Tom Goldtooth | Nuestro Ambiente | Poetry Slam
EJ Theater Troupe | South Africa | South Korea

The International Symposium for Sharing a Productive Welfare Experience
Seoul, Korea
September 6-7, 2001

Dr. Bunyan Bryant was one of 12 scholars from across the world to be invited by the Korean government to present his paper entitled "Environmental Justice and the Quality of Life: A Paper Prepared for the International Symposium for Sharing a Productive Welfare Experience." The Symposium held in Seoul was sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs, and the World Bank. In 1997, the Republic of Korea had a financial crisis that showed that existing welfare policies that relied economic growth were inadequate, particularly in the face of economic downturn. The Korean government felt the market and democracy were not enough to maintain social and political stability. A different and more responsive and effective welfare system was needed in order to provide stability. Dr. Bryant was asked to write a paper on environmental justice and quality of life to be included as a part of the discourse on a productive welfare experience. The Symposium ended when President Kim Dae-jung hosted the group of scholars for dinner in the Blue House.