Lu wants Taiwan's volunteers to think about going global

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday called on Taiwan's volunteer workers to expand their good work into the international arena. She made the call in a speech at yesterday's launching of the International Association for Volunteer Effort, Taiwan (IAVE Taiwan).

"We hope that Taiwan's volunteers will contribute their work to the international community and upgrade Taiwan's status as an international island," Lu said in her speech.

Some 30 Taiwanese voluntary organizations jointly founded IAVE Taiwan yesterday, in the hope that the organization will serve as a bridge for exchanges and cooperation with voluntary organizations worldwide. Vice President Lu and Liz Burns, the president of IAVE Worldwide, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, both attended the launch yesterday.

Wu Ing-ming (吳英明), president of the newly founded Taiwan branch, echoed the vice-president in calling for Taiwan's voluntary work to acquire an international dimension.

"While we are considered to be a successfully democratized country, Taiwan should concern itself with [internationally] sensitive issues and not just focus on the homeland itself. People who truly love Taiwan should contribute to human society," said Wu in his speech at the event.

The organization comprises well-known voluntary organizations in Taiwan, including the Garden of Hope Foundation, which works to prevent child prostitution, and several of the nation's youth volunteer centers.

IAVE Taiwan plans to participate in activities organized by IAVE Worldwide, develop cooperation with South East Asian countries, train local volunteers to operate overseas, and integrate high-technology into the local voluntary sector.

The IAVE was founded in Washington. It has 96 member countries and it is the only international organization promoting volunteer work worldwide. The organization has been accorded "special status" by the UN's Economic and Social Development Committee, for which it coordinates volunteer training and promotes volunteer work.

Also in her speech yesterday, the vice-president described herself as a volunteer for Taiwan's women's liberation movement and Taiwan's democratization movement.

She added that "since the vice president has no real power, I am effectively a volunteer in my current position."

President Chen Shui-bian has tried to promote volunteer work as a means of raising Taiwan's international profile. Much of IAVE Taiwan's funding comes from the Asia Pacific Public Affairs Forum, itself funded by the National Youth Commission under the Executive Yuan.

IAVE Taiwan is now seeking candidates for the Taiwan delegation to the 17th IAVE world volunteer conference, which will be held from November 11-15 in Seoul, South Korea.