Taiwan youth ambassadors ready for goodwill tour

2014-09-01

Participants in the International Youth Ambassador Exchange Program staged a showcase presentation Aug. 29 in New Taipei City before embarking on a three-week goodwill tour abroad.

The delegation, comprising 128 students from 44 tertiary institutions throughout Taiwan, is scheduled to depart Sept. 1 for 36 cities in 32 countries. Eight teams of youth ambassadors will each travel through four or five nations in one of the following regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America and West Asia.

“For the sixth edition of our international exchange program, we encourage the youth ambassadors to play a part in expanding the nation’s profile abroad while broadening their horizons,” Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin said during the event at National Taiwan University of Arts.

During the presentation, delegation members demonstrated the results of recently completed 45-day specialized cultural- and communication-orientated training. The ambassadors plan to share their knowledge of the nation’s culture, dance, language and music to audiences from disparate cultural backgrounds.

Lin said through interactions with young people overseas, he expects the delegation to enhance global awareness of Taiwan’s key roles in worldwide cultural exchanges, humanitarian aid, peacemaking, technological innovation, trade and business, as well as upholding the legacy of Chinese civilization.

The youth ambassador exchange program, created in 2009 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has innovated and grown since its launch. This year the ceiling on the number of members per team was raised to maximum 20, up from six in 2013.

The 21-day trips will see participants—selected from 1,284 students from 112 colleges and universities—attend forums, present cultural performances, and visit government agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the host nations.

“By creating opportunities for this kind of international cultural exchange experience, it is hoped the program will contribute building a better appreciation of everything Taiwan has to offer to the world,” Lin said.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=221165&CtNode=413)