Ma praises young volunteers for overseas work

2014-12-09

President Ma Ying-jeou lauded the contributions made by Taiwan youth to charitable causes worldwide Dec. 7 and called for greater volunteer engagement to carry this work forward.

“Volunteers offer a helping hand through sharing effort, knowledge and time,” the president said. “By participating in a vast array of cultural, humanitarian and peacekeeping projects overseas, Taiwan’s young volunteers have helped cement the nation’s presence in the international arena.”

Ma delivered his remarks at the annual celebration of the Ministry of Education’s Youth Volunteer Service for Regional Peace in Taipei City. He praised the program for having rallied over 1.14 million volunteers to its cause since its founding in 2008, noting that more than 10,000 Taiwan young people have engaged in philanthropic work abroad through the MOE initiative.

“Since I took office in 2008, the ROC government has been committed to being a peace builder, provider of humanitarian aid, promoter of cultural exchanges, creator of new technologies and business opportunities and standard-bearer of Chinese cultural heritage,” Ma said.

The dedicated and sustained efforts made by Taiwan youth volunteers in aiding the nation’s diplomatic partners are especially praiseworthy, the president added. He singled out the exemplary services of Mei Hsiao and Lin Fang-yu in Sao Tome and Principe and Tuvalu, respectively, as epitomes of such endeavors.

“Their tireless contributions in places where it is most needed not only serves to illustrate the breadth of mind and perspective held by our people but has also helped enhance our international ties.”

Aside from overseas work, Taiwan’s robust volunteering resources have also benefitted domestic causes such as disaster relief and education in remote regions, Ma said.

“MOE statistics show that this year has seen approximately 23,000 students from tertiary institutions around Taiwan offer volunteer services in remote regions assisting more than 56,000 schoolchildren with a variety of activities.”

The president said he expects the range of volunteer work in Taiwan to further expand with greater participation by people from all walks of life.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224977&CtNode=413)