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Young volunteers' work feted

Volunteers from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, accompanied by Aboriginal children from Majia Township, Pingtung County, take photos as they receive an award on the eve of the Global Youth Service Day. PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Thousands of youth volunteers gathered in Taipei yesterday to kick off the annual National Youth Commission award ceremony for outstanding service groups in Taiwan.

The top groups from each of the 11 categories received a NT$30,000 "red envelope" and a chance to see one of their group members represent the nation during an overseas international volunteer exchange trip next summer.

Commission Chairwoman Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) said the nation has been an avid participant in the Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) since the program began in 2002.

"In the past five years NYC has received more than 7,000 project proposals and more than 100,000 volunteers have engaged in various types of work. This goes to show that youth is a strong source of power in making our world a better place," she said.

GYSD is an annual global event organized by Youth Service America and the Global Youth Action Network to empower youths by promoting voluntary service at the local and international level.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) also lauded the country's young volunteers and vowed to be a life-long volunteer himself.

"I began a nationwide push for volunteer services after the devastating earthquake in 1991. My efforts didn't flag in the last six years and I will continue to promote volunteer work in future," Chen said.

Chen said Taiwan is a model country for volunteer work, as it became the first country in Asia and the second in the world to enact the Volunteer Service Act (志願服務法) in 2001 to better integrate volunteers at all levels of society and make the best use of available resources.

GYSD statistics show that Taiwan ranks No. 4 in world in youth volunteer participation, the president said, encouraging the participants at the ceremony to further magnify the spirit of volunteer services and help Taiwan win the bid to host the GYSD Global Conference in future.

National Pingtung University of Science and Technology's department of social work received three honors this year for its Aboriginal children outreach program, doggie companionship project and work with juvenile delinquents.

The "Taiwan Students Without Border," launched three years ago by a group of students at Kaohisung Medical University, won first place in the international service category for its medical project in Malawi this summer.
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