◎ Donut Economics Policy Research Session: The Good Life Re-rooting from the Grassroots
🗓 Date: Friday, October 17, 2025, 15:00–17:30 📍 Venue: Neutinamu Library, Suji-gu, Yongin & Online via Zoom
How can Donut Economics take root in our local communities? This session examines the theoretical and policy implications of Donut Economics and introduces concrete cases from around the world. We will then discuss its applicability at the local government level together with policymakers.
Moderator: Hong, Gibin (Global Political Economy Institute) Part 1: Research Presentations (15:00–16:00) [Presentation 1] Donut Economics as a New Policy Discourse Limitations of GDP-centered growth discourse and the significance of Donut Economics as a new paradigm. Introduction of the Donut Portrait as a practical tool and its application cases. – Kim, Sunhyuk (Korea University, Department of Public Administration) – Lee, Kyungmin (Ajou University, Institute of Social Science)
[Presentation 2] Exploring the Potential of Donut Economics to Enhance Social Value Comparison between social value and Donut Economics (social foundation and ecological ceiling). Introduction of the Donut Portrait tool as a means to realize the social value indicator of “democratic participation.” – Lee, Youngwoong (Gyeonggi Research Institute, Local Governance Innovation Research Division)
Designated Discussants Kim, Junghoon (Northern Development Division, Gyeonggi Research Institute) Choi, Jungwoo (Korean Institute of Local Administration, Local Finance Center) Han, Changmook (Yong-in Research Institute, Urban Management Research Division)
Part 2: Open Discussion (16:00–17:30) Sharing participants’ experiences and ideas. Exploring practical ways to connect theory with the field.
Donut Portrait of Our Neighborhood
🗓 Date: Friday, October 17, 2025, 19:00–20:30 📍 Venue: Neutinamu Library & Online via Zoom
A vivid showcase of how Donut Economics is at work in the daily lives of our neighbors.
Neutinamu Library As a platform for community transformation, Neutinamu library’s diverse activities are examined through the lens of the Donut Portrait to reveal their impact on both people and nature.
New Joy School An innovative-alternative school that integrates Donut Economics into its curriculum. Students engage in community mapping and Donut Portrait activities, opening new possibilities for experiential and alternative education.
👉 More groups may join the portrait presentations.
Donut Portrait Toolkit Release A toolkit for anyone to create Donut Portraits of their own community or organization will be introduced and shared. By applying this seemingly complex framework to real life, participants will exchange experiences and ideas. These community portraits can serve as a foundation for quantitative data portraits to measure current conditions and explore improvements.
🗓 Date: Friday, October 17, 2025, 17:45–18:00 📍 Venue: Neutinamu Library & Online via Zoom
the local Daegum ensemble will present a short musical gift. For 15 minutes, the deep and warm sounds of the Daegum will create a moment of shared breath and heartfelt connection among neighbors.
About the Daegum History: A representative Korean traditional wind instrument with about 1,500 years of history. Features: Made of bamboo, its unique vibrating tone comes from a reed membrane attached to the “cheong” hole. Tone: Known for its deep, warm timbre, expressing the spirit of Korean traditional music.
Meaning of the Performance Sharing: A prelude to the main concert in November, offering a moment of musical sharing with neighbors. Memory: Creating special memories within the community through the Daegum’s melodies. Connection: Music brings together people from different backgrounds into a shared experience.
Dinner for Tomorrow: A Shared Meal of Hospitality
🗓 Date: Friday, October 17, 2025, 17:30–19:00 📍 Venue: Neutinamu Library & Online via Zoom
Menu: Gimbap (Korean Rice Rolls) A dish where diverse ingredients harmonize, gimbap is perfect for making and sharing together. Cut into bite-sized pieces, it even resembles donuts—making it the chosen menu for Global Donut Day.
This session is about entering into Korea’s culture of “jeong” (affection and connection) by preparing and sharing food at one table. Even for those joining online, the warmth of the gathering will be shared across screens.
One of the most meaningful sessions of Global Donut Days. Kim, Namhee, the mother of the late Shin, Aejin, a victim of the Itaewon Disaster, shares her story of love and remembrance for her daughter.
This is not merely a book introduction—it is a testimony of people who cared for one another in the darkest times, showing how comfort and solidarity can blossom in small community spaces.
Neutinamu Library has long been connected with bereaved families of national tragedies such as the Sewol Ferry Disaster. Through exhibitions, memorials, and shared meals, the library has stood as a place of comfort and solidarity.
This book talk continues that tradition: a space where silence, tears, and quiet presence are all welcome, offering the strength to take steps forward. Together, we will ask:
What is genuine care? How are our lives interconnected? What does it mean to live together?
We believe that care is not a one-sided act of helping someone, but a mutual practice of giving and receiving, grounded in deep respect and understanding. With this belief, we hope to create a space where genuine encounters and healing can take place.
As wounded hearts gently comfort one another and slowly recover, we reflect on the role the library has played in this process and on how we can continue to embrace and support each other in the days to come.
On the evening of Friday, October 17, we look forward to welcoming you all to the warm embrace of our library.
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Donut Economics Board Games
Two board games that make learning Donut Economics fun! - A Donut Board Game developed by Supungrosangdan - A Donut Board Game developed by Greenpeace
These games help participants understand complex economic concepts in simple and playful ways.
Exhibition: Letter in a Bottle
🗓 Date: October 14 (Tue) – October 17 (Fri), 2025, 10:00–21:00 📍 Venue: Throughout Neutinamu Library
A collaboration between “Breeze Between Us (BBU),” a self-help group for families with developmental disabilities, and AVIAS (African Visual Artists Associates) , an artist group from a Ugandan refugee camp.
After meeting at last year’s Global Donut Days, the two groups have continued building friendships across distance. This exhibition shares their ongoing story through children’s drawings and photographs.
