[Other] Alumna Kim In-hee, Chairperson of the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation
- Date2021.07.09
- 3918
Alumna Kim In-hee, Chairperson of the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation
Ewha Today’s Ewha DNA alumnae interviews deliver stories about proud members of Ewha who are continuing Ewha’s tradition of being the first and the best in each sector of our society. The distinguished member of Ewha who will be introduced in this issue of Ewha Today is alumna Kim In-hee (English Language and Literature, graduating class of 1980), who previously served consecutive terms as the Vice Chairperson of Good Neighbors and now works as the Chairperson of the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation. Good Neighbors is a global non-government organization (NGO) specializing in children’s rights that is well-known for its projects, such as Hope Letter Campaign and Hope School. The organization was established in 1991 in Korea and has been actively participating in specialized social welfare projects and international development cooperation. This is the story of alumna Kim In-hee who is driving positive changes for the world.
Q. Hello. Could you briefly introduce yourself to members of Ewha?
Nice to meet you all. I was accepted into the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of the College of Humanities at Ewha in March 1976 and graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature (minor in Library Science) in February 1982. I relish this opportunity to reflect on my college days and greet Ewha members more than 41 years after my graduation. I have worked at Good Neighbors, a non-profit specializing in children’s rights, since its foundation until 2018. After retiring from Good Neighbors as the vice chairperson, I joined the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation, where I currently serve as the chairperson.
Q. Could you tell us a little about the NGO Good Neighbors, where you served as the vice chairperson?
Good Neighbors was founded as “Hangukiutsaranghoe” (meaning “Korea Good Neighbors Association” in Korean) in 1991 and marks its 30th anniversary this year. Whereas most NGOs in Korea at the time merely expanded upon the activities of foreign aid organizations, Good Neighbors had a completely domestic beginning and grew into an international NGO in just 30 years. In 1996, Good Neighbors became the first Korean NGO to be granted “General Consultative Status” by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is the highest status that it confers to NGOs. Good Neighbors has maintained the status ever since by submitting an activity report every four years. In addition, it has been attending the annual conference of UN DPI/NGO. In 2007, Good Neighbors was awarded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Award in recognition of its contribution to “achieving universal primary education,” the second goal of the Millennium Development Goals proclaimed by the UN. In 2011, once again for the first time among Korean NGOs, it was selected as an official partner agency of the UN World Food Programme. Based on such credentials and expertise, Good Neighbors is driving positive changes for the world by performing specialized and systematic projects through a global network built across 212 communities in 47 countries around the world.
In 2017, in order to develop into a global NGO based on the experience and capabilities that it has accumulated in Korea, the organization established a global partnership center responsible for the establishment of global policies and support for fundraising and international projects departments. Subsequently, in 2019, the Good Neighbors Global Impact Foundation was established to help resolve social and economic problems and improve the quality of life of residents in the recipient countries of its overseas projects. In 2020, the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation was launched to expand a new type of sharing culture centered around activities such as the donation of inheritance by seniors in a super-aging society in addition to volunteer activities.
Q. You are currently serving as the Chairperson of the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation that was newly established in 2020. Could you tell us what the foundation does?
South Korea is expected to enter into a super-aging society in 2025. In order to adapt to future environmental changes and respond to the demand for sharing and volunteer activities by seniors, Good Neighbors launched the Good Neighbors MIRAE Foundation in September 2020 and provides support for seniors to lead healthy and meaningful lives in their later years. The foundation is currently conducting major projects for senior housing welfare, volunteer organization, post-retirement education, and content promotion, and through these projects, it plans to implement programs such as the realization of the Korean model of senior housing welfare, specialization of senior education and welfare services, establishment of senior social contribution and volunteer activity networks as medium- and long-term projects. In June 11 of last year, the 2021 Senior Future Forum was successfully held under the theme of “Discussing Future-oriented Senior Housing and Lifestyles in an Aging Era,” which was livestreamed on the Good Neighbors YouTube channel over three hours and provided us with an opportunity to directly gauge public interest towards the issue of future-oriented senior housing as 287 people registered in advance to participate in the forum. The forum was the first event organized by the foundation since its launch and we hope that it will lay the ground for developing new services and networks for senior housing.
Q. Can you tell us about your college life when you studied English Language and Literature?
As I mentioned in my brief introduction, I was accepted into the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences track and given free choice over my desired major before advancing into my junior year. As you might imagine, English Language and Literature was a popular major and I remember having 250 classmates in my class. As a result, there was a fierce competition to sign up for major courses at the beginning of each semester, since each course had a limited quota. It also felt as though everyone had to study harder to get good grades at the time.
Q. What is your idea of the Ewha DNA? How did Ewha’s education, spirit, and values impact on you?
I think that the Ewha DNA lies in Ewha’s motto, “Truth, Goodness, Beauty.” While preparing for this interview, I felt proud and happy to reflect on Ewha’s school motto once again. As I graduated from Ewha Girls’ High School, which is a mission school, and was accepted by Ewha Womans University, I began attending a church with my close friend and I have since lived a Christian life. Ewha’s education, spirit, and values are also based on Christianity, represented by the commandment “love God and love your neighbor,” which often comforted me. I think these elements have had a huge impact on me as they enabled me to take on challenges as I wished while remaining true to my feminine values.