He is perhaps the only ambassador who conducts "diplomacy" and fosters a positive image of his nation by jogging for 111 days across the Sahara Desert.
When Kevin Lin (
It should come as no surprise then that the nation's most vocal proponent of soft power -- Vice President Annette Lu (
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
"In an age of increasing troubles and conflict, ambassadors of peace, such as those feted here today, are as important to us as ever," Lu said in a keynote speech at the ceremony.
As of yesterday, there were some 145 newly inaugurated Taiwanese Ambassadors of Peace in a global organization boasting 250,000 such "ambassadors," said Chang Bo-ya (
"If more people from more countries join [the Universal Peace Federation]," Chang told the audience, "we could make further strides in preventing war and conflict."
Established in 1999 as an NGO with "special consultative status" to the UN's Economic and Social Council, the Universal Peace Federation's primary function is to provide conflict resolution services.
Boasting thousands of politically influential supporters and "ambassadors" worldwide, the federation has been especially active in global hotspots like the Middle East, mobilizing members to facilitate dialogue between Israel and its enemies, said Chang Ching-yu (
"This is both a global and local movement," he said.
"Any global movement needs to be strong at the local level," he said. "We need to start by fostering harmonious individuals, harmonious families."
Aside from Lin, scores of doctors, goodwill volunteers and civil service workers were also feted as Ambassadors of Peace yesterday for their altruistic work at the grassroots level.
They included Chiayi City Councilor Lin Sheng-fen (
She broke the girl's fall and saved her, but suffered severe paralysis on her left side -- a lifelong injury for which Lin Sheng-fen forgave the jumper and which has spurred her to focus on protecting the rights and needs of her disabled constituents.
"I didn't die," she said as she joined the league of "peace ambassadors."
"I want to dedicate my life to bettering society," she said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
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