Jo Mijeong is conducting ‘Awareness Improvement Activity of Yard Dogs and Abandoned Animals -- We Are Alive, Too’, as a follow-up project for Wanju-type cultural diversity. Last year, under the theme of ‘Can Pets Living in Rural Areas Improve Their Quality of Life?’, we tried to suggest the idea that a cultural approach is needed suitable for the characteristics of rural communities, conducting a small research project on cultural diversity. And, this year, we are promoting this project in the sense of expansion and practice of last year's research.

"This project is largely filled with three contents. First of all, we are producing stop motion animations to improve residents’ awareness of yard dogs, street cats, and abandoned dogs. They are about 30 seconds long and will be made for social media campaigns. Activists for abandoned animals are participating in drawing pictures and collaborating with us to make the animations. We are also preparing a program to make handmade snacks for pet dogs to donate to abandoned dog shelters, and also to a flea market to sell snacks. Every program focuses on improving people's awareness of yard dogs, abandoned dogs and street cats that live with us."

The digital dictionary defines that cultural diversity covers almost all cultural differences between people. It's not an easy concept. I wondered what cultural diversity means for Jo Mijeong, who is working on a Wanju-type cultural diversity practice project following a small study on cultural diversity.

"I don't know if I understand it properly, but I thought that cultural diversity means respecting and acknowledging that people and animals live their lives as they are. In that context, my research project is also about the quality of life of animals living in rural areas. It's not hard to find out what's wrong seeing a yard dog tied up in the yard. Yard dogs can become much happier by making short leashes longer, providing clean water whenever the dog needs it, making a good platform on the bottom of a dog cage, and widening the roof to stop the dog getting wet when it rains. If that makes their lives any better, wouldn't our cultural diversity expand further?"

Jo Mijeong moved to Wanju in 2014. Since 2006, she worked as an official at the Jeonbuk Sustainable Development Council for more than 10 years, and also worked as a staff member at Wanju-gun’s Community Support Center for two years. Although the contents and methods of work were different, she said that she experienced various forms of governance to strengthen the sustainability of our society and the solidarity of the community.

Even before conducting a small study on cultural diversity, Jo Mijeong had been active as a famous cat mom in Gosan. By chance, she adopted two abandoned cats and raised them, and she happened to see the street cats living near her house. While taking care of them, she got to learn about the existence of more street cats, and that made her enter the irreversible path of a cat mother.

"Now, I feed cats here and there and do neutering surgery at about 5 places. At first, I tried to handle it by myself. However, it's hard to manage it properly all by myself. Now that I have people with me, I'm not having a hard time anymore. Recently, I have been volunteering at an abandoned animal shelter. I wasn't always like that, but I think I changed myself little by little. Anyway, I think taking care of cats is easier in the country than in the city. I hope my research and activities can help improve the quality of life of pets living together with us, even if just a little. To do that, improving people's awareness is the most important thing."