Shoes of Hope Festival to be Held
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Korean youth organization MIZY (Myeong-dong Information Zone for Youth) Center is holding its Shoes of Hope Festival from today until Oct. 29 at Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul.
Shoes of Hope is a donation program through which sneakers decorated and painted by donators and participants are delivered to underprivileged children around the world. It was founded by the non-profit organization Art Miles Mural Project and was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an international program supporting hope, peace and culture.
The MIZY Center has been carrying out the program since 2007. In 2007 and 2008, Korea delivered more than 5,000 shoes to young soldiers and teenagers in Uganda and Bangladesh. It received the Earth Trustee Award from the U.N. affiliate Earth Society Foundation last year for its dedication and work regarding the Shoes of Hope program.
The festival this year includes colorful events, including a Shoes of Hope Exhibition and a Shoes of Hope Design Contest.
The exhibition will display colorful sneakers that were painted and decorated by participants of programs held from August at high schools, universities and culture centers around the country. The exhibition will be held at Cheonggye Plaza and 12,000 pairs of sneakers will be sent to Cambodia this December.
Those who want to join the meaningful event should visit the plaza. Shoes are provided by the organization. If you take a photo of the shoes and post it on the program's Web site (www.shoesofhope.or.kr ), you can win a special prize.