Inclusive society

This is the project of awareness raising, education and connection that MAP runs to reduce misunderstanding and fear of refugees and to build the social foundation on which refugees and citizens can live together. It is for youth and young adults, citizens, volunteers, practitioners who assist refugees, and activists who are refugees themselves.

Ongoing

Background

A society that receives refugees is not built by law and institutions alone. The international community has stressed integration into the host society as a sustainable solution for refugee protection, and its foundation is a civic culture that respects difference and lives together as neighbors.

In Korean society, refugees are often regarded as “strange others” and meet exclusion and prejudice before hospitality. Even when citizens want to understand and support refugees, it is not easy to meet refugees directly or to find ways to take part.

MAP creates places where young people, citizens, volunteers and refugee supporters can meet and learn from refugees directly. As the number of people who stand in solidarity with refugees in their own place through peace camps, education and volunteering grows, the foundation of a society where refugees and citizens live together is laid.

What we do

Democratic citizenship, human rights and peace education, and the Peace Academy

MAP provides democratic citizenship, human rights and peace education through teacher training, youth lectures and community education, with refugee activists taking part as lecturers. The Peace Academy offers lectures and discussions for refugee activists and practitioners who assist refugees.

2023-2024
Global Citizen Peace Camp

MAP holds, together with the Jeonju YMCA, a camp where refugees and Korean young adults and youth stay together.

2019, 2020, 2023-2026Jeonju YMCA, Jeonju YMCA Inhu Youth Center
Dialogue with Refugees

Events where refugee speakers share their lives and talk with participants, held at schools, universities, libraries, churches and other places. It began in 2019 as a human library and was renamed in February 2023.

More

since 2019
Borderless Day

A program where youth organizations from across the country and refugees living in Korea meet in one place and share their lives and thoughts. MAP goes to the youth organizations' spaces.

2026
DISPLACED, a newsletter on refugee issues

A newsletter with news on issues, research and culture concerning refugees and involuntary migration at home and abroad.

More

since 2021

History

2015
In March, MAP started out preparing a Jumma fashion show under the name faBrick Project, and in July it began its work under the name MAP. In November, it held the photo exhibition <Old Neighbors, 1994~>, which introduced the Jumma refugee community.
2016
From August to December, with support from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, MAP ran the Seongnam Asia Peace Leader Dream School, which offered human rights education for youth and training in peaceful conflict resolution. On World Refugee Day in June, it held a refugee march flash mob.
2017
To mark World Refugee Day in June, MAP held the photo exhibition <Songs of Border Children>. From September to December, it ran the Seongnam Asia Peace Leader Dream School.
2018
In the year when controversy over Yemeni refugees grew, MAP widened its occasions for meeting citizens with lectures on hatred of and hospitality to refugees, and on November 3 held the Peace Leader Human Library <Reading People>. From July to November, it ran the Seongnam Asia Peace Leader Dream School.
2019
MAP began the Human Library with Refugees, in which a refugee becomes a living book and tells citizens about their own life. After 13 refugees became human books and the first event was held on June 20, the library was held 21 times in nine cities and met more than 850 people.
2020
In its second year, the Human Library was held mainly online amid COVID-19: 17 refugees held it 20 times in 11 cities, and there were 829 readers. In August, MAP held the Global Citizen Peace Camp in Yeosu, with Korean young people and refugee young adults.
2021
In January, MAP published the first issue of <DISPLACED>, a specialist newsletter on refugees and involuntary migrants. The Human Library was held 30 times in 14 cities by 18 refugees, and there were 2,036 readers. In June, it released a World Refugee Day campaign video.
2022
In the fourth year of the Human Library, 16 refugees became human books and it was held 32 times in 14 cities, meeting 1,410 citizens. In June, MAP co-hosted <Reading ‘Refugees, People, Books’> with the visual arts activist Jeram.
2023
In February, MAP changed the project name from the Human Library with Refugees to Dialogue with Refugees. 16 refugees spoke as presenters at 29 dialogue events, and 2,016 people took part. MAP began the Peace Academy, running a 10-session course for people who assist refugees and another for activists who are refugees themselves.
2024
Dialogue with Refugees was held 21 times in 11 cities, with 1,559 local residents taking part, 77% of them youth. The Peace Academy ran in 10 sessions, with 231 people who assist refugees taking part. In July, MAP and Jeonju YMCA held a three-day peace camp at the Borderline Peace School in Cheorwon, with 34 participants from 11 countries including Korea.
2025
Dialogue with Refugees continued in middle and high schools, universities, libraries and churches, and in November MAP also took part as a panelist at the Busan International Peace Forum. In July, it held the Global Citizen Peace Camp in Jeonju and Jinan with 31 participants.
2026
MAP began Borderless Day, where youth organizations and refugees meet in one space, and recruited participating organizations in April and May; the selected organizations hold their events between June and November. In July, it held the Global Citizen Peace Camp at Bongha Village in Gimhae on the theme of "hatred."

In numbers

29 events: Dialogue with Refugees events in 2023
2,016 people: Dialogue with Refugees participants in 2023
31 people: Participants in the 2025 Global Citizen Peace Camp
10 lectures: Number of Peace Academy lectures in 2024 (the last lecture was announced as the tenth)
about 42.3%: Average DISPLACED open rate in 2023