The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced that its international youth ambassadors had successfully completed their visit to the Marshall Islands, Hawaii and Guam last month.
Earlier this month, the ministry said that from Aug. 20 to Sunday, a group of 40 Taiwanese aged 18 to 35 were to undergo two weeks of training abroad as part of an annual government-funded youth ambassadorship program.
The youth envoys finished their 12-day visit to the Marshall Islands, along with Hawaii and Guam of the US, on Sunday, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
During the trip, the young ambassadors met with Marshall Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko, Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Sylvia Luke, Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, Delegate to the US House of Representative for Guam James Moylan and Guam Legislative Speaker Frank Blas Jr, the ministry said.
They also met with academics at think tanks, engaged in people-to-people exchanges with local young people and held Taiwanese cultural performance events, which were warmly received by local audiences, it said.
Their first stop was Hawaii, where Luke shared the meaning of “Aloha Spirit” with them, saying it is more than a friendly greeting, but also a philosophy of treating everyone with care, compassion and respect.
Luke also lauded Taiwan’s achievements in sustainable agriculture and innovative technology, which Hawaii can learn from.
The youth ambassadors attended a seminar by academics at the East-West Center, an education and research organization, and held a “Taiwan Culture Night” at Ala Moana Center, Hawaii’s largest shopping mall in Honolulu, in which they performed indigenous dances, a Taiwanese folk parade and traditional Chinese music, which were all well received, the ministry said.
They next arrived in the Marshall Islands, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, and were received by Kaneko and Minister of Education, Sports and Training Gerald Zackios.
Kaneko said the Marshall Islands and Taiwan have a solid friendship, and the youth ambassadors’ visit is beneficial to bilateral exchanges between the two countries, the ministry cited him as saying, adding that they also met with the islands’ legislative speaker, Brenson Wase.
The young ambassadors visited several schools, such as Marshall Islands High School, to understand the Taiwanese technical mission’s participation in the local school lunch program, and Laura High School to practice teaching Mandarin Chinese and perform dances.
They attended a youth climate forum at the College of the Marshall Islands, and exchanged ideas on climate change, sustainable development and education with local students, the ministry said, adding that a Taiwan Culture Night was held at the International Convention Center.
In Guam, Guerrero told the youth ambassadors that Taiwan and Guam have shared values, a rich Austronesian culture and are geographically not far from each other, encouraging them to learn more about Guam’s history to strengthen bilateral exchanges, it said.
Blas Jr and Moylan attended a youth forum on Indo-Pacific Strategy at the University of Guam and exchanged ideas with the young ambassadors, the ministry said, adding that the young envoys held a final Taiwan Culture Night on Saturday.
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