Wiryeo-dong is a new town with a high proportion of young families and households with children. Residents show strong interest in education, childcare and everyday legal matters, and community participation in identifying and addressing local issues is robust. That culture of engagement has led residents to translate their own needs directly into organized programs.
Last year's community initiative followed the same pattern. A school violence prevention program combining reading with legal education was born from residents' concern about school violence and was planned and run by a specialist school violence attorney, a criminal justice researcher and parents working together.
This year, Wiryeo-dong plans to continue a range of community programs drawing on residents' talents and participation. Planned activities include "Wiryeo Mom Connect," in which a volunteer group delivers hand-knitted bags to families raising children; a special lecture and communication workshop on school violence prevention for parents; an eco-friendly hands-on experience program for families; and a watermelon-sharing event for senior center residents to mark the first day of the hottest stretch of summer.
"The diverse resident-participation programs in Wiryeo-dong are a fine example of residents' autonomy in action — people solving local problems on their own," District Mayor Seo said. "We will continue to actively support community activities tailored to the characteristics of each neighborhood."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
