Hope Institute :: Greetings

Yet we are still living with hope.

Greetings,

I am Jae-Seung Park, chairman of the board, the Hope Institute.
It is my pleasure to meet you on our website.
The Hope Institute was established in the year 2006 with the slogan “21st century pragmatism”. It has been a rough journey for us to make a more democratic and creative society. But now we are known as an organization that suggests the innovative path of our society. Though we have had many obstacles, we have made bigger growth and meanwhile, we have presented alternatives for the country’s structural paradox and illness and have practiced them. We have been trying to make a difference in the real world beyond relying on enormous discourses or abstract theories, even when we have been suffering.
We have been trying to innovate the society with the creative ideas of citizens and have helped the local public leaders grow their capacity. In addition, we have been regenerating local areas and fostering social enterprises.
Now, the Hope Institute is once again on a new chapter. We have never forgotten our original intention. We promised ourselves to find alternatives with citizens in a view of citizens beyond criticism
The Hope Institute will expand its landscape wider, from the basis of field experience and achievement. We believe that research has to be conducted around people and from the field.
Our goal is to make a society in which an individual has his or her proper human rights, a place where small things are considered important, and where citizens are the ones who lead the community.
In order to achieve the goals, we will design policies dealing with the core issues of the community and act on the basis of our rules.
We believe that the capacity of a civil society determines how mature the society is, so we are trying to broaden outlook further. Some might say that what the Hope Institute pursues is separate from the “fundamental” or the “structure” of the society, but we will drive forward without any doubt.
That is because we believe that maturity is only developed in the process of experimentation, confronting challenges and learning from trial and error.
We will always remember our initial intention. With a humble and genuine attitude, we will keep reflecting ourselves and look back at the goals we had at the beginning.
We will go forward step by step restlessly for a better future.

Thank you.
Jae-Seung, Park
Chairman of the board, The Hope Institute.