The Taiwan chapter of Democrats Abroad, the US Democratic Party organization for millions of US expatriates, recently announced that Democrats Abroad Taiwan (DAT) has been approved as the organization’s new country committee.
DAT executive committee consists of five enthusiastic leaders, including John Eastwood, a law firm partner who serves as DAT chairman, and Justine Chen, a senior policy researcher who serves as DAT vice chairwoman, a press release issued by the group said.
Other DAT members are: Michael Turton, DAT secretary; Josh Davis, an MBA student at National Sun Yat-sen University who is DAT treasurer; and David Bell, a graduate student in Chinese history at National Taiwan University who serves as DAT counsel.
Christine Schon Marques, international chairwoman of Democrats Abroad, said in the press release that members of the organization are pleased to welcome the establishment of DAT.
“Taiwan’s technology sector makes it home to many Americans, and in fact, many Democrats living abroad,” Marques said. “We know that under John Eastwood’s leadership, DAT will bring a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to the entire organization and will help expand the number of Democrats in Congress in 2010.”
Eastwood said that in the days after the US invaded Iraq, anyone who expressed serious concerns about what the country was doing would have their patriotism questioned.
“Although Democrats Abroad had previously been active in Taiwan, we had to start over in those difficult years,” Eastwood said.
By organizing social events, Eastwood said, he and like-minded friends living in Taiwan created a comfortable atmosphere for fellow Americans to talk about what was happening to their country politically.
When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, they began gaining some real momentum to further expand the scale of their activities.
Eastwood worked with longtime member Tammy Turner to organize a series of events and provide overseas voting information to fellow Democrats through elections in 2004, 2006 and last year. The effort received a boost when Bell and Cynthia Teeters joined forces with other Democrats to start efforts to establish DAT.
Democrats Abroad has committees throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Antipodes. These country committees keep Americans abroad informed of their rights and help them participate in the US political process.
The DAT will hold a Fourth of July fundraising party in Kaohsiung on Saturday.
The event, held at a bar close to Kaohsiung Railway Station, is open to anyone wishing to enjoy live music performance and drinks.
Americans can purchase a NT$400 donation ticket and participate in the raffle, the event’s organizer said.
The raffle will feature some Obama/Democrat-related items, including inauguration memorabilia.
For more information, visit www.democratsabroadtaiwan.org.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS