In recognition of International Human Rights Day, a fair will be held in front of the Presidential Office on Sunday to promote understanding of human rights in a fun and educational way.
"In the past, the topic of human rights has always been overshadowed by sadness, and people have tended to associate human rights with the February 28 Incident or the White Terror," said Hsu Ying-shen (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"We are hoping that by holding this fair, we will be able to approach human rights issues in a more light-hearted way, while still providing the public with important information," Hsu said.
International Human Rights Day falls on Dec. 10. The human rights fair to be held on Sunday includes jazz dancing, Aboriginal ritual dances and pop music performances. Hakka and Aboriginal cuisine will also be available.
The highlight of the event will be the more than 100 stalls that will offer educational activities allowing children to learn more about human rights.
"Each child will be given a passport which he or she can carry around when visiting different stalls. After visiting each stall, the child will have his or her passport stamped. There are also questions at the end of the passport for the child to check what he or she has learned about human rights throughout the day," said Chen Tu-chin (陳土金), director of the Taiwan Folk and Community Development Council.
Interior minister spokeswoman Huang Hsiu-mei (黃秀美) said that the fair was part of the government's efforts to improve the human rights outlook for all.
"The ministry has implemented a number of policies to promote human rights. We care very much about the rights of minority groups. And in a recent survey by the Chinese Association for Human Rights, the rights of senior citizens, children and mothers were found to have been greatly improved," she said.
"It is a sign that our efforts are paying off. But the ministry will work even harder to improve human rights in our country," she added.
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