A campaign was launched yesterday to encourage people to pray for Taiwan to help it weather natural disasters and adversities like Typhoon Morakot, which caused widespread destruction last month, and the deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Sept. 21, 1999.
Popular writer and women’s rights advocate Shih Chi-ching (施寄青), attorney Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) and former deputy minister of national defense Lin Chong-pin (林中斌) held a news conference yesterday to launch the “Natural Disaster No More” prayer campaign.
Shih invited people to pray for Taiwan to help it tide over disasters, including disease outbreaks, such as the A(H1N1) flu epidemic.
“Small individual wishes can converge into big power,” she said.
The trio has set up a “Taiwan 919” Web site at www.taiwan919.org where people can post their wishes for Taiwan or what they want to do for Taiwan.
The Web site is named for the day — Sept. 19 — that Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Protestant and Catholic representatives will gather for a prayer activity at the Taipei Youth Activity Center.
Shih said those who do not know how to use a computer may fax their prayers for Taiwan to 02-2311-6263.
The public is also welcome to take part in the “Taiwan 919” campaign, Yu said.
Meanwhile, with the approach of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 21, 1999 earthquake that killed more than 2,400 people, many governmental agencies have planned public activities to commemorate the day.
The events include an international seminar on disaster emergency management scheduled for Sept. 17 to Sept. 19 at the International Convention Center at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei; and a seminar on natural disasters and reconstruction in Taiwan on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 at the 921 Earthquake Reference Archive in Nantou County. Nantou was one of the areas most damaged by the earthquake.
The Hakka Affairs Commission and the Council for Cultural Affairs will jointly hold a night vigil at the Tungshi Hakka Cultural Park in Taichung County on Sept. 21 to commemorate the earthquake victims with a Hakka opera. A documentary on the reconstruction will also be presented.
In addition, the Relief Foundation is inviting volunteers who participated in the rescue efforts on a reunion tour of the reconstruction sites.
It is also organizing a commemorative garden party at the 921 Earthquake Education Park in Wufong (霧峰), Taichung County, from 11am to 5pm on Sept. 19.
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