Seoul's Seongbuk-gu said it successfully held a workshop Wednesday aimed at giving children and youth hands-on experience with democracy and strengthening communication and capacity among its youth participation bodies.
More than 50 members of the district's 13th Children and Youth Assembly and 18th Children and Youth Participation Committee — both established to guarantee meaningful participation rights for children and youth — attended the workshop. Participants toured the National Assembly experience center, the main plenary chamber and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History.
Through the on-site visits, participants learned about democratic decision-making processes. They also gathered in standing committee groups focused on education and welfare, children's rights and leisure, and environmental safety to identify policy agenda items and hold lively debates on community issues.
The speaker of the Children's Assembly said visiting the National Assembly and the history museum in person allowed participants to vividly learn how democracy works and how society has developed over time. "Going forward, I will work even harder in the Seongbuk-gu Children and Youth Assembly to represent my peers' voices and advance children's rights," the speaker said.
Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said he hoped the workshop would serve as a meaningful opportunity for the district's children and youth to truly internalize the values and historical significance of democracy. "Seongbuk-gu will continue to spare no effort in creating an environment where children and youth can directly participate in a wide range of district policies and proactively make their voices heard," Lee said.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
