How has humanity evolved?
The pyramids, the symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization, couldn’t have existed without the invention of the wheel. Although the oceans comprise around 70% of the Earth’s surface, they were only a place of mystery before the invention of the compass in the 12th century. Likewise, before the invention of Goryeo(918-1392)’s movable metal type in the 13th century, knowledge and information were restricted to the privileged and were beyond the access of ordinary people. In the 19th century, Americans took for granted the misconception that one’s rights and freedoms could be restricted based on the color of skin.
Looking back on the history of mankind, there are many revolutionary moments. What we see as true or common sense was not always perceived the same way. Some truths have been proven false, and some challenges have eventually been overcome by people. Throughout history, our society has evolved through the relentless pursuit of seemingly impossible dreams.
There are a lot of stories about people around the world who had great dreams and took on challenges in the areas of ideas, inventions, explorations, events, and paths. What kinds of dreams do you have now? Are you dreaming of initiating new international exchange or cooperative activities? Like our ancestors, we can create changes for the world by pursuing our dreams. Please join us in our journey toward achieving our dreams. Together, we can make a great difference in the world.
Great Ideas
The great ideas of creating a free and equal society caused tremendous changes: the invention of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, in 1443 for the welfare of illiterate commoners; the birth of modern democracy to uphold civil rights; the Emancipation Proclamation to grant freedom and equality to African-Americans in the United States.
Great Inventions
The great inventions in the pursuit of benefiting all humanity opened up a bigger world: the invention of the compass in the 12th century to open the way to the unknown world; the invention of movable metal type in the 13th century to open access to knowledge and information to the public; the invention of airplanes to open airways in the 20th century; the invention of satellites to open the door to outer space.
Great Explorations
The great explorations of the unknown led to the discoveries of new truths. For example, Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)’s voyage around the world proved that the Earth is round. Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890)’s excavations of Troy proved that the myth was history. David Livingstone (1813-1873)’s expeditions to Africa provided hope for Africans.
Great Events
People’s pursuit of dreams brought about great changes in the history of mankind: the foundation of universities as institutions where people seek knowledge and truths; the March 1st Movement that inspired the Korean people and many others in colonized countries with courage and national consciousness; the fall of the Berlin Wall that opened the way to a peaceful unification by overcoming the legacy of the Cold War era.
Great Paths
Like the Silk Road and ocean routes in the past, nowadays, the Internet plays a crucial role in spreading these great dreams throughout the world and inspiring people to pursue even greater dreams.