Feb. 11, 2011 - Source: Afronline.org
Rural poverty has been a persistent affliction faced by the majority of sub-Saharan African countries. It has hampered the development efforts of most of the region and has invariably led to the proliferation of feelings of hopelessness and indifference among those affected by it.
Arguably, a world view of hopelessness is not conducive to development. Many development models have failed to deliver sub-Saharan Africa from rural poverty due to their disregard for the emotions and attitudes of the populace.
The Saemaul Undong initiative is credited with playing an important role in the eradication of rural poverty in South Korea. Parts of the DRC have recently adopted this initiative and produced some progress. The Saemaul Undong initiative therefore holds much potential for the African continent’s future.
Saemaul Undong in South KoreaCountries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan managed to free themselves from rural poverty despite being on relatively equal terms with sub-Saharan Africa in the 1950’s. South Korea did so despite the devastation of the Korean War, through the adoption of rural village programmes. South Korea initiated Saemaul Undong in the 1970’s while a similar idea, the ‘One Village, One Product’ Movement, was conceived in Japan.
South Korea’s Saemaul Undong was particularly successful considering the context within which it occurred. Before the initiation of Saemaul Undong by the Park Chung-hee regime in the 1950s and 1960s, the country was ravaged by rural poverty, and with the majority of the national population based on farms at the time, the effect of rural poverty was huge.
The consequent inequality between urban and rural areas increased the possibility of urban areas becoming increasingly unstable as much of the rural population swarmed to urban areas in search of better lives.
Since South Korea lacks abundant natural resources, this was not a possible solution to rural poverty. The government of the time was relatively destitute and foreign aid was insufficient. Naturally, the rural population suffered from feelings of hopelessness and indifference.
South Korea could only free itself from rural poverty through the awakening and participation of its population, specifically the rural population. Park Chung-hee’s government realised this and subsequently initiated Saemaul Undong with the hope of inspiring the rural population and thereby facilitating self-sustained progress within rural communities.
Saemaul Undong emphasised values like diligence, which it contended would lead to sincerity and the awakening of a pioneer spirit, or the awakening of a strong will; self-help, which it held would awaken a sense of responsibility, and communal and social responsibility by extension; and cooperation, which it posited would lead to dispositions toward unity and efficiency being awakened. The primary objectives were infrastructure building, spiritual enlightenment and social interaction, the improvement of living standards, and income increase. A type of holistic education was hence emphasised.
By Casper Hendrik Claassen
Casper Hendrik Claassen is a researcher for Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI), a South African-based research and strategy firm with a focus on social, health, political and economic trends and developments in Africa.
Rural poverty has been a persistent affliction faced by the majority of sub-Saharan African countries. It has hampered the development efforts of most of the region and has invariably led to the proliferation of feelings of hopelessness and indifference among those affected by it.
Arguably, a world view of hopelessness is not conducive to development. Many development models have failed to deliver sub-Saharan Africa from rural poverty due to their disregard for the emotions and attitudes of the populace.
The Saemaul Undong initiative is credited with playing an important role in the eradication of rural poverty in South Korea. Parts of the DRC have recently adopted this initiative and produced some progress. The Saemaul Undong initiative therefore holds much potential for the African continent’s future.
Saemaul Undong in South KoreaCountries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan managed to free themselves from rural poverty despite being on relatively equal terms with sub-Saharan Africa in the 1950’s. South Korea did so despite the devastation of the Korean War, through the adoption of rural village programmes. South Korea initiated Saemaul Undong in the 1970’s while a similar idea, the ‘One Village, One Product’ Movement, was conceived in Japan.
South Korea’s Saemaul Undong was particularly successful considering the context within which it occurred. Before the initiation of Saemaul Undong by the Park Chung-hee regime in the 1950s and 1960s, the country was ravaged by rural poverty, and with the majority of the national population based on farms at the time, the effect of rural poverty was huge.
The consequent inequality between urban and rural areas increased the possibility of urban areas becoming increasingly unstable as much of the rural population swarmed to urban areas in search of better lives.
Since South Korea lacks abundant natural resources, this was not a possible solution to rural poverty. The government of the time was relatively destitute and foreign aid was insufficient. Naturally, the rural population suffered from feelings of hopelessness and indifference.
South Korea could only free itself from rural poverty through the awakening and participation of its population, specifically the rural population. Park Chung-hee’s government realised this and subsequently initiated Saemaul Undong with the hope of inspiring the rural population and thereby facilitating self-sustained progress within rural communities.
Saemaul Undong emphasised values like diligence, which it contended would lead to sincerity and the awakening of a pioneer spirit, or the awakening of a strong will; self-help, which it held would awaken a sense of responsibility, and communal and social responsibility by extension; and cooperation, which it posited would lead to dispositions toward unity and efficiency being awakened. The primary objectives were infrastructure building, spiritual enlightenment and social interaction, the improvement of living standards, and income increase. A type of holistic education was hence emphasised.
By Casper Hendrik Claassen
Casper Hendrik Claassen is a researcher for Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI), a South African-based research and strategy firm with a focus on social, health, political and economic trends and developments in Africa.
