(목요모임) [June 26, 2014]_Thursday Meeting Topic

[Scarlet]

Hello ! Englisholic members !

This week, our topics are about 'Peace', 'Happiness' and 'Senior felony & suicide'.

Thoreau warned us that the important thing is

not "how fast you run,"

but "where are you headed for."

Sometimes, we have to stop to figure out which direction will be better for us

instead of running without deep thinking. And that's why I am doing meditation alone 

once in a while whatever the others are talking to me.

For the direction of our future society, those topics are some of the crucial factors to be discussed.

I hope you find your interests in those issues.

Peace

LOVE

Scarlett  

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 [Graphic News] Two Koreas slip in peace ranking

South Korea saw its ranking plunge on a famed global peace index this year on the back of the North’s persistent military threats that heightened cross-border tension, a report said Thursday.

The index by Institute for Economics and Peace, a non-profit think tank headquartered in Sydney, put South Korea in 52nd place among 162 countries, down six notches from last year. The North rose two spots to rank 153rd.

On a 1-5 scale, where a lower score means greater peace, South and North Korea fetched 1.849 and 3.071 points this year, respectively, based on 22 indicators including relations with neighbors, military spending and the level of violent crimes.

Iceland again topped the list with 1.189 points, followed by Denmark with 1.193, Austria with 1.200 and New Zealand with 1.236.

Article source : http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140619000713

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< Questions >

Q1. Do you know what the global peace index? Do you know where your country ranked ?

Q2. What is your own definition of 'Peace'? Do you think risky atmosphere of Korean peninsula

       cause unstable phychological status of the Nations? What is the advantages and disadvantages

       of our circumstances of the peninsula?

Q3. Have you ever thought about the 'Unification of the two Korea nations'?

       Do you agree or disagree with the concept?

Q4. What could be the advantages and disadvantages of unification of two Koreas?

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 World Happiness Report 2013 Ranks Happiest Countries Around Globe

The happiest people in the world apparently reside in northern Europe, according to a 156-nation survey published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Released Monday, the 2013 World Happiness Report ranks the happiest countries around the globe, with Denmark, Norway and Switzerland leading the pack. Among North American countries, Canada took sixth place, while Mexico (16) slightly outranked the U.S. (17). The report is the second of its kind released by a coalition of researchers including John F. Helliwell of the University of British Columbia and Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the London School of Economics's Richard Layard and Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute. The team drew upon Gallup World Poll data from the the past three years to rank the 156 countries on aspects such as healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices and social support.

In 2012, Denmark also took the top spot, receiving the highest combined score on a scale of zero through 10. This year, scores range from 2.936 (Togo) to 7.693 (Denmark). Compared to last year, the 2013 World Happiness Report includes more detailed analysis in a bid to guide policymakers to take the well-being of citizens into account when making decisions.

"There is now a rising worldwide demand that policy be more closely aligned with what really matters to people as they themselves characterize their well-being," Sachs said in a released statement.

The U.N. initiative released its findings ahead of the opening of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, set for later this month.

Article source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/world-happiness-report-happiest-countries_n_3894041.html

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< Questions >

Q1. What is your own difinition for the 'Happiness' ? Are you happy with your status-quo?

Q2. Currently, many people who were pursuing 'Materialism' before have felt emtiness in their lives.

       And that's why national body want to figure out what is the 'Happiness' to help them out.

       According to the article, happiness is a robust combination of higher life expectancy,

       gross domestic product per capita, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices and

       lower perceptions of corruption.

       Do you think what is the requirements for being happy for you ?

Q3. Do you think people in Denmark are happier than the people in Togo which is placed in 156th?

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 [Editorial] Elderly crime

Tighter safety net needed for seniors

 

It may be normal for the number of elderly crimes to increase in an aging society. Korea is no exception to this phenomenon, with the proportion of aged people in its population rising at the fastest pace in the world.
What differentiates Korea from other societies is that it has seen a sharp increase in felonies by the elderly.

Over the past decade, the number of robbery and rape cases committed by senior citizens has grown fourfold,

government figures show. Arson and murder have also increased by 2.7 times and twofold, respectively.
Another alarming statistic is that about 60 percent of elderly offenders did not have criminal records before committing their crimes.

The issue of elderly crime drew attention again last month when two men aged 81 and 71 were arrested separately for setting fire to a provincial nursing home and a subway train in Seoul. Experts attribute the increase in elderly crime here largely to financial difficulties and a feeling of isolation. Better physical conditions are also cited as a reason for the growing number of offenses committed by senior citizens.

The poverty ratio of people aged 65 and above stands at 48.5 percent in Korea, the highest in the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In a possible reflection of their hardships, the suicide rate of elderly Koreans is also the highest among major advanced nations. More than 80 out of 100,000 people aged 65 and older committed suicide here in 2010, compared with an OECD average of 20.9.

Given that the reasons cited by experts are common in most aging societies, one wonders why Korea has seen particularly high levels of felonies and suicide among elderly citizens.

An explanation is that Korean elderly men are especially frustrated with and have more difficulty adapting to the rapid demise of the patriarchal culture amid the collapse of the traditional extended family system. This phenomenon, coupled with their short-tempered nature and anger with what they consider to be improper treatment, may cause some aged people to take extreme actions.

But the more fundamental factor behind elderly problems here may be the lack of an effective social system to provide support for them at a time when traditional family roles cannot be relied upon.

The senior citizens being driven into a corner today were the ones who made it possible for the country to ascend from the ruins of the 1950-53 Korean War and become a major global economic power. As their contributions helped bring about its current prosperity, Korean society has the obligation to do all it can to help ease the predicament of the elderly.

More serious efforts should be made to implement a set of policies to tighten the social safety net for impoverished and ailing senior citizens. True, expanding benefits for the elderly in an aging society with a decreasing workforce may be easier said than done. The country’s ratio of older dependents aged 65 and above to the working-age population aged 15-64 is forecast to increase from 15 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in 2030 and further to 70 percent in 2050.

Building a sustainable system of support under this demographic constraint requires effective policies to boost the overall productivity of the economy and accept more skillful immigrant workers. Well-designed programs are also needed to provide senior citizens with more opportunities to land jobs in which they can use their experience.

Article source : http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140618000807

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< Questions >

Q1. In this article, under the condition of fast paced changing society, youngsters have tendency to

       ignore the old generations who were used to the confucianism based society and that cause

       the troubles with old generations such as anger management issues causing crime and suicide.

       Do you think what could be the solutions for senior crime or suicide?

       To tackle those troubles among society members, what can be prepared by the government,

       nongovernmental organization and every member of society?

Q2. Compare to the young generations, what are the strength and weakness of senior groups?

       Generally speaking, the eldely have more wisdom than the young. And some said that  we can 

       take advantage of their practical experiences to troubleshoot tricky social issues.

       Do you agree with this opinion? If you have any detailed cases plz share with us on that.

Q3. Do you know any social welfare system focusing on senior citizen?

       Plz share with us. Are you preparing for your old days? 

       If not, do you have any plans to prepare in the near future?

Q4. It is obious that everyone is getting old. Oneday I will be the elderly. But if there is no social

       system to support me or no place to hire me, that will make me feel gloomy. 

       To construct virtuous life circle between the old generations and the young generations,

       what is required ?