After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Introduction to Saemual Undong Movement 2. Historical Outline of Saemual Undong Movement 3. Guiding Principles 4. Phases 5. Multi-Dimensional Spread 6. Organisation and Achievements 7. Points for Reflection.
Introduction to Saemual Undong Movement:
Saemual Undong, The New Community Movement, has changed the face of South Korea from a sleepy, poor country to a fast-developing and forward-looking nation.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
“The Saemual Undong served as a hidden driving force which explored a road for the cultivation of the nation’s destiny.” This is how the movement has lauded by Chun Doo Hwan, President of the Republic of Korea, while addressing the Saemaul leaders in October, 1986.
Indeed, this movement has been astoundingly successful in releasing the inner human potential of South Korea’s masses for nation building activities of multi-dimensional character. There can be no better tribute to this unique movement than the fact that up-to May 1990, 36491 people from 118 countries have visited South Korea to learn about the developmental process through Saemaul Undong.
Historical Outline of Saemual Undong Movement:
The Saemual Undong or New Community Movement was devised and introduced by President Park Chung Hee in 1971, with the aim to enable the Korean people to banish the dark legacy of the nation’s past and to bring about national modernisation and development through integrated endeavours.
This movement is of purely Korean origin which was started without any well-defined theoretical framework of high sounding ideology. Rather, it was guided by action and practice. There is no doubt that this unique character has been instrumental in its phenomenal success. It is only recently that attempts to theorise about Saemaul movement have been made.
The Guiding Principles of Saemual Undong Movement:
Saemual Undong movement is unique and the sense that shorn of theoretical concepts, its approach is action-oreinted in a step-by-step manner, with three guiding principles central to the movement:
– DILIGENCE
ADVERTISEMENTS:
– SELF-HELP
– CO-OPERATION
The movement is infused with the spirit of “CAN DO” or “We too” can prosper if we work hard and cooperate with each other. It has a very strong undercurrent of patriotism which has eliminated the feelings of pessimism and created a sense of bright optimism and high morale among the Koreans.
Another characteristic feature if Saemaul movement is that it was started in villages. Within three years by 1973, all 34665 villages in south Korea came to take part in Saemaul movement.
Phases of Saemual Undong Movement:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(a) Creation of Base (1971):
In the first phase, the early projects were designed to improve the living conditions of individual’s families. The Government supplied the materials and the farmers, putting in their own efforts, repaired their homes, provided toilets, improved kitchens and roofs. This phase instilled the spirit of diligence and self- help and created a sound base for the movement.
(b) Improving Village Environment (1972-73):
In the next stage, a ten-point Saemaul project was launched with a view to improve the village environment. The villagers were encouraged to meet together, choose a Saemaul leader and carry out the projects which included widening of farm roads leading to villages, cleaning and innovation of streams and water reservoirs, digging common village’s halls and so on.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Implementation of such projects all by themselves not only improved the living environment completely but also gave the villagers experience in organization aspects of the cooperative way of working.
(c) Self-Reliant Socio-Economic Development (1974-75):
The third phase carried the movement further on the socio-economic plane, designed to boost the income of the villagers. Group farming, common seed beds, vegetable cultivation, pig, chicken and cattle farming, community forestation, common marketing facilities, Saemaul factories, etc., were the type of projects taken up this phase to improve the overall living standards of the villagers.
This phase not only achieved the objectives set but also infused the spirit of “CAN DO” and a high degree of confidence as well as developed organizational skills among the people at grass-root level.
Multi-Dimensional Spread of Saemual Undong Movement:
After 1975, the Saemaul movement assumed multidimensional character. Larger projects concerning more than one village were taken up and the movement was also taken to large factories, urban areas and offices as a training vehicle to enable the people to solve their own problems, emphasising the basic philosophy that no citizen should be excluded from a popular movement aimed at bringing about common prosperity.
At this stage, the movement also shifted focus on righteousness and ethical values to uplift the spiritual well-being of the people.
As a multi-dimensional vehicle of national development, the Saemaul movement generated benefits of the following kind:
(1) Improving individual family life.
(2) Improving village environment and community life.
(3) Enhancing income of the people for a higher standard of living.
(4) Creating harmonious relationship between the management and the workers for a healthy working environment.
(5) Increasing productivity in farms and factories.
(6) Improving quality of output.
(7) Infusing a sense of patriotism and high morals and energize the people to put in their best in whatever work they do.
(8) Developing organizational skills, co-operations and mutual respect.
(9) Balanced growth between agriculture and industry.
(10) Maximising efficiency.
Organisation and Achievements of Saemual Undong Movement:
Although this movement was sponsored by the Government it has been converted into a popular movement since 1980, with the Government support. At the headquarters there is Central Office which represents all non-governmental Saemaul organizations which include Saemaul Leader’s Association, Central Federation of Saemaul Women’s Clubs.
Factory Saemaul and the Central Council of Business and Office Saemaul Undong. There is a Central Consultative Council chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs at the apex of the organisation.
The following chart depicts the overall organsational hierarchy of the Saemaul Undong:
There are ten million Saemaul Undong workers all over Korea now, including 2.31 million women members and 0.97 million members of Saemaul Youth Clubs. There are also 0.91 million Saemaul Factory Workers. The aim is to cover 100% eligible population in the Saemaul movement by 1991.
Through 2,30,000 trained leaders, the Saemaul movement has brought about rapid socio-economic transformation of South Korea. The phenomenal rate of growth in agricultural and industrial sectors under the Korean Five Year Plans can, in a large measure, be attributed to the Saemaul spirit, Successful hosting of the Tenth Asian Games and 24th Olympics have been guided by the Saemaul movement.
Through Saemaul Youth Associations, Saemaul libraries, Saemaul Technical Service Corps, Saemaul sports activities and many such programmes. Saemaul Undong is touching every facet of life in South Korea and preparing the nation for a big take off in the 21st century to make it a front-ranking nation in every away. This is the action-oriented spirit of Saemaul Undong.
Points for Reflection of Saemual Undong Movement:
If there is a lesson to be learnt from the development experience of South Korea, it can be none other than Saemual Undong. In a sense, the Saemaul Undong or New Community Movement is close to cooperative movement in India and Gandhi Philosophy of Ram Rajya through self-help and cooperation among the people.
Korean has achieved the miracle of fast progress by shedding the theory and putting these principles into practice in a very systematic way. There is no reason why a programme like the Saemaul Undong cannot be activated in India, starting from the grassroots. Such programme can replace multiplicity of rural development programmes.
However, it requires through dedication to the cause of the nation by one and all in a highly patriotic sense. Therefore, the success of such movement must depend upon a collective approach, cutting across political and social affiliations.
High productivity and high quality of output, both are crucial needs in India. There can be no better vehicle than a programme like Saemaul Undong to achieve not only these goals but also to change total outlook of the people from despondency to creative optimism and energetic participation in the task of nation-building.