Vice President Annette Lu (
"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 (
"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.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
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