Designing a Culture of Empathy and Peace
Our Journey Forward Since 1999
How can we become better, together?
There are 7 billion of us sharing one earth, and each of us has our own culture. While culture takes on unique forms with respect to geography and time, every culture shares the common desire to live healthily,
beautifully and wonderfully in a community. We all desire happiness.
With the dawning of the age of empathy and collaboration, World Culture Open(WCO) was launched as a cultural initiative in 1999 to realize our humanity’s wish to make a “better world” together by exchanging various ideas and methods to realize such vision.
Practicing and researching to realize a better world together
After the initial launch, WCO conducted several milestone projects. We discovered and introduced everyday heroes making the world a better place through online social networks.
In 2004, we hosted the WCO Global Festival in New York, and invited cultural artists and organizations from around the world. In 2006, WCO, along with United Nations Development Organization, organized the ‘Conference on Creative Economy for Development’ and the ‘Culture Ministers Forum’ in Rwanda, to explore possibilities for economic development in Africa with their creative potential.
With the purpose to utilize unused urban spaces as cultural spaces for citizens, the C!here space sharing movement was launched in 2001. The movement has spread to various cities and regions such as Maryland, New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, and Jeju ever since.
More than thousands of regional artists and residents have participated in developing and enjoying their own cultures.
Up to 2017, we, along with various organizations and individuals in the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia and East Asia have cultivated varied platforms for international and regional projects for cultural
exchange and support. Through these projects, we created open opportunities where global citizens could empathize and collaborate with one another.
For several decades, we have hosted small and large-scale projects that facilitate cultural exchange, empathy, sharing, and communication. Along the way, we have met many active creative partners that advocate for the greater good for all.
People designing a better future and a better world
People who seek change with their own passions and creativity by leaping over conventions; people who candidly see the world beyond the boundaries of social and ideological prejudices; people who strive to spread positive influence and energy in every way, knowing their choice of thoughts and actions can affect others.
These people are Culture Designers. They are designing a better future and a better world, through creating their own culture in various corners of the globe.
When these people confidently unfold their unique passion and engage in creative collaboration, won’t we be able to find ways to break down the walls between countries, ideologies, religions and races? Won’t we be
able to help all citizens be happier together?
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”
WCO will continue to discover and support Culture Designers who work painstakingly to change the world. Together, we will find ways to creatively solve various challenges of the globe. We hope that our passion for the greater good for all will spread and connect the rest of our global village, bringing us together in greater unity.